4Twelve Academy

4Twelve Academy Launched!

On 14 March 2026, EAST celebrated God’s faithfulness in its 34th anniversary! It was also a perfect occasion for the soft launch of 4Twelve Academy, a new EAST initiative that seeks to build the Body of Christ by equipping students, lay leaders, and working professionals through micro-credential training. Rev Ng Zhiwen, the Strategic Coordinator of Antioch 21, was our keynote speaker and he acknowledged the shared vision with EAST and 4Twelve Academy of seeing Singapore being a mission equipping, mobilization, and sending base to Asia and the world.

The following short video captured a brief look at EAST’s recent history and a look forward to what 4Twelve Academy will be doing to equip church members with accessible bite-sized trainings.

What is 4Twelve Academy?

“…to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.” Eph 4:12

Inspired by Eph 4:12, 4Twelve Academy is a new initiative of East Asia School of Theology that desires to serve the church by providing ongoing training for its laypeople through microcredentialing.

“We seek to build biblically grounded, culturally relevant leaders for the church in Asia through accessible, high impact micro-credential training.” Mark Surendhan, 4Twelve Academy Director

A micro-credential course (one that offers as little as 0.5 credits) allows students to learn at much more manageable and customizable pace, unlike the time commitments required by a typical 3 credit course. Participants are required to set aside a smaller amount of time and energy while not compromising on learning standards and outcomes. The credits from a micro-credential course are stackable – toward the fulfillment of a 2-3 credit course and even toward the completion of an entire program.

These are the types of micro-credential courses that will be made available at different times of the year!

Counselling
Leadership & Management
Bible Exposition
Christian Education
Christian Discipleship
Coaching/Mentoring
Mission & Evangelism
Cross-cultural Engagement and Communication
Music, Media & the Arts

Join our upcoming Free Introductory Workshops!

Catch a glimpse of how a micro-credential course could benefit you. It’s free of charge but the content covered will definitely be enriching.

1. The Skilled Helper

30 March 2026 (Monday), 7pm – 9pm, at EAST Level 3

Would you like to be a more compassionate, effective, and skilled people-helper in your life and ministry?

The call to compassion and to care for others is one most Christians endorse. And many have a strong desire or are inclined to do so by virtue of their personality and passion. You enjoy touching others’ lives and want to give back to the community.

The needs of today’s world with its manifold mental health issues and concerns have also accentuated this need for us to be people-helpers. The question then is how? How can we be compassionate as well as effective helpers? This talk (and the courses to follow) seeks to help you to understand the human world better (comprehend more completely the intricate complexities of human behavior), to have more compassion, to be a better communicator and above all, to be an effective, skilled helper. – Dr Danny Goh, The Skilled Helper Workshop Instructor

For more details and to sign-up for this FREE in-person workshop:

Registration closes on 29 March 2026. Hurry, limited seats!

2. Strategic Leadership in Church Operations

9 May 2026 (Saturday), 9.30am – 12.30pm, at EAST Level 3

In today’s Christianity where church leaders are expected to be effective in managing one’s church in the dynamic marketplace , it certainly requires one to not only have spiritual depth in the Word, but also a strategic and operational clarity, organisational competence, and cultural intelligence in church management to operate in a complex operating environment.

The advent of AI and technology, the growth of a more educated populace and congregation; whose lives and living are shaped and impacted by digital disruptions, economic pressures, generational shifts, and pluralistic values — a need had arisen where church leaders of the future to expected not only to acquire organisational management, but also critical people skills to complement the governance of churches, biblical pastoral shepherding of God’s people; thereby ensuring a continual and sustain church mission anchored in Christ. – Mr Tan Ban Thong, Strategic Leadership in Church Operations Workshop Instructor

For more details and to sign-up for this FREE in-person workshop:

Registration closes on 8 May 2026. Hurry, limited seats!

3. Theology of Work

23 May 2026 (Saturday), 9.30am – 11.30am, at EAST Level 3

For years, I had what most people would call a “good job.” On paper, I’d made it. Honestly, though? It felt like a hamster wheel —turning out products for more consumerism and wondering if any of this mattered to God’s bigger purpose.

In churches, we often celebrate people in full-time ministry but treat our everyday jobs as spiritual afterthoughts. Yet, Scripture tells a different story —your daily work, whatever it is, can actually join in what God is doing in the world. In this two-hour workshop, we’ll look at what the Bible really says about work and vocation —and how to live with faithful presence in your everyday life. If you’ve ever wondered whether your nine-to-five really matters to God. This is for you. – Ms. June Chan, Theology of Work Workshop Instructor