PRAYER AND
at the water’s edge
2015 SELF DENIAL
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1 A study was conducted in a medical school in 2008, looking into exam related stress amongst the students. Over half of them reported that a lack of preparation contributed to the anxiety they felt around their exams. Preparation involves knowing what is expected of you and being equipped to face those expectations. For many of us though, the work of mission is something we feel woefully unprepared for. In 1 Peter 3:15 we are reminded, “if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.”
How ‘prepared’ do you feel to share your faith? Peter and Lynley work in South East Asia, equipping local believers to minister in their context. They firmly believe that it is the local church that is best able to reach out to the community, and so they facilitate projects and opportunities for them to do just that. One of the ways they do this is through a project to drill wells in village communities. Peter and Lynley work with local churches to identify villages that could benefit from a well, and then the local Christians liaise with the villagers while Peter and Lynley assist them in organising the new bore. Not only does this bless a community with safe drinking water, it allows Christians to engage with predominately Buddhist villagers. This is an incredible opportunity that would not exist without the well-drilling project.
“The water well can help Christian churches to come easily into the villages.” Montree, local evangelist. “We can see that drilling wells is an opportunity to create relationships. Where there was no relationship before, we now have ongoing relationships with the whole of the community.” Peter, Tranzsend.
He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. Luke 5:2-3
Peter and Lynley’s work is ‘at the water’s edge’ – preparing and resourcing those who do the actual ‘fishing.’ How can you be involved in preparing others through encouragement, resourcing or discipleship? What would make a difference to your own sense of ‘preparedness’ for mission? What can you do about that?
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Pray for South East Asia
Although Christians have been active in the region for centuries, the population of believers in this area is very small. In Thailand in particular, Buddhism is tied closely to national identity. To convert to another faith is seen by Thais as losing your culture or nationality. To date, the greatest progress with the Gospel has been amongst the tribal groups, who only make up 5% of the population. Much of the country has few, if any churches, making two-thirds of Thais effectively unreached.
Our workers in this region: Andrew and Roanna, Noah, Miles and Theo Peter and Lynley Pray for encouragement for the local church in Thailand.
Pray for wisdom in understanding how to strengthen their work in the region. Pray for more workers who will come alongside local believers to resource and facilitate their mission.
PRAYER AND
into the deep
2015 SELF DENIAL
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into the deep
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Thalassophobia is an intense fear of the sea. For people with this phobia, the thought of being in or on the water is unbearable. Here in New Zealand you cannot get more than 120km from one ocean or another. For someone with thalassophobia in NZ, their fear would always be there in the background. For many Christians, anxiety about doing mission is the same – a constant dread that sits in the back of the mind. But it is with regard to sharing our faith that Paul writes, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
How ‘scary’ is the idea of doing mission for you? Richard and Sally serve at the Christian College of Theology in Bangladesh (CCTB). Their role is to equip local believers to minister and reach others in their own communities. Nondita is one of Richard and Sally’s former students. She is a young woman with a passion to reach others. In Bangladesh, the garments factory workers face terrible conditions and work for very little pay. They are powerless and mistreated by the system they are caught in. Nondita has committed to entering that system to demonstrate and bring the Good News to them.
“After she finished studying here at the college and getting a degree, against all advice she said, ‘I’m going to go back into a factory and I’m going to start at the bottom and work my way up and learn what it means to be a garments factory worker.” Richard, Tranzsend “So I want to know in that context what are the human issues that a person faces. What will enable them - give them the ability - to hear the GOOD NEWS of the Gospel.” Nondita, CCTB graduate and Garments Factory worker Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” Luke 5:3-4 Richard and Sally are involved in sending locals ‘into the deep’ to do mission. Where is the ‘deep’ of mission around you? What is stopping you from taking the Gospel there? What would that look like?
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Pray for South Asia
South Asia is the second most populated region on Earth. It is an area where people still endure poor standards of living, low literacy rates, and various forms of inequality. Corruption is endemic in the political and civil systems, and this undermines efforts to lift local populations out of poverty. The church here is small but is growing in strength and number, often with humanitarian work done in Christ’s name demonstrating the Kingdom of God to those who are considered the least in these cultures. Our workers in this region: Ian and Mairi Paul and Sarah, Mikayla and Malachi Gary and Heather Colin and Tania, Georgia and Daniel Kerry and Annie Ross and Cindy John and Susan Pip Jo Richard and Sally Peter and Leonora Lizzie Carley (A list of the current short term workers is available from the Tranzsend national office) Pray for those working with the poor and the outcasts. Pray for those in power to act justly and with mercy. Pray for a change in cultural attitudes that de-value others according to gender, ethnicity or caste.
PRAYER AND
spread the nets
2015 SELF DENIAL
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spread the nets
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In 2014 there were approximately three billion internet users worldwide. This means that 40% of the global population is connected through computers. In theory, with just a few keystrokes or mouse clicks, we could be in direct contact with any of those three billion individuals. Even without the internet we can still have a remarkable number of interactions on a daily basis. Not all of them are deep or meaningful, but when we consider the number of people we speak to or pass by, we realise we are part of an incredibly broad network of individuals. When Jesus said we should pray that God would “send more workers into his fields,� (Luke 10:2) it was this web of influence He was talking about.
What are the fields God has sent you to? Bruce and Karen have been working in a number of arenas, witnessing for Christ and encouraging others to do the same. From the local fellowship they pastored, to providing chaplaincy at a medical clinic, to visiting prisoners, they have made the most of being where God called them.
“I’m not doing anything different to what I did when I was working in secular work, except that I had more opportunities to share the Gospel in secular work than I do in full time ministry.” Bruce, Tranzsend “I’ve found that a big challenge is that I might not see results. I may never know what happens to these women... But what we need to do is what God asks us to do, and just be faithful in that.” Karen, Tranzsend “We create in our mind what it looks like to throw out the net from a template that is stamped over everyone, and that’s not right. We’re all different. Celebrate the fact that God has called us differently to spread the net.” Bruce, Tranzsend “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. Luke 5:5-7 Bruce and Karen have been spreading the nets and encouraging others around them to do the same. What opportunities could Jesus be asking you to make the most of? What does ‘spreading the net’ look like in those situations? How can you respond to those opportunities this week?
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Pray for East Asia
While this region of the world is booming economically, it is facing immense challenges socially and spiritually. Materialism has gripped the emerging middle class, and the environment is paying the price of the region’s explosive growth. Churches are still heavily regulated, and Christians still experience persecution. In the special administrative regions, issues like gambling have created considerable social ills and numerous people are trapped in the demands of the industry and its associated vices. Our workers in this region Andrew and Andrea, Liam and Mahlia Bruce and Karen (returned to NZ)
Pray for protection for our staff in East Asia, and that they will have the freedom to serve in these communities. Pray for opportunities to build bridges into the culture with the Gospel.