“Jesus reached the hearts of the people by going among them as Someone who desired their good. He met them in the streets, in private houses, on boats, in synagogues, by the shores of the lake, and at the marriage feast. He showed interest in their everyday lives. His strong personal sympathy helped to win hearts” (Humble Hero, p. 62, Ellen White).
For the past two years, we’ve been working with the education department of the Thai Adventist Mission at the Adventist School here in Ubon. We completed our contract for that work last month, and now we’re in the process of moving in a new direction in our ministry to the Thai Buddhist people of Isaan. We will be transitioning to focused, full-time church planting.
The goal is to reach the Thai Buddhist people of Isaan by establishing centers of influence—specifically community service centers/churches—where we can meet people’s felt needs and lead them to Jesus Christ. In a typical Thai community, daily life centers on the Buddhist temple. We want to develop community service centers/churches that are open every day of the week, where local people can come to have their physical, emotional and spiritual needs met. Ultimately, these centers/churches will provide discipleship and training to help new believers share their faith with their neighbors and give them a context for offering Christian service to others in their community. These new centers of influence will provide a focal point for the daily lives of the new Adventist believers.
These centers will offer several services to the community. We will offer English education for children, youth and adults. We will also work to provide health and wellness instruction, basic life coaching and counseling and physical assistance through Dorcas ministry. It will also be vital for the centers/churches to provide help with funeral services for new Christians. Death and the rituals that accompany it are an important part of Thai Buddhist life. It will be important for the community service center/church to support new believers when dealing with a death in the family.
As we build relationships in the community, it is our hope that people will be drawn to Jesus Christ. So, in addition to community development, we will offer spiritual development as well. Our evangelistic efforts will include culturally appropriate Bible studies, daily prayer services, Sabbath worship services and VBS-style programs for kids. The church will also provide discipleship training for new believers to help them grow in their faith and equip them for service to give back to their community.
There are many people here in Ubon who have deep emotional and spiritual needs. In fact, there are more than 18 million Isaan people here in northeastern Thailand, and at least 98 percent of them are Buddhists. In addition to their belief in the teachings of the Buddha, they also practice folk religion, which emphasizes worship of spirits and manipulation of spiritual forces through venerated objects. There is a great need for believers to follow the example of Jesus and go among the people, yet the northeast region has the fewest missionaries per capita in all of Thailand.
The Thai Buddhists of Isaan are waiting for someone to come alongside them, to listen to them, and to introduce them to a God who cares about them and is involved in their everyday lives. Please prayerfully consider joining our team to reach the Thai Buddhist people of Isaan for Christ.
