GET INVOLVED
The Year of Release is a call to everyone in the BRMC community to love our neighbours in five specific and practical areas: befriending, ministry support, intercultural outreach, school ministry and worship. (See examples.)
The start of November signals the beginning of the Enact phase when we put faith into action.
As of the end of October 2025, 52 Connect Groups (CGs) have committed to one work of mercy for one year. That’s almost half (45 percent) of our CGs, while some listed works of mercy fully taken up too.
Registration remains open.
If your CG hasn’t signed up yet, there’s still time to do so.
During this time,
1. Be part of a CG committed to a year-long work of mercy.
If you are not part of a CG, join one now.
2. Discern ONE work of mercy
The works of mercy available are categorised by the following acts of love, or themes.
i) Befriending
ii) Ministry support
iii)Intercultural outreach
iv) School ministry
v) Worship
View examples under each theme:
View the full list of works below:
3. Register as a Connect Group.
4. Commit to pray and engage in quarterly activities and reflect on God’s work through you.
5. Encourage others by sharing testimonies of impact and transformation.
MATCHING (from Sep 2025)
After your registration form is submitted, your CG will be matched to a work of mercy based on your indicated preference and the availability of the corresponding Release ministry.
ENABLE (from Oct 2025)
You will enter the Enable stage once matching is done. Your Release ministry partner will prepare your CG, spiritually and practically, to serve in your work of mercy over the continuous 12-month period.
ENACT (Nov 2025 – Nov 2026)
The Year of Release kicks off officially at the start of Advent 2025.*
During the ENACT stage, your ministry partner will check in with support and feedback, as well as give regular ministry prayer updates.
PRAISE (from May 2026)
CGs will also be guided to review and reflect on how you have seen God at work through your service.
We look forward to hearing your testimonies and stories of impact in the season of Praise following BRMC’s 70th anniversary in May 2026!
*Your CG may start serving before or after the official kick-off, depending on where your group is at the journey timeline.
Depending on your CG’s chosen work of mercy, here are the Release ministries you may be serving with:
Q1. Why does the Year of Release focus on serving through CGs?
A1. We believe that CGs are one of the best contexts for discipleship and transformation, as individuals and as a church.
Q2. Can I participate in the Year of Release if I am not part of a CG?
A2. Yes, and you will also be encouraged to join a CG, or to serve alongside a CG.
Q3. Is committing to a work of mercy compulsory for all CGs?
A3. No, it is not compulsory. However, CGs are urged to at least prayerfully consider how the Lord is leading them to commit to a work of mercy, because this will help the CG grow as disciples of Christ.
Q4. Can my CG commit to more than one work of mercy?
A4. No, each CG should commit to one work of mercy for the duration of the Year of Release.
Q5. Why are we limited to committing to one work of mercy?
A5. The goal of the Year of Release is to build a culture where CGs regularly wrestle together in prayer to discern how God is leading them to serve as a CG. The CGs will also be expected to constantly pray for the people they have committed to serve and serve with.
Q6. Must every person in the CG participate in the commitment?
A6. No. The commitment is made by the CG as a whole, and the work can be done at varying levels among the members. For example, persons who are unable to be physically present for activities, can commit to actively praying for the work and the people.
Q7. Can smaller groups in my CG commit to different acts of mercy?
A7. No, each CG should commit to one work of mercy for the duration of the Year of Release.
Q8. Must the entire CG serve together, or can smaller groups within the CG serve with the same work of mercy?
A8. This depends on the nature of the work of mercy. Some works of mercy would benefit from the CG serving as a whole group (such as the mission trips). Other works of mercy may be better suited for smaller groups of volunteers at a time (e.g. leading devotions at the Boys’ Brigade). In such instances, your CG can be split into smaller groups to serve across different days.
Q9. Can children in our CGs participate in the works of mercy?
A9. Yes, children in your CGs are strongly encouraged to participate in the work of mercy you have committed to. This is part of their discipleship and will help to teach them that this is an important aspect of the Christian faith.
In general, most of the works of mercy are suitable for children or seniors. The ministries you serve with will orientate your CG and provide handles for the different age groups to be involved.
Q10. What kind of accountability is expected from the CGs during the Year of Release?
A10. Within the CG, we urge each member to encourage each other and hold each other accountable to the commitment you have made. This is part of growing in accountability, one of the 4As of our CG life.
Outside the CG, the Release ministries will have reps who will guide your CG in serving and provide feedback along the way.
The Release taskforce will also be available if there is a need to resolve issues that may arise.
Q11. How do we encourage CG members who might feel like they are too busy to participate?
A11. Praying and discerning together as a CG is so important to this process. The intention behind the Year of Release is not to burden people with more things to do, but to create a culture where our members intentionally seek and obey God’s leading in loving our neighbour outside the church, which sometimes comes at a cost. What that cost will be and whether it is something we can and should bear is something the CGs are encouraged to wrestle with together.
At the very least, CGs with persons who face constraints with being physically present to serve can commit to be spiritually present – to regularly pray for the ministries and their beneficiaries, and to pray for the CG as the CG serves in person. Prayer is a crucial part of your commitment to the work of mercy.
Q12. What if my CG has difficulties coming to a consensus as to where we discern the Lord is leading us to serve?
A12. It is not easy to wrestle and discern God’s will together, but it’s an important step for the CG to grow in Christian maturity. Here are some suggestions to help:
i) Give time for everyone to listen to God and each other, and agree on a means of deciding – by taking a vote for example.
ii) Remind everyone that we are trying to discern God’s direction, which may be contrary to our personal preferences.
iii) Assure everyone that the commitment is for a year, after which the CG may either renew their commitment for another year or commit to a different work of mercy instead.
iv) Talk to the Pastoral Team Staff or the pastors if the CG is simply unable to come to a consensus.
Q13. What if my CG is not ready to participate in the Year of Release?
A13. Participation in the Year of Release is opt-in and not mandatory. This is because some CGs may have genuine reasons for not being able to commit to a work of mercy this year.
However, do not be too quick to conclude that the CG is not ready to participate at this time. The works of mercy have been prepared to be as accessible as possible for most CGs, and we believe that works of mercy are an essential (not optional) part of the Christian life.
Q14. What are the works of mercy available for commitment?
A14. You are encouraged to first discern with your CG a theme or broad area of ministry God is impressing upon your hearts. This would help your CG narrow down and discern the specific works of mercy to serve in.
Download full list or view below.
Q15. Can a CG commit to a work of mercy not listed on the website, including works organised by external parties?
A15. Yes, and the CG should still update the Year of Release Taskforce if doing so. This is for both accountability as well as for the CG to be covered in prayer.
If you commit to a work of mercy outside the list, some aspects of the Year of Release may not be as relevant to your CG, such as the info sessions or the training. We also may not be able to closely guide your CG compared to groups committed to the listed works of mercy.
Q16. Should my CG commit to a work of mercy if we are already serving with a Release ministry in BRMC?
A16. You do not need to, if your CG as a whole is already committed to a work of mercy with one of the ministries in the Release pillar (Refer to “Partners” above).
Q17. Should individuals within the CG who are already committed to particular ministries still participate with the CG?
A17. CG members who are already serving in one of the Release ministries (refer to “Partners” above) are encouraged to serve with the CG as far as reasonably possible. There is no need to cease their existing commitments, but they may not be able to play as involved a role as others.
Q18. Would serving in ways such as ushering at the worship service be considered a work of mercy?
A18. Not in the context of the Year of Release. Although ushering and other acts of service within the church are a means for us to love our neighbour, the Year of Release focuses on how God releases us into the world to bear his light. Thus, the works of mercy we emphasise are oriented to what God is doing outside the church.
Q19. Can CGs serve within a school setting such as ACS and the Brigades, given the sensitivities of ministering in a public and secular space?
A19. Yes, and the sensitivities of serving in a school context have shaped the works of mercy available for participation. The school ministry team will also orientate your CG to better understand this context of ministry.
Q20. Can a CG change the work of mercy it has committed to, midway through the year?
A20. CGs are encouraged to prayerfully discern God’s leading before committing to a work of mercy. Once the commitment is made, the CG should persevere to the best of your ability to keep the commitment you’ve made. Our God sometimes sends us to do things that we do not enjoy or struggle with, and our part is to honour our commitment. The ministries would also have made a commitment to the people we serve, and so withdrawing would also affect those your CG has committed to serve.
However, if there are very compelling reasons for a change, please alert the Release Taskforce and we will explore all options, including a change to a different work of mercy. Do note that there is no obligation to renew your commitment to a work of mercy after the year is done.
Q21. How can my CG build consistency in serving if we commit to a mission trip, which is a one-off event?
A21. Going on a mission trip involves multiple preparation activities before the trip, such as team meetings, training sessions, language lessons, and preparing logistics for the trip. Along with the prayer for the mission field, your CG will have the consistency needed for works of mercy to become a habit in your CG life.
Q22. How will the CG know how to pray for the people involved in a work of mercy?
A22. You will receive regular prayer updates from the Release ministry leaders over the course of the year, although the frequency and timing of these updates may differ based on the different ministries.
Q23. What is the difference between a ministry and a work of mercy?
A23. In the context of the Year of Release, a work of mercy refers to the things we do as we love our neighbour.
A “ministry” refers to the people and structures organised to enable us to enact these works of mercy.
For example, “Outreach and Social Concerns” is the name of the ministry that looks after various works of mercy such as befriending recipients of BRMC’s financial assistance.