Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38 (NIV)
During the past year, 7,320 people in Thailand came to salvation in Jesus and 191 new house churches were started. And through your support, you are part of this!
Thai Christians from the Free in Jesus Christ Church Association (FJCCA), a local Bible League Canada partner, are seeking out villages that have never heard about Jesus.
Although the Gospel arrived in Thailand nearly 200 years ago, 95 percent of the 80,000 villages in the country still didn’t have a church. But the tide began to change in October 2016, when King Bhumibol died after a 69-year reign.
A government-mandated period of national mourning banned large celebrations. Because their annual large Christmas evangelism celebration could not be held, the FJCCA workers fanned out and travelled to 17 smaller villages to hold multiple small celebrations instead.
The response was astonishing! This prompted them to change their ministry method and focus on taking the Gospel to over 75,000 villages in Thailand that have never heard about Jesus. Their work is diligently recorded by an amazing comprehensive national church database that accurately demonstrates where the need is greatest, and where churches are being planted, in real time.
This past January, the group baptized 520 new Christians in an outdoor service. In the largest baptism national church leaders had ever seen, crowds waded chest-deep into a public reservoir. In village after village, Thai people who had never before heard the name Jesus responded by the dozens to follow Him. In a single day last December, 309 people began following Christ!
This surge of church growth is so rapid that they have a hard time keeping up with the demands of training house-church leaders and providing Scriptures and discipleship materials to new believers. What a wonderful problem to solve!
They are anticipating an even higher number of new churches in 2019. Every month, on average, 550 people become new followers of Christ, and 20–30 new house churches are started. You are part of this! Through your support, you are an important part of the rising tide of new churches in Thailand.
All praise and thanks to the Lord!
With unprecedented church growth in Thailand, the need for your support is greater than ever! To provide Bibles and discipleship for these new believers, you can donate online at BibleLeague.ca/Donate.