The Asia-Pacific Regional Discipleship Council met 7-9 May to review and plan their future discipleship ministry strategy. Regional Discipleship Coordinator John Eun Yup Kim encouraged the council members to continue developing discipleship ministries in their districts without neglecting the tasks they set last year.

On the first day, they reviewed the goals they established at the first council meeting last year. The following day, the council discussed their main agenda items, including the launch of a new regional discipleship model.

The council developed a discipleship subcommittee that will work with Regional Director Mark Louw to oversee and develop this new initiative.

“The Asia-Pacific Region is geographically large and ethnically diverse,” said Rob Fringer, regional discipleship subcommittee member. “It spans most of Asia and all of Oceania, contains 40 percent of the earth’s population, is a mix of both Eastern and Western cultures, and contains high numbers of [unreached people groups]. Christianity is under-represented [in the region], and there is an urgent and significant need for Christ-centered discipleship and evangelism.” 

The development process of this new discipleship model will be completed before the Asia-Pacific regional conference this October in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and will be presented at the event.

Each council member committed to sharing the plans for the new regional discipleship model with the members of their local churches to generate excitement for the initiative throughout the entire Asia-Pacific Region.

“Whether drawing people to Christ, helping them grow in Christ, helping them embrace a call to ministry, helping churches to grow and expand, or caring for the whole person at all stages of their faith journey, discipleship is vital to a healthy and growing church,” Fringer said.  

--Church of the Nazarene Asia-Pacific