The Gospel-less in Rural Asia
Asia’s population is projected to be 4.7 billion by 2025 with an estimated 2.5 billion living in rural Asia. The rurals of Asia remain the greatest challenge for world evangelization.
MAP through its Rural Evangelist Adoption Programme (REAP) supports over 400 REAP Evangelists in rural Asia and with over 18 years of sowing and increasing sowing, we have reaped exponentially: Over 6.3 million received the good news through tracts and verbal sharing, and over 218,000 received Christ as Saviour and Lord as of October 2023. Praise God!
God’s promises and Jesus’ method of sending out kingdom workers always yield God’s results. (Is. 55: 11, Lk. 10: 2). A supported REAP evangelist in partnership with the local church plants a church within 3 years with about 30-50 new converts. Praise be to God for each gift and partnership in the gospel.
We want to do more for the gospel and make more disciples in the rurals of Asia (Mt. 28:12 – 20). While present in 14 countries, our priority fields are the tribal peoples of Malaysia, the restrictive but responsive countries of China, Myanmar and India. We aim to take the gospel to at least 25 million in rural Asia by 2030, harvest 1 million salvations, and plant at least 5000 rural churches versus the present 2,200 rural churches.
Every prayer counts. Every gift counts in supporting the sending out of more REAP Evangelists and giving out more Bibles. (See attached REAP form) Join in the sowing and harvesting in needy rural Asia today. Let us advance the gospel of Christ together for God’s glory! Thank you and God bless.
Dr. Ooi Chin Aik
Word and Life Conference 26 August 2023
“Word and Life” Conference was organized by PAWS for Christ and Marketplace Ministries Malaysia on 26 August 2023 under the leadership of Dr. Timothy S’ng.
It was my privilege to deliver the one hour session on “Word and Spirit” followed by a time of questions and answers on live zoom to over 1,100 participants from Malaysia and beyond.
The authority and infallibility of God’s Word, together with the needful emphasis on both “Word and Spirit” for both life and ministry, need to taught, emphasized, and translated into the lives of local churches if the Church of Jesus Christ is to remain on the cutting edge in missions in our post-modern and relativistic world today.
Sessions delivered in the Conference include:
- “The Infallible Word of God” – Bishop Emeritus Hwa Yung
- “The Word and Spirit” – Dr. Ooi Chin Aik, Founder and International Director of MAP.
- “The Word: Wonderful and Precious Gift of God” – Rev. Dr. Victor Lee, President of Bible College of Malaysia.
- “The Word – Rhema & Logos” – Rev. Ron Hee, Principal, Tung Ling Seminary, Malaysia.
- “Soaking in the Word of God” – Elder Khoo Kay Hup, FGA KL/NECF.
- “Meditations on the Word” – Brother David Ng, KL House of Prayer/SIBKL.
- “Reading and Studying the Word” – Brother Rick Loh (The Best You).
Pray for added blessings on the seeds sown at this strategic “Word and Life” Conference.
REAP in Many Many Lands (RMML): Launch in Pakistan
We give thanks for the work of Rural Evangelists begun in China in 2006 with the first 16 REAP China evangelists. Today we are supporting over 410 REAP evangelists in 14 countries of Asia.
As of 1 October, 2023 REAP Pakistan with the first 2 REAP Pakistan evangelists will be launched. Many are familiar with the restrictive nature of Pakistan with respect to gospel work and the recent persecutions and attacks on churches and individual believers. Pray for the work of REAP Pakistan as we sow into the nation that we might reap for God’s glory in due time. (Gal. 6: 9)
As of 27 September, the work of 405 REAP evangelists in 13 countries of Asia saw:
• Over 6.3 million receiving the gospel through tracts and verbal sharing
• Over 218,000 conversions to Christ,
• Over 2,200 new rural churches built, and
• Over 54,000 Bibles given to the new converts.
Praise the Lord! There is much more that needs to be done in reaching the hundreds of millions in rural Asia with the gospel of Christ and building deep disciples.
You can pray and partner in supporting more REAP evangelists in rural Asia. The support of 1 REAP evangelist as a stipend in partnership with the local church is RM200 per month/AUD80 per month or RM2400 per year/AUD 960 per year.
Keen to sow and harvest for the Lord? Fill in the attached REAP form and send it to MAP office in Malaysia or Australia. Let us work together to win more souls (Prov. 11: 30) and build disciples for Christ (Mt. 28: 18 – 20).
Christmas Bible Gifts for New Converts in China
Ownership of a good translation of the Bible and studying it is basic to Christian growth and maturing.
We rejoice in the rich harvest of souls in rural China from our over 200 REAP China evangelists. As of 27 September 2023, their faithful sowing of over 3.8 million tracts and verbal sharing has seen a harvest of over 91,000 conversions to Christ and around 1000 new rural churches planted.
We give God the glory and thank God for your prayers and partnership in the gospel.
However, we have only sent 39,720 Chinese Bibles for the new converts against the over 91,000 new believers. We want to do more with your help. Each Chinese Bible costs RM15 or AUD5.
Thus far we have collected enough for over 800 Bibles and plan to send at least 1500 Bibles as gifts for this Christmas to the rural believers across China. You, your cell group or your church can participate in “Bible gifts for Christmas” by sending the gifts to: MAP Partners Berhad, 16-1, Jalan Ara SD 7/3B, Bandar Sri Damansara, 52200 Kuala Lumpur or bank into our Public Bank Account: 3108884208 under MAP Partners Berhad. Designate “Christmas Bibles gifts”. Please scan to us your bank in slip by email: mappartnersmal@gmail.com. Thank you. God bless.
For the Pacific, send to: MAP Partners (Aust) Inc. Evangelical Community Church, 14-16 Courtstreet, Boxhill Vic 3128, Australia or bank into BSB number: 013 225, Account number: 1980 29684, ANZ Banking Group Ltd. Please scan and send bank in slip to How Yit Meng at howyitmeng@gmail.com.
Workshop on: “Kingdom Impacting Believers” Balai Baptist Kalvari
Dr. Ooi Chin Aik conducted a workshop cum dialogue session on: “Kingdom Impacting Believers” at Balai Baptist Kalvari Church in Petaling Jaya, on September 23, 2023.
The workshop focused on four relevant passages of Scripture with practical applications in the end-times contexts, followed by a dialogue session after each segment. The four passages of God’s Word are:
- Seeking first the kingdom of God. (Mt. 6: 33)
- The gospel of the kingdom must be preached to all peoples before the return of Christ. (Mt. 24: 14)
- Building a kingdom culture for kingdom ministries in the end-times. (Ac. 11: 29 – 30)
- Empowering and releasing the five-fold ministries of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. (Eph. 4: 11 – 12)
We praise God for the key leaders and members of the church who participated and pray that Balai Baptist Kalvari will be a church with “Kingdom Impacting Believers” moving forward. Praise Be to God!
MAP Diploma in Evangelism Leadership Module 3
The 3rd module concentrated on the contexts of evangelism in different ministries and across the different age groups. The lecturers emphasized that effective evangelism is embedded in the love for God and people. We are to be faithful to biblical principles and remain effective in the methods used to communicate the gospel.
The 3rd module of the Diploma in Evangelism Leadership on 8th – 9th September 2023 concluded successfully with 8 participants from across different leadership backgrounds and ministry involvements in the David Boler Lecture Hall of MAP.
Dr. Ooi Chin Aik, Founder and International Director for MAP, began the first lecture on: “Biblical and Contemporary Methods of Evangelism”, emphasizing the importance of being faithful to biblical principles and content in sharing the good news with others. Principles remain, while methods can vary.
In the second session, Rev. Dr. Barnabas Boon of Malaysia Bible Seminary, stressed the need for a changing perspective in adopting evangelism as part of the daily living of all Christians. He added that evangelism sits at the very heart of Christian missions.
Rev. Albert Tang of MAP exposed participants to the challenges and opportunities in tribal outreach in Malaysia’s context. He reiterated the importance of understanding the needs of the people and a persevering spirit to reach out to those in need of the gospel. The third session ended with Steven Yam of MAP presenting a reflection of a mission trip to Sabah.
For the fourth lecture, Dr. Ooi Chin Aik stressed that “Evangelism does not occur in a Vacuum”. It takes place in a context. He went on to explore various models used in the New Testament (from intentional calling to spontaneous evangelism) and concluded that “we need to use and adapt each method to suit our times.”
Miss Annette Arulrajah, the Associate Regional Secretary (Global Fellowship) of IFES, shared on the biblical contexts and models used to engage the younger generations. She reiterated the urgency to meet and engage the young people and be willing to walk with them, especially, during their dire moments.
In the final sixth lecture, Dr. Ooi focused on the powerful principles of engaging in evangelism today. He elaborated on the new and changing contents of globalization and the end times in which we are to engage in effective evangelism, moving forward.
Pray that all participants can teach and mentor their own church and ministry leaders for more effective evangelism even as they provide leadership in their own evangelism contexts. Thank you.
Christmas Evangelistic Preaching 2023
Every year, MAP evangelists, Dr. Ooi Chin Aik and his wife Lydia, together with Rev. Albert Tang are privileged to partner with local churches in Malaysia, in heralding the Good News of Christmas in English, Bilingual, and Chinese Services across the nation.
We continue to witness each Christmas, salvations accompanied by joy, as many put their trust and hope in Jesus. He alone is the Saviour of the world and promises forgiveness of sins and life abundant and eternal to all who believe. (Jn. 3:16, 10:10; 14:6)
Pray for the forthcoming preaching of the good news and a rich harvest this coming Christmas season:
• 10 December: Dr. Ooi Chin Aik –Faith City Church, Petaling Jaya, (English)
• 17 December: Dr. Ooi Chin Aik and Lydia Ooi –Shekinah Methodist Church, Sitiawan, Perak. (Bilingual)
• 24 December: Dr. Ooi Chin Aik –Cornerstone Immanuel Church, Kota Kemuning, Selangor (English)
• 24 December: Rev. Albert Tang – Melawati Gospel Centre, Kuala Lumpur (Chinese)
Jesus said: “… I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (Jn. 10:10)