Introduction
The Teachers' Christian Fellowship is a sectional group of the Graduates' Christian Fellowship (GCF). It was started in 2 November 1968 by a group of teachers who felt the importance of a continuing witness to Christ after graduation.
Aims
- To encourage Christian teachers in their witness in schools, colleges and other institutions
- To enable them to relate their faith to education and
- To build fellowship among them
- To encourage Christians to formulate a Biblical perspective towards educational issues
Ministry Focus
Workshops, seminars, social gatherings and conferences are organised to address the needs of the teaching profession and to stimulate educational issues. Examples of such issues discussed have been pastoral care, and Christian concepts of discipline, administration and education.
After the Teachers' Dedication Service in August 2006, Mr Richard Lim (former TCF executive committee member in early 1980s and currently principal) suggested a gathering of principals and vice-principals. Mr Lim gave the message at the inaugural event, where under the TCF's auspices, a gathering named the Christian Educators' Prayer Meeting started some time after the Teachers' Dedication Service in August 2006. Starting from 2008, it became a bi-monthly meeting, which brings together Christian principals and vice-principals and expanded to include those who have concern in the educating the young.
The Annual Dedication Service is to welcome Christian teachers, who are new to the fellowship, as well as to challenge and consecrate each one in the teaching profession for God's glorious service. The first Annual Dedication Service was held on 8 January 1983 at the St. Andrew's Cathedral.
TCF and NIECF
The TCF maintains strong links with the National Institute of Education Christian Fellowship (NIECF). NIECF is part of the Nanyang Technological University's Christian Fellowship under the Fellowship of Evangelical Students (FES). The first joint Dedication Service was held in 1995. Instead of holding it in January, the joint service is held in May beginning in 2002, to make it more relevant for graduates posted to schools in July.
Brief History
As early as the mid-1950s, Christian students of the then Teachers College met to have weekly fellowship. This practice continued into the 1960s and was known as the Teachers' Training College Christian Fellowship. During 1961-62, the GCF focussed its attention on two areas : Christian witness and literature work. A group of graduate teachers from the GCF formed the Teachers Committee, and together with the Teachers' Training College Christian Fellowship, helped to start the Teachers Conference. The first Teachers Conference was held in December 1962 at Tanah Merah, Singapore.
Six years later, the graduate teachers within GCF gathered sufficient manpower to structure themselves into the Teachers' Christian Fellowship (TCF). It was inaugurated on 2 November 1968 and affiliated as a sectional group to GCF in 1969. It then restructured and came under the Fellowship of Evangelical Students in 1971. TCF rejoined GCF in 1981.