Tribes and Nations Outreach (TNO) Launches Ambitious Five-Year Church-Planting Program in Vietnam
By Dan Wooding
MANILA, PHILIPPINES (ANS) — Tribes and Nations Outreach (TNO), a mission organization committed to build the “Body of Christ” in Asia, and based in Manila, Philippines, has launched an ambitious five-year church-planting program in Vietnam.
Brother Joseph Lee, Founder and President of TNO, explained that the project was envisaged by Vietnamese house church leaders and the first batch of trainees have been raised up to plant 10,000 “witness churches” all over Vietnam.
He said that these men are being trained through the TNO School of Workers (SOW), which provides in-depth training for church planters in the country and that the first batch of 14 trainees completed SOW 1 in December of last year.
“Since then, this first batch has been teaching the course to a further 248 local church workers in different districts of a major city in Vietnam,” said Lee.
“To date, over 2,000 prospective church planters from 18 house church groups have signed up for SOW training. They are presently undergoing screening by the Project Committee. More workers likewise signified their interest to join the training. Churches in nearby provinces have also opened their doors for training of their local church planters.”
Lee added that all of the 14 trainees, who took the first part of the course, returned in April for the second phase of training.
“The TNO trainers were very much encouraged to hear that this first generation of SOW-trained church planers are now reaching out to different groups to raise up other churches planters. The trainees are experiencing the catalytic effect of SOW strategy.”
According to Lee, it only takes US$6 to plant a witness church in Vietnam.
FAITH GARDENING
Joseph Lee then announced that TNO has now also launched the FAITH (Food Always in The Home) Gardening Project in Vietnam and Cambodia.
“Local workers will have a hands-on training on how to grow a vegetable garden, raise poultry and a small fishpond in a 100-200- square meter lot,” said Lee. “This backyard livelihood program is designed to meet the daily food requirement of a family with 5-6 members, with only one member working in the garden for 2-3 hours daily. It will help local workers to be self-sufficient so they will not depend on foreign support for their families as they perform their ministry.”
In May, a trainer went to Cambodia and Vietnam to conduct a hands-on training on FAITH Gardening and set up a model farm. After the successful training, a grateful Khmer pastor wrote TNO: “After Pastor Danish had taught about agriculture in the faith gardening was very good, we have a fish pond and fishes bear a lot of small fishes right now, another vegetables are growing very well. Some pastors, they planted in their places, too.”
“We will be able to see the full blown result of the program in Cambodia by October,” said Lee.
ADOPTION PROGRAM.
Joseph Lee also announced a unique tribal Adoption Program, pointing out that, out of a total of 56 tribes in North Vietnam, 24 remain unreached (those with no existing witness church).
“Of these, 12 tribes have been chosen by TNO for its Adoption Program to include the H’mong, Thai, Red Dao, San Chi, Xa Pho, Long Pan Dao, SanDiu, Tay, Nung, Pathen, Muong and Man,” he said.
Lee said that TNO is looking for a group of churches or pastoral fellowships that will adopt these tribes. “By adoption,” he said, “we mean that they will commit to pray, visit and send financial assistance of around USUS$500 monthly for 3-5 years. When the situation permits, the adopting group can also conduct seasonal training in the tribe. To date, 2-5 pastoral groups in the Philippines have expressed keen interest in the program. We ask God to raise up more supporters for this program.”