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HARVESTFORCE 2021 • 3
CHURCH PLANTING in THAILAN I
n 1993, MMS sent our first Missionary, Rev Lim Chong Heng, to Thailand. Since then, the church planting work has continued to today. Currently, there are 16 Methodist Churches and 11 Preaching Points.
Strategies
Rev Henry Yeo Country Director of Thailand.
Our first approach is to plant a new church where there are no other churches within a 5km radius to prevent duplication of evangelistic effort. Secondly, we want to plant churches where there are residential communities within a 5km radius. Obviously, we need people to reach out to. Preferably, the church planting effort should be located in an urban area in order to build a church that can achieve financial selfsustainability and be able to eventually reach out and plant satellite daughter churches in the rural areas. To survey the demographics, we send a ministry team to study and analyse the area as well as to do a prayer-walk to ask God for guidance. Then, we begin our work by looking for a “man-of-peace” in order to plant our presence. We will try to start a house meeting in this person’s house. To ensure its continuity, we make disciples who can make disciples on their own. There is a need for a coaching system to help them succeed. This involves raising up local leaders as soon as possible who can help to oversee the operations of the church (in terms of administration, management, and ministries). In addition, we rent a place for worship and fellowship. And when the membership is beyond the capacity of the house, we build our own church.
Santi MC
