This month I attended a national meeting of Reformed Baptist pastors. Myself and several other pastors who are planting churches were asked to share with everyone why we chose the cities we are in, difficulties faced during church planting, and how God has helped us through these difficulties. Many people were encouraged through our sharing. Chinese churches are facing issues of village churches turning into city churches, and traditional churches turning into biblical churches. These necessary changes face a lot of challenges. Some people want to go plant churches but don’t know how to. Our sharing was a good example to them. I thank God for the opportunity to share in front of everyone and that my experience was an encouragement to many.
We held a members meeting this month. The members all voted to accept four new members. They will publically sign the church covenant in April. There originally had been five people who applied to join. However, one of them came from a Seventh Day Adventist Church background. Through our acquaintance and communication with him we realized some problems so we postponed his acceptance into membership. We want to verify that he really understands the gospel and respects the authority of the church. Therefore, we made a decision to postpone things. We are thankful, however, that God is adding to us in number those who are being saved.
I preached three times this month on Titus. Titus 2:15 gave me a lot of encouragement. Paul tells Timothy not to let others look down on him for his youth, and also to use the authority given him to exhort different types of people. I also am a young minister and am sometimes timid because of my youthfulness. But this helped me see that I must preach the truth, call people to repent, and use the authority given to me. I was reminded to be brave in the positions God has given me but also to use my authority kindly. Only in this way will people not look down on my youth and I will be a strong worker for Him.
Too, we are making preparations for nomination of elders. Please keep praying for the church in this area.
Timothy began working for HeartCry in 2015 and assists with the work in Asia. He is married, has eight children, two sons-in-law, one daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren.
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