1 Corinthians 3:5-9
What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
We need your prayers for two pastors who are planting new Pioneer Pastor Churches. The Pioneer Pastors are doing their part, sacrificially working in the fields, planting and watering for the Kingdom of God. But only God can make things grow and flourish. Your prayers help to make the new Pioneer Pastor churches to make disciples who are strong and to also plant new churches themselves. Thank you for being co-workers together with us in the fields of Thailand. 75% of the counties (sub-districts) in Thailand are unreached, having no Christian churches. It is these unreached counties that are our strategic focus for planting new churches, so that people can be transformed by the love of Jesus.
When a Pioneer Pastor Church is planted, the pastor and new believers at that church always have a great burden on their hearts for reaching others with the Gospel of Jesus. They have new life in Jesus Christ, and they want to see others have the same joy that they have experienced. Many Pioneer Pastor Churches go on to plant other churches. This is the case with Pastor Awee (who graduated this year, receiving a Master of Divinity degree) and the God is Good Bueng Khan Church. For the last three years, they have been evangelizing and leading a cell group in Rattana Wapi, an unreached county in Nong Khai province (see the map below) right up on the border with Laos, on the Mekong River.
Rattana Wapi has a population of 11,000 people, most of Pastor Awee and his members have planted the first church in this county. They meet every week for worship and prayer, and more and more people are receiving Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
Pioneer Pastor Churches many times plant new daughter churches, because church planting, evangelism, and disciple-making are baked into their DNA. It is just what we do as Christians who have experienced the power of the Father, love of Jesus and transformation and in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit. We want others to have this too.
Another new Pioneer Pastor Church that needs your prayers is Hat Kham Church, which is located just a mile or so from the border of Myanmar in Prachuap Khiri Khan province (see the map below).
Hat Kham is a county with a population of 9,000 people and Pastors Wichien and Puangtaun of Kuiburi Church have been evangelizing and leading a cell group here for several years. They have developed leaders at Hat Kham, and one of those leaders has been called by God to train for ministry to become the pastor of this new church.
Pastor Jaeng (seen in the white shirt and the center of the picture) is a widow who returned to her home village in Hat Kham after her husband died, to care for her mother who opened her home to be the base for a new church. Pastor Jaeng is in the midst of divinity studies at Bangkok Bible Seminary, and is also leading this new church in her hometown. All of the members of Hat Kham Church have specifically asked for prayer because there is great resistance to the Gospel, and God's intervention is needed to open hearts. We told them that there will be many people praying for them, that they are not alone. This made them very happy.
Thank you for being co-workers in the mission through your prayers and support. You make this mission possible.
