Hopewell Network of Churches

Missions

Hopewell Adopts an Unreached People Group

Recently the Network Apostolic Team, along with several pastors and the network intercessors met for a day of prayer and fasting in response to the stirring of the Spirit in our hearts to target an unreached people group with the gospel. This is a new venture for the Hopewell Network of Churches.

Up to this time churches have each been doing their own missions programs which we want to continue to encourage. But we recognized that most of the mission efforts of the churches were not focused on the areas of the world where people have yet to hear the gospel for the first time.

During our prayer time we had a clear witness in our hearts that God was leading us to Thailand as the place to develop our base for outreach into that region. Specifically, we felt God saying to go to the Isaan people: 18-25 million people of primarily Buddhist religion and also some of Muslim faith. The vast majority of these are waiting for someone to tell them of Jesus for the very first time. Most of the Isaan are rice farmers and some raise silk worms.

In order to reach these people, we will need to find creative ways to share the gospel since open evangelism is not always possible or wise. People with agricultural and business skills will be especially helpful in reaching the Isaan people. We also envision sending prayer teams and short term teams from network churches into this area. We are in discussion with Eastern Mennonite Missions and Global Disciples/Creative Access who have a work in this area. We are looking for ways to work along side groups instead of going it alone.

Our vision is to send people from the Hopewell Network Churches into this region as workers. This is the area that one of our own, John Hertzler, gave his life in his effort to reach the Isaan people. John and Janelle lived in Thailand until John was killed in an accident in the summer of 2005. We sensed the Lord saying we have an investment and even a level of authority into this region because of John’s death and his effort to reach the Isaan people. The plans are for us to send a team of leaders to Thailand this year to begin laying the ground work to take the message of the good news about Jesus.