Praise and Prayer Points, June 2013, Week Four

Praise Points

Great visits with potential partners for Grace International School's capital campaign in both Singapore and Korea.  

Safety and great health in our travels.

For 50+ partners so far for the 100 days of prayer for Grace.

For a couple gifts to the capital campaign getting us started on funds for the first two buildings.


Prayer Points

We're teaching Sunday School tomorrow.  Please pray for us and the children attending that the Lord would use the lesson to draw them to Himself and help improve their English skills.

The Lord would continue to draw those to the 100 days of prayer during the months of July, August and September for Grace International School.

For the Persings, our FM partners in Chiang Mai as they are in the states working on partnership building.  Please pray they'll be able to come back fully supported.

Student's Gifts Unwrapped in the Context of the School's Court Case

A recent Grace International School graduate, Danai, has produced a short video involving another student as the speaker.  Together they invite the viewer to pray for the upcoming reading of the Appellate Court's verdict on July 9th.  

Please take a look at the video to see and hear the heart of our Grace students for the school and who are also sharing their gifts and talents for the glory of God.

To view video click here.

The Body of Christ in Thailand

So, just where does the Free Methodist fit into the organizational structures of the Body of Christ in Thailand, you ask?

Besides the CCT (Church of Christ in Thailand), the EFT (Evangelical Fellowship of Thailand) and the TBC (Thailand Baptist Convention) there are 18 independent church organizations which are not part of the three councils.  The Free Methodists have created their own Foundation under which it operates in Thailand.

Finally there are 359 independent churches that are not a member of any other organization. 

When all the church data is summarized there are 150 different groups or denominations that have planted churches in Thailand over the past 180 years.  Praise the Lord!

We join Dwight and MaryKay in giving praise to the Lord that regardless of council, organization, or denomination the majority of the churches in Thailand are involved with Vision 2015.  Churches members from all over this nation are committed to being "One out of 100,000 to reach one million for Christ by the year 2015."

Would you join us in praying for the hundreds of church members and leaders from all over the country of Thailand who are taking seriously this audacious God-sized goal and pray that the church would be used of the Lord so that thousands will come to know Christ and become disciple makers themselves.

Prayer and Praise Points, June 2013, Week Three

Prayer Points

For the church that she would be healed and whole.

For the court case announcement on July 9th.  Pray that the Lord's will would be done and that Grace would be extended his grace and mercy in the verdict.

For prayer partners for the 100 days of prayer starting July 1st running through September.  That the Lord would raise up many in the church to pray for the Grace International School and the huge hill it gets to climb regarding it's capital campaign.  Pray specifically that construction could begin by the end of 2013 and that the high school and middle school buildings could be occupied by the end of 2014.

That the Lord would speak to the hearts of those he is calling to have a part in the capital campaign.

For relief in Singapore reducing the dangerous air quality conditions.


Praise Points

For those who have already responded to take part in the 100 days of prayer for the school.

For the wonderful meetings in Korea and the doors that are open to Grace.  Praise for the churches who are partnering with Grace in sending teachers, giving scholarship dollars for students and staff and for funds given for the capital campaign.

For healing for Michaela and Tad sinuses.

Kathy and Don's Ministries Outside Grace

  Don and Kathy Williams serve not only at Grace International School they also have roles with Free Methodist World Missions and Kathy with Community Bible Study International.

Don serves on the Board of Administration with the national leaders of Mission Thailand with the Free Methodists.  He also serves with the Asia Area Director on the Asia Leadership Team (ALT).  In the past he has been an advisor for the care and education issues for the children of missionary children and also for personnel matters for the Free Methodist missionaries in the region.  A new director has been appointed and will be determining the role(s) Don will play on the ALT in the future.

Together Don and Kathy participate in the life of the local FM Thai church in Chiang Mai by networking and building partnerships with churches in America for the work being done not only through this church but also the other Free Methodist churches in Thailand.  

We attend the church a couple times each month occasionally sharing in the service and helping with substitute teaching in the Sunday School hour during the summer months. 

We also actively promote the ministries of The Jasmine Project a ministry to pregnant women providing them with an alternative to abortion.  

Kathy also serves on the national leadership team along with fellow missionary Connie Persing for the Lahu Youth Hostel in Chiang Rai, Thailand.  The Hostel keeps children safe from being trafficked.

Prayer of Healing for the Church

Lord help our unbelief when it comes to having a sense of hopefulness for the possibility of healing for a broken church.  Jesus we recognize that unless you come and heal our personal brokenness it will and does spill over into the church.  We confess our need for healing in our own hearts and minds.  

We recognize and acknowledge that your love reaches out to everyone, even our enemies.   We give you thanks and praise for the reality that we were once your enemies too.  

We remember your grace gripping us when we were yet sinners.  In that same spirit we forgive those who've trespassed against us.  We forgive the one who broke trust.  We forgive the one who hurt us.  We forgive the one who's come against us unjustly and unfairly.

With sadness and repentance we remember our own condition and the hurt it caused in our relationship with you, our Father in Heaven.  We can imagine the hurt and sadness you must feel in our brokenness and sin.  

Heal the memories of the hurts and the stings in your church.  We pray for healing in our church communities and for ways forward together.  

We confess again when we have sinned by words we have spoken and actions we have taken we have contributed to the brokenness in your church.  Forgive us oh Lord.

Gracious God, help us to treat one another with respect and love, regardless of how our views differ.  By your Spirit help us to see and to promote the spirit of healing and a forgiving heart in the face of brokenness and division in your church.  By your spirit help us to help one another reflect the love of Jesus in our relationships.

Lead your church to the place of forgiveness we pray.  Lead us to words of forgiveness.  Speak to us your words of healing.  

We ask all of this in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

In the book, "The GOD ASK - A Fresh, Biblical Approach to Fully Funding Your Ministry" written by Steve Shadrach we've recently been reminded in an article written by Gary and Pat Cruce shared with Free Methodist missionaries, of a different perspective we're to have in our motivation when seeking funds for the ministries God gives us.  There's a great quote in the book where Steve says, "Many of the doubts and fears I had associated with support raising were relieved when I stopped thinking of it as the "Steve Ask" and started thinking of it as the "God Ask". 

Our motivation - It's a "God Ask"  for his glory not a "Don and Kathy" or "Grace International School Ask".  We see the conversations we are having with folks in Asia and will be having in other parts of the world in the coming months, in reality, is not us asking for funds for Grace International School.  Rather it is God, through us, asking individuals, churches and denominations to partner with Him to change the world through the synergy that comes through the work of the Holy Spirit and with the 337 missionary family's ministries who because Grace International School exists have a great place to educate their children.

We are only the instruments that the Lord uses to accomplish His purposes.  It is God asking people to share their resources so that He might be glorified in the 24 countries where the parents of Grace International School students minister.  Here's a map showing those locations: 

Your holding our rope in prayer in this critical time is to partner and join with Him to change the world through Grace.  Please pray that God's people might hear the message of the vital role Grace plays in God's kingdom and hear God being the one who is asking.  Through it all may His Name be lifted up and glorified throughout this region - the most unreached part of the world. 

Stepping Forth With One Purpose, One Vision, June 2013 Week Two

G r a c e   I n t e r n a t i o n a l    

S c h o o l   P a r e n t s . . .

  

A m b a s s a d o r s   o f   t h e  

L o r d   J e s u s   C h r i s t

‘Deborah’, her English name and Juman Kim are Grace International School Korean missionary parents who are church planters and started a hostel for 20 school-age Karen children in Thailand.  They have been missionaries for the past 18 years.  Deborah also works part-time in the Advancement Office as the Korean liaison for the school.

Pictured from left to right: Juman, Joy, Grace and Deborah Kim

Deborah shares that before coming to Grace as elementary students, their daughters attended a public Thai school.  A school where the children were taken to temple a couple times a day for rituals like bowing down before idols.  Learning this was the daily practice they decided they could no longer have their children attend the local Thai school.  

Deborah has expressed over and over again the importance of Grace International School for her children’s education.  Without Grace they could not and would not be able to stay in their fruitful ministries in Thailand.  

Thank you again for the huge part you play in our leading Grace International School and making it possible for families like the Kim’s, a missionary family, to have a great place to educate their children.

Their eldest, Grace, graduated from GIS last month and will attend Calvin in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Our Neighbors...the Korean Church

We’ve been invited these past four days in our time in Korea, into the inner sanctuary of the heart of man and his wrestling with the Lord.  It’s plain to us that we are much more alike than we are different.

There is a sense of hopefulness for the future of the church in Korea.  A sense that God is in control and has a wonderful plan for its future though at times the future seems uncertain.  Would you join us in praying for the church in Korea that it would stand strong and steadfast in the midst of her challenges and growth?   That she would continue to be light and salt in the culture in Korea and around the world.  And that the Lord would bring healing to the land and unite the divided country.

Prayer and Praise Points, June 2013 Week Two

Prayer Points

That the Lord would raise up 100 Prayer Partners who will pray for 100 days during the months of July, August and September for Grace International School’s first phase of construction to be started before the end of 2013 and completed and fully paid for by the end of 2014.

For the decision the judges of the Appellate Court of Thailand have made and will be announced on July 9^th, concerning the property Grace International School presently owns.

For favor with the churches and individuals we are meeting in our travels in Korea and Singapore.  That through these visits some of our Asian brothers and sisters will be also be a part of the 100 prayer partners.  Relationships being built over the years will be strengthened.   That the Lord would use us to encourage others in their faith and walk with the Lord.

Please pray for Katelyn and Michaela as they have begun their summer jobs working at a sports ministry camp sponsored by a large church in Texas.  Pray for good health throughout the summer and for effective ministry to the children attending.

And pray for healthy leadership succession in churches and seminaries throughout Korea where present leaders will be retiring in the coming months and years.

Praise Points

Give praise for the opportunity to re-connect with brothers and sisters in Korea who have a heart for missions and the work of Grace International School.

We’re thankful for Don’s ordination as an elder in the Free Methodist Church.

We’re thankful to the Lord for 32 years of marriage celebrated on June 12.

We give praise to the Lord for the opportunity he's given to live a large kind of faith for God-sized assignments.

For abiding hope and peace in the midst of the big challenges of a court case and the Grace International School capital campaign.

Encouragement that comes from the Lord through the Body of Christ as we have traveled in Korea.