Reaching Asia’s Unreached

By Pastor Stanley Gerard

Associate Trainer

Planting in Faith

THE pioneers of Asian Outreach, like any other Christian organization, individual or church, worked hard without seeing the fruits of their labour of love. Yet they planted seeds by faith, and in so doing, they began the work of salvation in the lives of many. It was this conviction that gave them satisfaction --- that they had done their work and did it well as another generation reaps the harvest.

For the past 10 years, I have been involved in church planting in many countries, including several restricted-access nations. I thank God for those brave workers and church planters in my team who are working in the field with me to obey the Great Commission--- to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.”(Matthew 28:19).

Blessed are the Persecuted

You cannot imagine the persecution they face in these restricted-access nations. Danger lurks in every corner. You never can tell if your neighbour who smiles at you when he sees you today is going to turn on you tomorrow. Their wives and children are also not safe, having always to be careful of what they say and who they talk to.

Counting the cost and Following Him

Why do they still want to do it? Why risk everything?

It is because each one of these church planters had a personal encounter with the living God and their lives have never been the same since. (Psalm 103: 4 “…who redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion.”) They have known His love and saving grace, and they trust Him no matter what happens. He is Abba, their Father.

Let me share with you a pioneering work in a fishing community in Bangladesh, a restricted-access nation.

Church Planting in Action

Today, there are 22 believers here. When we visited them in October last year, they were happy to see us and continue to be receptive to God’s Word. Most of them were poor and struggling to make ends meet and like anywhere else in this country, jobs were not easy to come by. They cannot depend on the government to make their lives better and survival is a struggle yet they are eager to hear the Word of God. Truly, blessed are the poor.

Pastor Samuel and Pastor Bullet, two local pastors have a vision for the entire community to be saved. Up to date they have planted 2 churches and 18 cell groups. We pray that once the seed is planted, God would open more hearts to receive Christ as their personal Saviour.

Today, Asian Outreach has trained thousands of workers or foot-soldiers. Many churches have been planted, especially in restricted-access nations. Today, church planters have reached the very borders of Afghanistan and Iran.

Donations needed

However, the work of the church planters have been hindered because of the lack of finance, among other problems. Due to this lack, we have had to slow down the implementation of our church planting plans.

My prayer is that churches and individuals can come together and do what it takes to accomplish the Great Commission of Jesus Christ to make disciples of all nations.

Allow me to end with this quote “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving”. May this truly reverberate in the Body of Christ, and in the soul of every brother and sister to give out of the love in their hearts to enable the Great Commission of God to spread to the ends of the Earth.

Zec 10:12 “I will strengthen them in the Lord and in His name they will walk.”

Prayer points

1. We pray for safety and protection of all the pastors, leaders and believers (especially the converts) 

    from radical extremist. 

  

2. We ask the Lord to strengthen the leaders and pastors to be fearless in their zeal for the gospel.

3. We lift up the government of Bangladesh to have wisdom and fairness not to give in to the

     extremist demands.