Bangka - "Bangka Church Growing 4 Baptism"

Recently, God has added four new people in the Church of Bangka. Here, in the Church of Bangka, there was a 3rd grade junior high school teenager named Jordy. He is our neighbor who is very adept at playing music and very helpful in Song Ministry. His father and mother also adept at playing music and active in their church. However, they strongly support the Church of Bangka even always lend a keyboard to be used in the event our services.

In the church of Bangka there is also a man named Luken. He is the cousin of Ahen and Alfon that was recently baptized. Although opposed by his family and relatives, Luken did not waver. His wife named Vivi even support Luken because of course she can see the change of the personality and the life of her husband. More than that, she also was studying the Bible until now. She wishes to be baptized in the month of October this year.

Besides Jordy, Luken, Vivi, there are also A Lim and Renita who were actually preparing their wedding, but, it is God's plan because A Lim studied the Bible with the Church of Bangka. And not long after that, he took Renita to study the Bible together with him. Approximately 1 month of studying the Bible, they finally decided to be baptized to be disciples of Jesus and of course they will become the new married couple and the first in the Church of Bangka this year.

Pekan Baru - "First Baptism"

Mission team members Pekan Baru evangelize people anywhere in the city. At malls, markets, stores, houses, and various locations.

On the way home, Juwita and Princess, two members of the mission team met a man who asked a specific address to them. After answering those questions, they invited him to attend to the meeting of the Bible discussion on the next day. On the day, the man came with 3 of his friends as he had promised.

One of them is 24-year-old man named Irvan Hurray who worked as a construction supervisor. He followed the Bible lessons and stop smoking habit which is very difficult for him to left it. Once he understand the love and sacrifice of Christ through the study of the Cross, Irvan Hurray finally made the decision to be disciples of Christ and was baptized on September 27, 2009.

Surabaya - "Our father finally got baptized"

We are joyful because one by one of our family members become disciples of Jesus. Starting with my oldest brother, Muksin who was an occult believer. After a former school friend invited him to church, he studied the Bible there, and then he repented and was baptized in 1993.

Muksin experienced a very radical change in his life. I was very inspired to study the Bible and was also baptized in 1993. Then I took my sister, Akhim, to study the Bible in the following Sunday. She was baptized two weeks after that.

I wrote a letter to the oldest sister in Jakarta. I share my life story, and about God's plan. She responded well and also studied the Bible and became a disciple of Christ in 1995.

In 1996, when the mission team sent from Surabaya to Pontianak, Muksin, Akhim and I decided to go to reach our parents and our youngest brother there. He became a student a year later when he was in high school in 1997. My mother also studied the Bible. Although she could not read the Bible in Indonesian, she studied with my sister in law, Lily, by using Chinese language Bible. Mom finally was baptized in 2001.

My father was the last member of our family who became Disciples of Christ. He is our prayer for 16 years. During that time, Muksin, Akhim and her husband Doni always shared about how to live like Jesus. Once he was arrogant, irritable, and hard-hearted. However, in the mid of year 2009, he started visiting our church consistently. He studied the Bible every week with church leaders Surabaya, Alin and Johnson, and on August 9, 2009, my father finally got baptized.


Shared by: Ching Yong

Makassar - "First Church Service"

Makassar Mission Team has arrived on Thursday, August 20th, 2009 at 15:00 in Makassar, which has a population of 1.5 million people. They were picked up by Mr. Reinald, the brother of Ronald and Burhan, who is currently studying the Bible.

Although they were faced with hot air temperature, and a somewhat different language-accent-dialect which was a bit unusual for them, our team is still on fire for God.

The first church service held in Makassar was on August 23rd, 2009. It was conducted by sitting on the floor and an attendance of 26 people, including 5 children. Their first Bible Talk was attended by 28 people. Until now the Makassar Mission Team has had 7 people who were studying the Bible.

Keep praying for the Makassar Mission Team!

Bandung - "Eager to Understand the Bible"

After studying the Bible for one year with a group of brothers from the Kids Kingdom Ministry, Beni made the decision to be baptized in Singles Conference on August 16th, 2009. Beni was born from a non-Christian family background, and because of that at the beginning of his Bible studies it wasn’t easy for him to know Jesus and the lives of disciples. However, Beni constantly wants to learn more and more, and slowly his life and personal character had changed in a very positive way. Without a doubt, his family has seen that progress. Until now, Beni continued to advance and be faithful in the Lord.

Manado & Jakarta - "Mission Team to Makassar"

Mission team Makassar will be departed from Jakarta and Manado on the date of August 20, 2009. They consist of 10 members. For mission, those members have resigned from their job and will looking for the new job in Makassar.

Now, they have rented a place for Mid Week service and have found a rental house to stay for mission team members. And, for Sunday Service room with maximum capacity of 200 people, are now in a process of negotiation. Prayerfully, on September or October 2009, it will be able to be used by the mission.

These following are the profile of Mission Team Makassar:
Ronny had been disciple since 1998 and Sjully since 1997. They married on the year 2002 and became full time staff in Manado church. Sjully was an administration staff in the church of GKDI Manado. They were leaders for married ministry.

Barten is fruitful brother. One of his fruit also goes for mission to other city Manokwari. Barten is recognized as sold out disciple and always available. He grew very fast and become a great bible talk leader. Now, his friend had finished his Guard the Gospel study and will be disciple and ready to be baptized in the near future.

Susi was come from Makassar. He moved to Manado for job matter. Susi changed a lot, from a silent person and hard to smile, become joyful and warm just after she became disciple of Christ. She grew fast in her spiritual life and has led two sisters which are well-known as warm and friendly in the church.

Ronald also came from Makassar. He studied in other city, Surabaya. Before church existed in Makassar, he did not want to be back to his hometown but went to Jakarta to looking for job and worship Him together with church in Jakarta.

Revi also came from Makassar. Since was a kid, he stayed with his grandfather in Jakarta. In Makassar, his mother wanted him to be back to Makassar. But Revi want after the new church will be existed there. His mother know and happy to welcome her son and the mission team member. Therefore she helps church to find their residence and other things. Revi left the company that wants him to work longer.

Okton wanted to go for mission since 6 up to 7 years ago. He wanted to go to Jogjakarta, Semarang and other place but still unable to be fulfilled. Even though there are many challenges from his relatives, he still strong and committed. Okton have good reputation in his working place. The company wanted him to stay to work longer with them.

Fenho and Jouna firstly are hard to go and left the church they lead that is Bekasi Church. They have led Bekasi Church for two years. Many things they had plan and want to implement there. But, after meeting together with other church leaders, listening some considerations and advise from church leaders, they are ready and fired up to go to Makassar. Even though they are still new married couple with small kid, it does not make them sentimental.

MEDAN - "SPREAD THE WORD"

Just before church leaders decided the names for the mission team going to Pekan Baru, 13 potential brothers and sisters have successfully evangelized 1700 people just within 6 (six) days. All of them brought many guests to church service and many were inspired to study the bible with them.

Through many considerations and advice from the leaders of Medan Church, 7 out of 13 were elected to become mission team members for Pekan Baru. These 7 once again do an awesome evangelism. They have evangelized another 1300 people within 4 days and by that they have brought 20 people to attend Sunday service.

Looking at all this, the Medan Church become more and more encouraged and inspired, they asked, “Why don’t all 60 bible talks that we currently have in the church do things similarly just like the mission team members?” After making this decision together as a whole church, 50 out of 60 bible talks in Medan Church successfully evangelized about 50.000 people only within 12 days (Yes, you’re reading this right, 50.000 people). Because of that, many people are studying the bible, and the church service room named Millennium were overwhelmed with many people. The attendance is just like Nusantara Conference which was held about two months ago in Medan.

Mission team Pekan Baru were sent on 25-26 August 2009. They have found a boarding house for them to stay and also for church service. Keep praying for Mission team Pekan Baru and the Medan Church.

To God be the glory!