Several weeks ago during some time with God I felt an impression on my heart of these words, “Rest in My Faithfulness.” I didn’t think much of it at first because I was not concerned or anxious about anything, but it has stuck with me going into this year, and I want to encourage you with it as well.
In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul addresses the church in Corinth who were struggling with envy, pride, and jealousy – all of which were causing division. It was all about who was the best and who they were following – Paul or Apollos.
Paul brings the correct perspective to the situation while sharing a broader biblical truth. “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” (1 Corinthians 3:6)
The lesson – we do the work in planting and watering, God does the rest. Planting seeds is often a sacrifice while watering is work! We plant seeds – seeds of encouragement, financial seeds; we sow the word of God in the lives of others. We water through prayer, follow-up, and tending to the work we started, but it is God who brings the growth. When we do this with a pure heart, God promises to prosper whatever we put our hand to.
Whatever may be in front of you this year, stay faithful with planting and watering and rest in the proven faithfulness of God to do the rest.
This year’s conference focused on mobilizing the Chinese Church for global missions. It was an action packed four days of teaching, collaborating, and strategizing. With a conservative estimate of 120 million believers in China, their potential in reaching the world for Christ is significant. Too often in our Western thinking we believe we are the only ones who do missions.
Yet, God’s word is true for every person and nationality who reads it. The Church in every country has the same call to “go into all the world and preach the Gospel”. Another way to think of it is that our “ends of the earth” may be a Chinese person’s “Jerusalem” and their Jerusalem may be our “ends of the earth.” One of the keynote speakers was a Chinese missionary who is now based in the Middle East.
Twenty percent of the pastors who attended are already using our China Mission School (CMS) training and are now talking about how to collaborate and apply what they are learning for new ministry initiatives.
Another leader, Pastor Jang, had previously been arrested and detained for 37 days for having church. He has since fled China and is now starting a missions training school in his new home. The persecution he endured has propelled him into a new purpose. This was a divine connection!
He asked for our help to train the students in his school. World Compassion will be providing him with our missions training while looking at ways to further connect Chinese missionaries to opportunities in the Middle East or other countries where we work. Please continue to keep this in your prayers as this unfolds.
These opportunities are the result of seeds being planted and watered. It’s the fruit of the giving of World Compassion partners like you!
In addition we had 2,680 requests for our ABC discipleship and leadership curriculum – just from the pastors who were in the room that week! That’s 2,680 new disciples!
Thank you to everyone who sowed a seed to sponsor one of the 50 leaders to be at this conference. God provided an increase of 2,680 people to start learning His Word at a deeper level!
This one outcome would have been worth the conference alone! These 2,680 new students will be joining the over 5,500 that are currently working through the curriculum.
If you are not aware, ABC has over 280 lessons of systematic and comprehensive Bible teaching. Chinese churches use it to help disciple their people and train emerging leaders. Students go on to lead other churches, start new ministries, or gain the confidence to share the Gospel and defend their faith in their everyday lives.
While in Asia our team spent time with our staff and leaders in Myanmar where we also use ABC. Currently there are over 170 ABC groups representing over 2,500 students studying ABC—almost all are in one city! The team was able to gather 30 of these ABC pastors in the city of Yangon where they were able to connect with one another and strategize on how to reach their city. Many of these pastors were meeting each other for the first time. We are now preparing for 1,500 new ABC students in Myanmar!
Although Yangon is one of the safer areas in the country with the current civil war taking place, there are many internally displaced people who are flooding the city. The ministry opportunities are great–—both physically and spiritually.
One pastor, Luke, has taken in 12 young people who recently fled a war-torn region of Myanmar. Several of them walked over 11 days to make it to him. All 12 have now given their lives to Christ. Pastor Luke was looking for discipleship materials when he met our country directors at a marriage conference. He is now taking these young people through the ABC material—10 of them come from a Buddhist background.
Training and discipleship is a significant part of what we do at World Compassion. To help the local church in nations hostile to the Gospel reach their Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.
This truth is evident in World Compassion’s work in China. Financial partners of World Compassion have sown financial seeds for years into that nation. Our teams along with the Chinese pastors have watered, tending to the work, and the increase is incredible!
Several weeks ago our team returned from Asia where they hosted one of our pastors’ conferences for 50 Chinese leaders. World Compassion continues to fly leaders from restricted nations to different countries to hold conferences like this.
The rise of religious restrictions in China continues to make it more difficult to operate. Last year we had five leaders and one of our Chinese staff detained at the airport and not allowed to leave China. This year one of those pastor’s wives was able to attend.
For just $50 ($71 CAD or £39), you can provide ABC Bible Training in China or Myanmar.
We have 2,680 requests for ABC Bible Training coming out of our conference.
How many ABC Bible students can you help sponsor?
$50 ($71 CAD or £39) provides training for one student.
$150 ($213 CAD or £117) provides training for 3 students.
$500 ($710 CAD or £390) provides training for 10 students.
It costs $1,500 ($2,125 CAD or £1,177) to send a ministry leader to our Pastors and Leaders Conference.
Our team will be on the ground in both Asia and the Middle East hosting 50 pastors at each conference this year.
It costs roughly $75,000 ($106,250 CAD or £58,850) per conference to cover the costs of helping fly these pastors out of their home country, provide lodging, food, materials for the conference as well as some of the costs of our team being boots on the ground with them.
How many pastors can you send to our conference this year?
World Compassion Terry Law Ministries d/b/a World Compassion and its affiliates are not a part of nor associated with Compassion International. Your gift will be used for these projects and many other outreaches of World Compassion.
God has empowered His people, including you, to change the world.
You can help empower a Christian in a nation restricted to the message of Jesus from right where you are.
Your giving is what helps transform the spiritual and physical lives of people around the world.
Sign up for emails to get news and inside information from the Church in restricted nations.
