The Chinese refer to the vessel pictured above as a junk boat. Traditionally, it served shrimpers. Today, it carries tourists through the harbor in Hong Kong between the Hong Kong island and the Kowloon peninsula. Consider this report like a tour to see and hear a regional update.

This update shares ways we see God working in this region from three angles: people, project, and peer accountability. With each point, join us in praising God for the progress and praying for continued growth in these areas.

1. People 

God has raised up godly and skilled staff members and strategic volunteers to serve this region which includes these seven countries and territories: China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Mongolia, South Korea, and Taiwan.

We now have three staff to serving Mandarin and Cantonese speakers in East Asia and worldwide: Trevor Lui, Deputy CEO (Canada); Haily Chow, Chinese Initiatives Manager (Hong Kong); and, Irene Wat, Chinese Project Manager (Taiwan). 

Key volunteers include Vicky Ong (Hong Kong) who works as a chartered accountant and serves on the GTP board and Karen Kwok (Hong Kong) who serves as Regional Facilitator. We also have country and territory coordinators for China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.

In addition, we envision adding course moderators and church ambassadors to share GTP teaching and training programs in Chinese. They will labor alongside volunteers who serve on four teams, assisting with prayer, research, design, and program work.

2. Project

GTP received a $1.25 million five-year grant (2024-2028) from the Lilly Endowment aimed at helping Spanish- and Chinese-speaking churches thrive in the USA and around the world. That means God has supplied $625,000 for staff and program work to serve Chinese stewards.

At GTP, we think a key factor for helping Chinese churches and ministries thrive relates to following standards with peer accountability. So, we will do research, locate and develop resources, and then spread them through a network of relationships with this goal in view. 

Our three Chinese staff will do this work with strategic volunteers, with the prayer, research, design, and program teams, and with collaborating organizations. Together with collaborators, GTP will expand the reach and impact of this gospel-centered effort.

This “Thriving Congregations Project,” as the Lilly Endowment describes it, aligns with our purpose and vision. We see it as God supplying funds for Chinese staff to contextualize and offer GTP programs in Mandarin and Cantonese for the Chinese diaspora.

3. Peer Accountability

At GTP, we define peer accountability as God’s servants sharing the responsibility of reflecting biblically faithful, globally consistent, and locally contextualized standards in ministry administration and governance with verified compliance.

With that definition, ECFA in USA represents a mature peer accountability group or PAG. Others PAGs like it have formed in many nations, and only one, so far, in East Asia: CCFK in South Korea. Look for GTP to provide capacity building support to CCFK in the days ahead.

After GTP did program work in Hong Kong in early 2024, a working group formed. That group has met monthly with the aim of drafting standards and forming a PAG soon for accrediting churches and ministries in Hong Kong.

Japan may be next. GTP has raised up a delegation in Japan interested in multiplying faithful stewards and mobilizing a PAG for that country. Starting with listening to the needs and realities in Japan, we anticipate collaborating with them as they take steps in that direction in 2025 and beyond. 

Prayer Points

Please take time to pray for the people, this project, and peer accountability in East Asia. God has brought together amazing people. Lift them up. And this project will strengthen Chinese churches in the USA and abroad for sustainability and growth. Ask God for this.

Pray for the PAG to grow in South Korea, for new PAGs to activate and serve Hong Kong and Japan, and for God to continue to open doors for multiplying faithful stewards and mobilizing PAGs in other parts of East Asia. Thanks for reading and praying for East Asia.