In March, I began working with a young church in the nearby district of WangNamKiaw. This church has been in existence for a few years but experienced a devastating church split. The pastor left and the church all but disappeared. The couple who were the founding members of the church, William and On Crowe, decided they wanted to try again to build a strong church in the district and came to me for help. In the months preceding their visit, they had organized a weekly Sunday meeting of about 20 believers but felt inadequate in teaching the people about their new life with God. I agreed to assist them in teaching the new believers and training leaders to strengthen the new church.
I have to admit that it has been much more fun than I had anticipated. We've begun by visiting the new believers in their homes on Wednesday mornings and teaching them the 7 miracles of Jesus found in the Gospel of John. We also give them homework every week - to read 5 chapters a week of the Gospel of John. This may not seem like alot but it is quite a challenge for them. These villagers do not have a high level of education. Many of them do not read at all and must have a family member read the passages to them. It is has been such a blessing to see God begin to work in their lives as they've begun to read and be taught the Word of God regularly! One elderly man constantly complained of chronic headaches. After reading the Scripture for a week, his headaches completely disappeared. I have noticed a distinct change in several of the other new believers as well as they have begun to grow in their faith through studying the Word. In our weekly visits, we've also had the opportunity to share the good news of the forgiveness of sin found in Jesus Christ with unbelievers as well. We use Buddhist concepts, such as karma, making merit, etc., to phrase the Gospel in such a way that it makes sense to them. It always excites me to see "the light go on" as they begin to really hear and understand the message and the meaning of the Cross for the first time. The Gospel's good news of the hope of eternal life is such good news to a hopeless Buddhist that, though they may not be quite ready at that moment to receive Christ as their Lord and Saviour, you leave knowing that they "...are not far from the Kingdom of God."(Mark 12:34 )
On Wednesday afternoons, I hold a leadership training meeting for a handful of potential leaders in the new church. I bring many of them visiting with me in the mornings so that I can model ministry for them. In the afternoons, we discuss our morning visits and I give them more in-depth instruction on mentoring new believers. I also have begun teaching them the basic doctrines of the Christian faith using the discipleship booklet One-to-One. After I have finished teaching the 7 miracles of Jesus found in the Gospel of John, this group of leaders will begin teaching the One-to-One booklet to the new believers we regularly visit. I will continue to accompany them on the visits to observe and encourage them in their ministry efforts and help them overcome any obstacles that they may encounter.
I'm excited about the opportunity of working with this new group of believers in WangNam Kiaw as there is no established church in this district. By the end of this year, I hope to see a solid group of disciples established and a strong leadership team taking the responsibility of mentoring the believers in their faith. Thanks again for all you do to assist us in our ministry to the Thai people. May God richly bless you as we work together for the glory of His Kingdom and His great Name!
Chad, Nan, and Sam Cocran
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