ONE BODY, MANY PARTS

We haven’t gathered for a 2-day-1-night office retreat in a long, long time. When we finally did, some of our team already asked, “Can we go 3 days and 2 nights next time, so we can bond deeper?”  That hope touched me. But what really filled my heart was seeing how our pastoral team planned something fun yet profound. We had a great time to play, eat, talk, share, confess, repent, reconcile, and restore, all in just two days.

We kicked off with a scavenger-hunt at South Key that was not just fun, it intentionally invited us to express unity, grace, love, connection, building up one another. We broke into two teams of 5, and each “scavenged” for the right spot in South Key to express those moments of unity, grace, love, connection and building up one another, and we “captured” them.

During lunch we asked questions like: “If you could pick a Bible verse for your ringtone, what would it be?”, “Who was your childhood hero?”, “If you rename a book in the Bible, which would it be?”, “What is one food you could eat forever?”……At dinner we savoured Beijing roast duck (less than SIN$30!) and had free time, whether to shop, to laugh, or to sit quietly before God.

Later that evening, back at the chalet, we paused for something serious. We looked at the photo we each had captured earlier in the day, then let the conversation deepen: What wounds have we carried through years of service in GPC? Whom have we hurt? What do I need to confess to God?...... We placed our sins, our careless words, our brokenness at the foot of the Cross.

Then we meditated on Mark 2:1‑11. The paralytic brought by his four friends to Jesus. We found ourselves both paralytic and friend in turn. We formed a circle of five. One by one, someone would take the centre seat while the other four laid hands and prayed. When it was my turn on the chair, tears came. I realised afresh how precious each co-worker is, those I’ve known for five years, and how deeply they’ve been hurt. And I realised how many ways I’ve hurt them too. The minutes stretched past midnight, not out of obligation, but out of love and vulnerability.

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, the imagery of the body is vivid. Jesus is the Head, and the Church is the Body and “From him, the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament. Grow and build itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Eph 4:16) We were not just a group of individuals doing tasks, we were parts of one body. The scavenger-hunt, the sharing, the prayers, they were not random. They helped us recognise: every part matters.

We sat with vulnerability, not as isolated units but as limbs supporting one another. The hurt of one was the pause of all. The healing of one became a joy for many. Love is our building material, not the programs, or the performance. When we place confession, forgiveness, listening, shared story at the core, the body grows. I was reminded that “being strong could weaken the team and it takes courage to be weak.”

And yes, we glimpsed something beyond our routine: a hope that when our office team begins to work as one body, our broader leadership and our church might follow that pattern too.

Yes, we already have our sights set on a 3-day-2-night retreat next year. But more than lengthening the time, we want to deepen the quality of our being-together as Christ’s body.

Let’s keep these commitments:

·      Be willing to take the seat when invited and allow others to pray for us.

·      Be ready to be the friends who bring the paralysed one to Jesus, whether the “paralysed” is another co-worker, a                 ministry team, or even ourselves.

·      Carry the posture of humility that says, “I need you. You matter. My strength is not enough, Jesus is our head, our               source.”

·      Let love, not task lists or programs, be the scaffolding of our community.

Father, thank You for this retreat. Thank You for the moments of laughter and the tears; for the duck and the deep talk; for the free time and the stillness before You. May what begin over two days ripple into year after year. Make us one body in Christ. Let our unity speak. Let our love build. And let the world see in us a taste of the fullness of Christ.

Being His Missional Disciple,

Pastor Forest