Indonesia : Pre-mission – “Sending” & “Proclaiming”
Today, short-term mission teams are sprouting up across the global Church like bamboo shoots after rain, each with its own vision and approach, all seeking to fulfill “the Great Commission”—Jesus’ final mandate to the Church (cf. the 4 Gospels and Acts). Yet before investing more manpower, passion and finances, perhaps the Church should first re-evaluate past and present missionary efforts! As part of this reflection, I, too, am learning how we might go the extra mile in missions—and where there’s room for growth.
About a year and a half ago, I began praying for the Lord’s guidance regarding several potential mission fields, two of which were in Asia. Led by the Holy Spirit, one of these targets shifted from East Indonesia to Jakarta, West Java. By February this year, the prelude to our Indonesia mission began, marked by discussions with the “Indonesian Chinese Christian Churches Association” (PGTI) on “Australia-Indonesia Missions.”
An initial four-member mission team from Australia (Pre-mission Team) was affirmed by the PGTI and introduced to churches in Bandung, opening doors for discussions on outreach and church planting. Most exciting was the shared vision and emphasis on reaching the second-generation Chinese diaspora.
Finally, there was ministry in the highlands—reminiscent of Moses and the Israelites looking up at Mount Sinai. We prayed for Muslim families and schools in the mountains, asking God to guide the Australian team in serving these communities and leading them to worship the Lord.
As mentioned earlier, advancing missions “Extra mile” in Indonesia requires two hands at work:
Left Hand: “Sending” (差) – Focusing on equipping short-term teams.
Right Hand: “Proclaiming” (傳) – Faithfully fulfilling the Great Commission.
This Pre-mission stands as a testimony to God’s two hands in Indonesia—His grace guiding us and His truth illuminating the path ahead.
Prayer Requests
For the Preparation of Missionaries:
Pre-Mission groundwork
- Encouraging Australian churches to engage in mission training in Santo, Vanuatu.
- Smooth communication between Australian and Indonesian churches; seeking partnerships in the field.
- Outreach through language classes: Finding teachers for Bahasa Indonesia and Mandarin.
Mid-Mission groundwork:
- Mission training: Raising up young missionaries.
- Fieldwork: The “Extra Mile” outreach initiative.
- Finalizing a draft mission plan and discussing short-term mission feasibility with Bandung churches.
Financial Support – Please designate donations to CCMA :
- CCMA General Fund
- CEO Stipend or
- CEO Mission/Training Fund
CEO’s New Year Speech (video in Mandarin)
Script in English:
Thank God for His guidance over the past three years of serving with the Chinese Christian Mission Australia. I am also deeply grateful for your support through prayers and financial contributions, which have enabled significant progress in promoting missional discipleship training to local churches.
I’ve been encouraging Sydney churches to respond to the Great Commission while recalibrating their focus on missional discipleship training.
At the same time, ground work in the mission fields are equally important. In 2025, I will partner with some pastors and leaders to visit the mission field in Santo for discipleship training in missions, passing on the torch of gospel proclamation. If it’s God’s will, I plan to visit West Java, Indonesia, early in the year to explore and pioneer new mission fields. I am also praying for God’s preparation to collaborate with local mission partners, practice discipleship, proclaim the gospel, and build communities for the future.