ETS Training Gives Young Christians Confidence to Share Their Faith

Participants enjoyed small group discussions

Great Mission Church in Maesot, Tak Province was the site for the Lutheran Hour Ministries Thailand (LHMT) Equipping the Saints (ETS) training on May 18, 2013.  Pastor Jeraporn Sookthep and her church members were wonderful hosts for the day.

Our LHMT staff rode in a van for 7 hours to travel the 500 kilometers (300 miles) from Bangkok to Maesot on May 17 and back again on May 19.  Although the trip was tiring, our staff were very happy to be able to conduct the training for 76 participants from 7 different churches.

It was especially nice to see that most of the people who attended were young adults, who were eager to learn how to share their faith with their families and friends.  They had a lot of energy and enthusiasm throughout the day, as our LHMT staff presented the 7 ETS modules.  They had good discussions and everyone enjoyed the songs and activities that accompanied the training sessions.

At the end of the day 41 people were commissioned as LHMT volunteers.  Seventy-nine names were added to the list of people receiving encouraging Gospel text messages each week on their cell phones, including some non-Christian friends.

Everyone agreed that the day was a lot of fun and that they received very practical information about sharing their faith.  They especially liked the Gospel bracelets.  Some said that they were more confident and felt encouraged to witness to their friends.  We later got the message that some of them immediately started sharing their faith when they returned home.

The pastor from one of the churches invited LHMT to conduct an ETS training at his church in Sukhothai Province in the future.  We thank God for safe travel, for blessing the training and relationships with the participants and for providing us more opportunities to do ministry with churches throughout Thailand.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

New Believers Learn How to Share their Faith

Twenty members from two churches in Uthaithani Province joined the Equipping the Saints training sponsored by Lutheran Hour Ministries Thailand (LHMT) on March 9, 2013.  Although the LHMT staff followed the usual ETS format and schedule, this training was different from most of the other ETS workshops.  This time almost all of the participants were new believers.  Most of them have been Christians for just 1-2 years. 

During the discussion times many of the questions were about the Bible and basic Christian teachings, not just about how to share their faith.  Many of these young Christians were still not very familiar with some Christian concepts.  In addition to gaining more understanding about evangelism, the ETS training was a good opportunity for them to learn more about the Bible and who Jesus is. 

At the end of the day a number of the participants said that they were very excited to learn so much and to grow in their understanding of the Bible.  In fact, they indicated that they are eager to learn more and would like to have the LHMT staff return and conduct another workshop.  This is something the director will consider, since they live just 200 kilometers from Bangkok. 

Fourteen people registered to be commissioned volunteers for LHMT and 16 signed up to begin receiving the Gospel text messages on their cell phones.  Some adults asked to have 6 of their children enrolled in the Children’s Bible Correspondence Course.

The LHMT staff also gave some pillowcase dresses to the daughters of some of the people who attended.  These dresses were donated to LHMT by some good friends who live in St. Louis, Missouri. 

We thank God for blessing this training and for the new relationships that were started between the church members and LHMT.  We hope that we’ll be able to visit them again to help them grow in their knowledge about the Bible and in their relationship with Jesus.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

ETS Training in Phayao Province

Phusang Church in Phayao Province is the location where the Lutheran Hour Ministries Thailand (LHMT) staff conducted their most recent Equipping the Saints (ETS) training.  On October 12, 2012 the LHMT team rode in a van for 11 hours to reach the site.

On October 13, a total of 27 pastors and church members from 3 different churches in Phayao Province participated in the training.  Throughout the morning and afternoon they worshiped together, sang songs, joined in a number of fun activities and studied the 7 ETS modules.  They not only learned why evangelism is important, but they also gained many useful ideas about how to share their faith with their friends and family members.

Although many of the participants didn’t know each other before attending the training, they worked well together and enjoyed learning together.  By the end of the day they had gotten to know each other, had learned about the work of Lutheran Hour Ministries Thailand and had started thinking about ways in which they could work together in the future.

Many of the attendees commented on how practical the training had been.  They asked the team to come back often and to provide a longer training program.  At the end of the day 22 people asked to begin receiving the weekly Gospel text messages on their cell phones and 19 registered to become commissioned volunteers for LHMT.

We thank God for safe travel for everyone, for his blessings during the training and for the new LHMT volunteers.  We look forward to visiting that area again and working with the churches there.

Practical Training Leads to Future Cooperation

Lutheran Hour Ministries Thailand (LHMT) conducts Equipping the Saints training six times every year.  The most recent one was held on September 15, 2012 at Sampan Ulok Si Muen Church in Tha Maka District, Kanchanaburi Province, which is 140 kilometers (84 miles) from Bangkok. 

A total of 50 participants from two churches and two preaching stations attended the training.  They enjoyed the training and found it to be very practical.  They were happy to learn more about the LHMT ministry and to get to know the LHMT staff.  At the end of the training they said that they were interested in cooperating with LHMT in doing a school outreach program in their area. 

Some of the participants were interested in having more involvement with LHMT and nine people agreed to become commissioned volunteers.  Also, 34 attendees asked to join the program to receive Gospel text messages from LHMT each week.

We thank God for safe travel and that everything went well during the training.  We look forward to the possibility of working together with SampanUlokSiMuenChurch and other churches on a school outreach program in the future.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

LHMT Trains 52 People in Guiburi District

Pastor Wichian Rakkhuntho from Guiburi Church was a very good host to our LHMT team

Pastors and members of 5 churches and 1 preaching station from several districts attended the Equipping the Saints training conducted by Lutheran Hour Ministries Thailand (LHMT) on August 11, 2012.  The training was held at Guiburi Church in Guiburi District, Prachuap Khirikhan Province.

This training is designed to assist the pastors and church members in sharing the Gospel with people in their communities and with ideas about how to welcome visitors into their churches.  The training is comprised of 7 Modules that cover topics such as why we do evangelism and biblical models for reaching out to the lost.  The LHMT director and staff also explain how to use local media in doing evangelism and they introduce the participants to the various types of ministry that LHMT does.

Some commissioned volunteers who are willing to share the Good News of Jesus Christ

Of the 52 people who attended the training, 37 committed to being commissioned volunteers for LHMT in their communities.  At the end of the day they were sent out with prayer to be more fully involved in the ministry of their churches.

As usual, many people were interested in receiving the encouraging Gospel text messages that LHMT sends to more than 5,000 cell phones each week and 47 attendees signed up to join this program.

Many people mentioned how much they appreciate this training and that they feel much better equipped to tell people in their families and communities about God’s love and salvation through Jesus.  We thank God for continuing to bless our ETS training programs and for the many people who are eager to spread the Gospel.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

ETS Participants Make Commitment to Use What They Learned

LHMT staff taught some special techniques for sharing the Gospel

As usual, the Equipping the Saints (ETS) training on June 16, 2012 started with a time of worship with all 40 participants from 8 churches joining together in praise and prayer.  They came to Parasiri Ngao Church in Ngao District, Lampang Province to learn how to share their faith.  Through the 7 ETS training modules the Lutheran Hour Ministries Thailand (LHMT) staff introduced the participants to many practical techniques for telling people about salvation through Jesus Christ.

The LHMT team received a very warm welcome and everyone who attended the training was very eager to learn.  They enjoyed meeting each other and participating in the discussions and activities throughout the day.  Many of the people attending even gave donations to help support LHMT ministry activities.

The feedback that the LHMT team received at the end of the training was very positive.  One church decided to set up a ministry team to do outreach activities at least once each week and planned to ask all other church members to make a commitment to reach out to their community together.  Other individuals said that they planned to use what they learned during the training to share their faith with their family, friends and neighbors and to develop stronger fellowship among the members of their churches.

The participants were very happy to learn about the encouraging Gospel text messages that LHMT sends to more than 5,000 cell phones each week.  They asked that nearly 50 names of people from their churches be added to the list of text message recipients.  The LHMT staff was encouraged that 18 ETS participants asked to become commissioned volunteers. 

Because 4 churches were unable to attend the ETS training, LHMT was asked to return to conduct the training for members of those churches and others in the area.  LHMT was also invited to go to a new place in Phayao Province to introduce the ETS training to people there. 

The distance between Bangkok and Lampang Province is about 800 kilometers (480 miles).  On the return trip the long 10-hour van ride was made more pleasant by a visit to 2 faithful supporters of LHMT ministries.  Mr. Kriangsak and Fongjan Maigitmau invited the team to stop at their home for lunch.  After an enjoyable time of fellowship together, Mr. Kriangsak and Fongjan gave some souvenirs to the LHMT staff and another donation for the work of LHMT. 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Some Say One Day isn’t Enough

Gennesaret Church, located in the city of Nong Khai in Nong Khai Province is about 650 kilometers north of Bangkok, just inside the border with Laos.  The Lutheran Hour Ministries Thailand (LHMT) director and staff made the 9-hour drive by van on May 18, so that they could conduct an Equipping the Saints (ETS) training there on Saturday, May 19. 

The LHMT team was happy they made the long trip when 26 people from 3 different churches in Nong Khai attended the day-long training.  It was the first time that LHMT did ministry activities in that area.  They enjoyed meeting so many people who were eager to learn more about why and how to do evangelism. 

While the LHMT director led the first hour of the ETS training, 3 LHMT staff did a special program of fun songs and activities with nearly 60 children in another room.  Every Saturday a large group of children from the community gather at Gennesaret Church to participate in a Compassion International project.  The Compassion staff lead the children in fun games and activities, tutor them, and teach some of them how to play musical instruments.  Before rejoining the ETS training, the LHMT staff donated more than 210 copies of the book, “A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories,” to Compassion International.

At the end of the day some people said that the training was too short.  They thought it should last a few more days.  They also wished that more Christians from other churches in the area could have attended.  All 3 churches are eager to work with LHMT again in the future.

Everyone who attended appreciated getting to know about the ministries of LHMT and 9 of them applied to become commissioned volunteers for LHMT in the Nong Khai community.  A total of 27 names were placed on the list of people who want to begin receiving the encouraging Gospel text messages sent out by LHMT each week.  That number is larger than the number of people who attended the seminar, because some people signed up their friends for this special service. 

One of the pastors at Gennesaret Church has been a friend of LHMT for a number of years.  Pastor Sompong Hanpradit (a member of the LHMT Advocacy Board) and his wife, Tong Tip, moved from Bangkok to Nong Khai last fall to join the ministry of the church in starting preaching stations in areas where there are no churches.  The LHMT team was glad to see Pastor Sompong and Khun Tong Tip again and to learn about their work with Gennesaret Church.  We look forward to doing ministry with Pastor Sompong and the other pastors in Nong Khai in the coming year.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Members from 6 Churches Attend ETS Training

Muang Phetchabun Church in Muang District, Phetchabun Province was the location of the most recent Equipping the Saints (ETS) training conducted by the Lutheran Hour Ministries Thailand (LHMT) director and staff. 

A total of 85 people from 6 churches in the area participated in the training on February 25, 2012.  Because it takes about 5 hours to drive to the church from Bangkok, the LHMT team had to use February 24 and 26 as travel days.  Although the trip was quite tiring, the team was very happy, because God richly blessed the time they had with the church members. 

The director conducted the first 3 modules of the training, Mr. Siam led module 4 and Mr. Tak was responsible for modules 5-7.  The team was able to make many good connections with the participants and was happy to see how eager everyone was to receive the training. 

Even before the training ended, some of the church members were talking about how they could use the ideas and materials to do evangelism in the communities near their churches.  They especially appreciated receiving the Gospel bracelets and learning how to use their fingers to help them share their faith.  The church members said that they felt much more confident sharing the Gospel with their friends and family.  They really appreciated how practical the training was. 

One highlight of the training was that more than 40 youth attended. 

At the end of the training a number of people asked to start studying the LHMT Bible Correspondence Course.  Others wanted to receive the Children’s Bible Correspondence Course, so their children also could learn more about the Bible. 

Everyone was interested in learning more about the different ministries that LHMT does throughout Thailand.  The team was asked to return and do another training on other topics that would be helpful to the church members. 

Many people appreciated having the opportunity to purchase Christian materials and books from the team, because there is no Christian bookstore in that area.  During the breaks there were always a number of people at the product table. 

The LHMT team look forward to working with the church members in that area again.  Some good relationships were started and 10 people asked to become LHMT volunteers.  It’s very encouraging to know that they want to become part of the LHMT team in reaching out to the people of Thailand with the good news about Jesus.

By the time the team was ready to return to Bangkok, 32 church members had signed up to receive the encouraging Gospel text messages.  We look forward to continued communication with them, the pastors and other church members in the future.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Participants Wish ETS Training Could Be Longer

Pastor Pracha Thaiwatchramas and his wife, Nilubon

In August 2011 the Lutheran Hour Ministries Thailand (LHMT) director and 3 staff members traveled 7 hours by van from Bangkok to Udonthani Province in northeastern Thailand.  Pastor Pracha Thaiwatchramas from Sajatharm Baptist Church in Muang District had invited them to conduct an Equipping the Saints (ETS) training at his church.  Pastor Pracha had heard about this training from his wife, Nilubon Thaiwatchramas, who is an LHMT board member.

A total of 55 people from 6 churches and 2 outreach centers attended the training.  They were very excited to have the opportunity to receive the training and committed themselves to be much more involved in reaching out to the lost in their communities in the future.  To give action to their words, 23 people asked to become LHMT commissioned volunteers and said that they wanted to participate in more LHMT activities.  Forty-four people signed up to begin receiving the encouraging Gospel messages sent out from LHMT every week.

Because the LHMT director became sick shortly after the team arrived in Udonthani, she was unable to lead any of the ETS modules.  We thank God that her 3 staff were able to teach all of the modules and lead other activities without her, so the training was still successful. 

All of the evaluations at the end of the training were very positive.  Some people asked if more LHMT activities could be planned, because they knew that many people were unable to attend in August.  They also asked if the ETS training could be longer, so they could learn more and have time to practice in the community some of the things they were learning in the workshop. 

The LHMT director and staff are very encouraged by the positive feedback.  They look forward to returning to Udonthani Province to conduct more outreach activities.

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Heavy Rain and Flooding Don’t Dampen Excitement of New Believers

Young new believer is happy to have crosses and Gospel bracelet to help her witness to her friends

Although nearly one-third of the people were unable to attend the Equipping the Saints (ETS) training at Romklao Tungsong Church in Nakhonsithammarat Province on July 16, 2011, it was an exciting day for the Lutheran Hour Ministries Thailand (LHMT) director and staff.  This training was unique, because it was conducted for 36 new believers from 3 churches who have come to faith since LHMT did an ETS training at Romklao Tungsong Church in May 2009.  Very heavy rain and flooding made it impossible for another 20 new believers from one church to travel the 60 kilometers (36 miles) to join the training.

It took the LHMT director and her staff 12 hours riding in a van to travel the 800 kilometers (480 miles) from Bangkok to Nakhonsithammarat Province, but they were very happy that they made the trip even though they had two flat tires along the way.  The training went very well as planned.  They continued to build strong relationship with Pastor Kluan Ponchai and church leaders and got to know the new believers.  7 people were commissioned as LHMT volunteers.  Another 15 people signed up to receive the weekly Gospel text messages on their cell phones.

Many participants asked if additional workshops could be scheduled every 3 months.  Pastor Kluan is also interested in having his church join LHMT in doing a children’s activity.  LHMT director and staff hope to be able to work with the churches in that area again in the future. 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.