As missionaries, our goal is to train Thai Christian leaders to lead the ministries. During this past year, a Pioneer Pastor Team of veteran Thai pastors has been formed and trained to take leadership in planting new churches in unreached sub-districts in Thailand. The Pioneer Pastor Team discovers the right leaders for pioneering churches, trains them in Biblical and Pastoral studies, and also forms effective business plans and gives grants for pioneer pastors to start businesses to be self-supporting. They provide coaching for the new pioneer pastors too. And all of this happens while we are in the States for itineration. And we are very, very pleased. It is our vision that we will be able to train many teams of Thai pastors to plant churches in unreached areas of Thailand. This first Pioneer Pastor Team is the firstfruits of the vision.
A new pilot program has been initiated by the Pioneer Pastor Team called the Lay Pastor Institute. We believe most of the new pioneer pastors will be Thai laypeople who have never had the opportunity to go to Bible College. The Lay Pastor Institute is a new program using the "Portable Bible College" curriculum provided by Evangelism Resources, a sister mission agency from Wilmore, Kentucky. The curriculum is designed to train lay people to serve as pioneer pastors. Every month the Pioneer Pastor Team provides training, both on-site and at the Blessing Home building in Pattaya (this building is a godsend to the ministry!).
 |
| The first class of the Lay Pastor Institute met on October 11 at Blessing Home Ground Zero in Pattaya. |
Please pray for this new pilot program and for the Pioneer Pastor Team that will be meeting this month to make decisions concerning new church plants. They have been very busy interviewing candidates and doing on-site visits. We pray for the Lord to guide us and the Pioneer Pastor Team. We want to do the Will of the Lord.
