Ministry Focus

After seven months in the mission field God gives us a clearer direction on what path to walk on in our ministry. He is giving us a focus. As Filipino missionaries this is crucial. We neither have a team nor an organization here who would tell us what to do nor would just give us a position in a well structured organization. Given this situation it is easy to lost focus. However, we believe that in situation like this that God would certainly reveal His will to those who are fully dependent on Him. I believe God put us in a position where our ministries will have a greater impact on the local community.

Narlin’s Christian Education Ministry

It is very clear for us that Narlin is most effective with her ministry with the children. She has a very important role in the children ministry of Grace International Church. Besides teaching the children, her position gives her the opportunity to minister to non-Christian parents and lead them to a saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. The strength of her ministry lies on her ability to make friends and make people feel they are important—both for the children and their parents. Her training community health training gives here the ability to care for the children who are sick.

Furthermore, the church voted unanimously and give here task of training teachers . She is given the position to be the Sunday School director or something like that. She will be in charge of the entire Christian education of the church. Training teachers for Sunday School and leaders for children worship. This will include organizing English camps and Daily Vacation Bible School during the summer.

For some this may look easy, but as a foreigner working in disorganized church and working with people of different worldviews and cultures makes the task doubly difficult.
However, we believe that here is where she is most effective and where she will have a bigger impact in the community in terms of evangelism and empowering local people to minister and evangelize their own people.

Joey’s Theological Education and Training Ministry

Joey preaches regularly and considered to be the Assistant Pastor of Mae Sai Grace International Church. He is given full responsibility for the program of the morning worship service. Together with Pastor Shin Maung (the church’s senior pastor), Angela (co-worker) and Narlin, he helped organized the international congregation which is now well attended and perhaps preferred by Christians who happened to visit the place.

He is also instilling the vision among fellow Christians and missionaries to be united in reaching the unreached people groups in the region which is of course plenty. A coordinated effort and a fervent praying for one another are certainly needed and indispensable in the mission field.
In addition, Pastor Shin Maung is deeply concern with the theological education of the pastors and church leaders from both Thailand and Myanmar. Together we envision a church- based Bible school which is accessible both to Thais and Myanmar people.

We know that this undertaking is not possible without a working partnership with an established institution. This program will be done in partnership with Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary being coordinated through its current president, Dr. Joyce Abugan. Theological education will be done through Seminary Education by Extension (SEE). We will start the training as soon as the textbooks are available.

We believe that this ministry would also have a greater impact on making Christ known in this region. It will train local leaders in their biblical and theological knowledge, who in turn can transfer their knowledge to local Christians who obviously are more effective doing these things than foreign missionaries.

Because of the lack of qualified theological teachers, we are praying that we can extend this effort in other parts of Thailand using different means and methods of teaching that includes the use of the internet. We pray that these trainings will be a venue for a dialogue to make the gospel—the story of Jesus more understandable and acceptable to the Buddhists in the community.