Emboldened believers

South East Asia is both a culturally and geographically diverse region, which makes building bridges to cross differences and meeting least-reached people especially challenging. For local churches, creative ways are needed to overcome barriers and develop a mission-focused mindset.

Now a lecturer at a theological seminary in South East Asia, Anni* was one of the first students when the school first opened in 1990. Anni also leads a house church, which started three years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic. Motivated by a local visitor who was longing to worship God with others in a regular church service, Anni felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to start a prayer group which then developed into a small congregation who study the Word together weekly.

Anni was equipped to start a small group not only because of her education at the seminary but also because she participated in a Discovery Bible Study (DBS) training. Her friend Jane*, a local OM worker, was the one who invited her.

“When I first joined the training, I was impressed by the simplicity of the method. Everyone can do this,” shared Anni.

Discovery Bible Study was designed to simplify understanding the Word of God and to encourage practical discipleship and evangelism. Small groups meet and read a passage of Scripture, after which they ask each other what the story tells them about God, people or themselves, how they can apply what they have read and who they can share it with. Because of its simplicity, it is an easily replicable method to remember, teach and practise and can be used globally with any number or age of people.

The character of the method makes it a useful tool. All that is needed is people and the Word of God. Participants don’t need a specific level of education or unrealistic amounts of time to learn from the Word and one another.

Anni leads weekly and bi-weekly groups for men, women, young people and families, and has seen visible changes. “Anni says the church members have become more bold in sharing the Bible principles that they learn from DBS. Before they were shy to share anything from the Bible with others, but now they want to share their opinions about the topics discussed,” said Jane, the OM worker who introduced DBS to Anni and still partners with her. The group also has an outwards focus, Jane points out: "DBS is not just about knowledge, but focuses on who you want to share this story with."

Impact through DBS

Anni shared many examples of how DBS emboldens participants to take a stand for their faith and adopt a more mission-focused mindset. She passionately speaks about the people who have seen changes in their lives.

A married couple that joined Anni’s DBS reported about their development. For years, they had not voiced their concerns about idol worship in their Catholic background family. Through DBS, they were equipped and encouraged to finally share with their relatives. In the beginning, this decision caused conflict. Still, whenever the family faced problems, the couple prayed for them and “when the relatives saw that the prayers were answered and saw miracles happening, they started to believe in and listen to what the couple said,” shared Anni.

When a distant relative fell sick, refused to go to the hospital and instead unsuccessfully tried to get healed by a witch doctor, they turned to the couple. They prayed for their relative and because they had gained the family’s trust, convinced him to meet with a doctor. The man, who had had a severe blood deficiency issue, was saved.

Minah*, a local woman from a Muslim background, was introduced to Anni by one of her church leaders and they started a conversation about God. Anni learnt that Minah had a dark past, which had led her to work in the sex industry — a life that had made her feel anxious and undeserving of love. Eventually, Minah joined a DBS group to learn more about the Bible and gave her life to Christ when she found that Jesus offered her new ways to face her pain. After some time, she lost all of her close friends because of her newfound faith. “They were OK to be her friends as a prostitute but when she became a Jesus follower, they abandoned her,” Anni recounts. Minah was deeply hurt, but refused to let go of Jesus. “She realised that in her past, she was always looking for more money as a problem solution,” shared Anni, “but now she can think differently, that God is the way out of the problems.” After standing firm and trusting in Jesus to provide, the friends who had left Minah approached her again, one by one. Now, through their shared, rocky history, she has the opportunity to tell them about her faith. Her husband has also joined the DBS.

Some DBS participants, like Minah and her husband, come from further away to take part in Anni’s groups. However, financial troubles and inadequate infrastructure can be barriers for some who want to be part of a church or DBS. The OM team believes that if more churches offered small groups and invited their neighbours, colleagues and friends, it could help lessen these obstacles. Anni mentioned that the method can easily be adapted to one’s needs. “It is simple and everyone can be trained to testify through it and share with others,” she said.

“If you want to be a servant of God, you have to know what is the main truth, the gospel and you have to learn how to share it,” Anni tells her seminary students. Through DBS with different groups of people and teaching the principles to her students, Anni is encouraging Jesus followers to live out God’s Great Commandment to go and make disciples.

Pray for Anni and the DBS groups. Pray that more people can be reached through emboldened participants. Pray for more churches in South East Asia to adopt a missions-focused mindset and use DBS groups to invite people to learn about Jesus.

*name changed