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Synod Training and Exposure Programme
By Pr Joshua Woo Sze Zeng (Chairman of STEP)
Jun 2014

Participants group photo

The inaugural Synod Training and Exposure Programme (STEP) was held from 19 May to 6 June 2014, with its opening ceremony at Singapore's first Presbyterian church, the 171-yearold Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church. The Synod Moderator Rt Rev. Philip Leow Khee Fatt graced the event with the opening message.

The STEP is an internship programme intentionally designed to inspire and equip emerging church leaders! STEP is not only a new experience for our 30 participants (from 12 different churches) but also marks the new phase of leadership revitalization of Singapore's Presbyterian community. Our congregations have been for a long time in need of lay and pastoral leaders. It is STEP's objective to address this situation.

STEP seeks to (1) establish the interns in our denominational identity, (2) introduce them to theology, and (3) inform them of contemporary ministry and sociocultural challenges. For these, Willy Lau (Synod's Youth Executive and my coarchitect for STEP) and I enlisted a string of inspiring talks, informative lectures, eye-opening visitations, and team-building activities for the interns. The interns were also tasked to spearhead ministry project for their respective churches and actively articulate their learning experiences during the programme (which are archived at http://pcsstep.blogspot.sg).

I hope that STEP has provided our emerging leaders with a glimpse of what a wholesome Presbyterian ministry is and can be; which is historically rooted, theologically robust, and socially relevant.