SINCE 2008, all the six Anglo-Chinese Schools here have seen groups of students’ fathers meeting up regularly to pray for the students and their families. Known as Fathers’ Prayer Groups, they meet at pre-arranged times with each school appointing a coordinator.
The Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) Fathers’ Prayer Movement began in 2002 at ACS (Junior). Then-Principal Mr Peter Tan noticed that the existing Parents’ Prayer Meeting was attended mostly by mothers. He was led to call for fathers to pray, applying the teaching of Bill Gothard of the Institute of Basic Life Principles that fathers provide the umbrella of protection and coverage for their wives and children.
Mr Tan, who is now Principal of ACS (Barker Road), sent out invitations to the fathers of students in ACS (Junior), expecting that even if two or three gathered, God would hear them. e first meeting had an attendance of 12 men and since that day, there were no fewer than 12 fathers turning up to pray in ACS (Junior).
When the first batch of praying fathers moved on with their sons to other schools in the ACS family two years later, Mr Tan shared the idea of the Fathers’ Prayer Group with his fellow principals and left it to the fathers, the schools and the Spirit to lead.
Over the next few years, the motivation spread and by 2008, all the schools in the ACS family had started a Fathers’ Prayer Group.
Since the inception of the Fathers’ Prayer Movement in 2002, the fathers have always come together for a retreat. As the number of groups grew, an annual summit was organised to encourage and fan the flame of prayer amongst fathers as they take their place of leadership in their family.
Shared Mr Tan: “ The praying father plays a critical role in God’s Kingdom as he stands in his place for his family, as well as corresponding with God for the families in the school.
“Fathers praying also set an example for their children. The child knows that the father is going for a prayer meeting in the school. is sends a powerful message of the father’s love and care for his child’s education and development. is, I hope, will also lay the groundwork for the child to one day become faithful in prayer.”
For more information, please contact any of the schools listed below, or Mr Tan at peter_tan@acsbr.org about setting up Fathers’ Prayer Groups in other Methodist schools.
