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UBIC Title

Starting a New Ministry on Taipa Island

The Macau Mission is Once Again Venturing Out into Something New

Paul Coy

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We are excited about the opportunity to open a new English Language Program center on Taipa Island, beginning in September. We will use this teaching center to build relationships with students on Taipa, and eventually form a church around them. The goal is to start a church on Taipa in three to five years.

The city of Macau consists of a peninsula on the mainland, plus two islands: Coloane (about 2.7 square miles) and Taipa (1.5 square miles). Taipa is a 15-minute bus ride over a bridge from the peninsula. In the last five years, thousands of people have moved to Taipa because the apartments are bigger and cheaper. Around 30,000 people now live there, including several former ELP students and church members.

The Christian presence is very small, with only a couple churches. For this reason, Taipa has been one our minds for several years. In February 1999, we began sensing God leading us to start an English Language Program there. Around that time, Living Water Church expressed their vision to plant a church on Taipa in 3-5 years. Eve Tang, a Living Water member who is now studying at Singapore Bible College, is committed to coming back to Macau after she graduates in three years. She lives on Taipa.

The Commission on Missions approved our request to open this center on Taipa, and we will receive funds. We need to raise part of this money ourselves. We praise God for the way He continues to open doors and to show us that this is the direction He wants us to go.

We currently conduct ELP classes at the Living Water and Living Word churches. The plan is to discontinue the classes at Living Water, continue classes at Living Word, and start new classes on Taipa in September. We will also move the ELP office to Taipa.

We are asking you to join us in prayer. Living Water Church will pray every Saturday night at 10 p.m. for five minutes (which is 9 a.m. EST on Saturday morning in America). It will be great to have our brothers and sisters in Macau and America praying at the same time. Will you join us? If Saturday morning is not a good time, you can pray at another time. Please pray for us also during your Sunday services.

Here is how you can specifically pray during the next month:

  • April 15: Pray for wisdom in finding the right location to open the center. We have looked at ten places, but none were satisfactory. We need to pick a place by the end of May.
  • April 22: Pray for the remodeling of the place, which will take about a month. We will need to hire people to do the remodeling, and want to start in June.
  • April 29: The center will need to be registered with the government. The process could take up to six months. We hope to begin classes in September. Pray that the registration goes quickly and smoothly.
  • May 6: Pray that the contacts we make through our English classes will transfer to a church being planted on Taipa. Pray also for Eve Tang, that God will prepare her for starting a church on Taipa.

Also, on April 30 and May 1, the missionaries and the Living Water Standing Committee will hold a retreat, which will focus on making decisions about Taipa.

The Macau missionaries thank you for faithfully uplifting them in prayer. The Apostle Paul made this request to the church in Ephesus, "Pray for me that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel" (Ephesians 5:19). The gospel has been fearlessly proclaimed through the English Language Program, resulting in two churches in Macau, Living Water Church and Living Word Church.

Living Water Church, the older of the two churches, is growing into a strong church. Pastor Karis Vong and the church members are taking on full responsibilities for the ministry. The missionaries are no longer involved in the leadership at Living Water. The church has a heart for missions. Last year, members of the church took a mission trip to Myanmar. The church members also have a heart for evangelism.

The missionaries are excited about joining with the Living Water Church vision to get a church started on Taipa. God seems to be leading in moving the ELP classes out of Living Water Church. That will enable the church to hold small groups, discipleship classes, and outreach activities during the week. They are already talking about how they will use the building for ministry after the ELP moves out.

Right now, the missionary offices are divided between Living Water and Living Word churches. With a single office, the missionary staff will once again be together, thereby enhancing communication and support. However, travel time will increase; no longer will an y of us be able to walk to the office. We still don't have a clear picture on how our schedules will change. It depends on what times we offer classes, and who will teach at Living Word.

Everything is in the beginning stages. Please pray that the Lord will provide the funding needed, that the right location will be found, and that remodeling will be finished before the big move.