Partnership Ref.: |
THA01a |
Commenced: |
25/10/2001 |
Funding Status: |
Fully Funded |
Partnership Type: |
Evangelism / Church Planting, Orphans & Vulnerable Children |
Funding Size: |
$3,000 - $7,999 |
Annual Budget: |
US$ 4,356 |
Connected To: |
Population: 68.1 million
Life Expectancy: 68.7 yearsGDP: US$4116 per capita
Unemployed: 1.2%
11.5% earn less than US$2/day
Impact is impossible to assess but hundreds of thousands of children are being reached
The Good News Team spreads the good news of Jesus throughout Thailand, targeting the children and trusting that God will use them to teach adults about Jesus. This project provides Bibles and education for all of the children learning in the programme and provides care and special programmes for those children in the poorest slums (THA01c). Through this project new churches are planted so the new believers and different communities can be discipled and learn how to grow in their faith.
The Good News Team has many sub projects working to spread the gospel of Jesus and to help the poor.
Through the correspondence course, hundreds of thousands of children across Thailand are learning the hope of Jesus as they are encouraged in their faith by the GNT staff. The correspondence course consists of 24 different lessons that are broken down into three course studies. Upon completion of the first course children receive a New Testament. When a child becomes a Christian they are then linked with a local church in their area. Nearly every day they receive at least one letter from someone who has prayed to receive salvation or is excited about their new life in Christ. Every month approximately 200-300 children accept Jesus as Saviour. This project has a huge impact on Thai children and Thai communities.
Public School Evangelism:Since 1981, up to 300,000 comic book type magazines are printed every year and distributed to all of the schools the Good News Team visits. The magazines explain the good news of Jesus and also give the children the option to sign up for the correspondence course.
Prisoners are given hope with the same cartoon like magazine that is used in the public schools. Many of the inmates become Christians through these magazines.
Good News Ministries was started In 1978 by two World Outreach missionaries from New Zealand, Lorraine Dierck and Valerie Bateup. The ministry has grown and there are now 12 Thai Christians working with GNT ministries. Bright Hope World has been partnering with this ministry since 2001.
This project primarily helps the children of Thailand but with a flow on effect into the wider community as lives are changed and churches planted.
This project spreads the good news of Jesus to hundreds of thousands of children all over Thailand. The magazines are fun to read and the children are attracted to them. The gospel is powerful, touching hearts and changing not only the lives of children but the lives of their friends, parents and those they know. The GNT staff is very small yet they are able to respond to every letter. They are very positive about discipling those in the correspondence courses so that their faith will grow and mature. This project is bringing hope to children and is beginning to break the cycle of injustice with just a simple magazine, correspondence and the giving of Bibles.
Lorraine Dierck is the founder and co-director of Good News Ministries, Thailand. She has been sharing Christ with Thai children and youth for over 25 years. Her vision is to mentor and equip leaders for children's ministry and missions. In 1996 Lorraine began Muangtong Family Church in North Bangkok, where the Top Kids ministry (THA01c) is now based. Lorraine has completed a Mastor of Missiology degree from Pacific International University, as well as Master of Religious Education from Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary and Master of Theological Studies from Asia Baptist Theological Seminary. Presently she is working on a Doctor of Missiology from Biola University.
Valerie Bateup is the other founder and co-director of Good News Ministries and she too has been sharing Christ with Thai young people for over 25 years through outreaches into local schools and through literature. She helped write and develop the correspondence lessons used by the Team and also works with others on the Team who enjoy teaching through literature. Together they produce regular evangelistic, cartoon booklets for distribution to Thai schools. Valerie enjoys teaching children and also teaching at the Bible College. Through extension programmes she has completed a Master of Religious Education degree and a Master of Theological Studies, and is presently working on a Doctor of Missiology from Biola University.
A Thai based Advisory Board has been established to give guidance and support for the Team. This Board will include 3 or 4 Thai Christians who have had ongoing contact with the Team over many years and have their own vision for the work with Thai young people – either through being in the Team previously or because they became Christians through the Team. NoiNon and Doi (as Team leaders) will be on the Board.
In addition, a missionary couple from Finland, Markus and Saara Nordblum, are on the Board and also have Team administration roles and help with sending out prayer information.
Along with continuing to provide their correspondence course and magazine to an increasing number of children, the Good News Team is aiming to plant new churches to help shepherd the new believers. They realise the real need for new believers to have opportunities to be discipled, encouraged and a place to fellowship in a Christian community.
The annual budget here helps support the correspondence courses.
Penapon, the mother of Borlune writes: "My daughter received your lessons but she was still young so I helped her do them. Through them I myself became a Christian. My daughter was born with a serious blood disease. After I became a Christian I started praying to God to heal her. For a year I prayed, and slowly she got better. Now she is totally healed."
Amnart, 14 years old: "Hey thanks for the New Testament! When I started to read it, my heart felt light. I read the whole book and have decided to become a Christian."
From Dechai: "I'm still so amazed that I can know God because He is so great. Thanks for helping me. Before I was often unhappy. I couldn't forgive anyone or let things go. But after studying with you about God, He has helped me change and I've got real happiness now.