A Simple Method that Changes Lives
08/04/2010 8:29 am OMF Thailand <th-itSPAMFILTER@omf.net>
It’s not new. It’s not innovative. It’s not trendy. It doesn’t produce immediate results. But it is a key element to church planting and the long-term sustained growth of the church. It’s pastoral visitation. As part of church planting efforts in the rural community of Nong Doan
Pastor Jareun and missionary Karl have been visiting Mr. Ting, teaching him chronological Bible lessons and addressing various issues that come up. Sometimes he gets it and sometimes he doesn’t. “My sister is Catholic and worships Mary. Is that the same as what we do?” “I know Jesus rose from the dead but we still go through many reincarnations, right?” It takes a long time to help inquirers and new Christians to get their mind around what the Bible teaches about God and ourselves. Preaching and church attendance are an important part of the discipleship process but regular visits at home to go over the Scriptures and discuss matters more personally are an invaluable aid in helping people move from a Thai Buddhist worldview to a Thai Christian worldview, anchored in the Bible. The week-in, week-out visits that we are making to Mr. Ting’s home are not flashy or exciting. But over the long-run we hope to see God change his life in wonderful ways through this simple method called pastoral visitation. (Karl & Sun Dahlfred, Central Thailand Church Planting)
- Please pray for Pastor Jareun and Karl to maintain consistency in visiting Mr. Ting in the midst of other demands upon their time
- May God provide more people whom Jareun & Karl can regularly visit in Nong Doan
- May God help Mr. Ting to understand His truth and grace in the Bible and what they mean for his life