Church Engagement
Church Engagement
Goal: To build the quality ministry of local churches where children, youth and their families grow socially and spiritually with love, joy and peace.
Healing Church
Much of ministry and professional experiences to care for the “least of our brethren” in Cambodia for nearly 20 years, Sirivuth found that churches in Cambodia are the preaching churches. The church is not the best place for hurting people to find healing yet. The health of the church is important to Sirivuth. He also observed that the members come on Sunday, listen to the preaching and return home with less relationship building and care. Sirivuth discovered that the areas of recovery are very important for the leaders and members in churches. Everyone had past experiences of hurt; hang-up and habits that these seems have yet dealt with. It is like spiritual trauma. A hurt, habit, or hang-up is anything that hinders your walk with God.
The feeling of being hurt is an emotional reaction to another person's behavior or to a disturbing situation abuse, abandonment, codependency and relationship issues…etc. A habit is an addiction to someone or something alcoholism, drugs, food, gambling, sex, shopping, smoking, masturbation…etc. Hang-ups are negative mental attitudes that are used to cope with people or adversity, anger, depression, fear, unforgiveness…etc. Sirivuth would recommend the churches in Cambodia to be a place to belong, to be accepted, a safe place to be honest about our struggles, confidences are kept, no judgment and no fixing or giving advice that has not been asked for during the Recovery processes.
1. Doctrinal Error and Confusion
Cambodia has been infiltrated by American cults such as the Mormons and the Jehovah’s Witness as well as other “Christian-like” cults from China and Korea. Pray for God’s people to practice discernment and reject the error of these wolves.
2. The Prosperity Gospel
One of the major problems all throughout poorer countries of Asia is the propagation of the “health and wealth” gospel resulting in “Rice Christianity. A Rice Christian is simply someone who professes Christ for the purpose of material gain. Many Cambodian church buildings were at one time filled with people who professed Christ but “feel away” as soon as they stopped receiving free food, medical treatment, English lessons, or even money (John 6:26-27).
3. Dependency on Foreign Funds
The majority of national pastors in Cambodia are financially supported with foreign funds, creating a host of problems within the Khmer church. As one missionary writes, “So much awesome Great Commission work has been done and is being done in Cambodia. Yet, from my long-term observations, an ample amount of those doing missions—to varying degrees—has recreated the state of lethargy and dependence…. Dependency is like a spider with many far-reaching tentacles, creating all sorts of “life-sucking” problems…. church planting movements do not rise up out of this dysfunction.
![](https://bethelgraceministry.org/userfiles/content/900x600/1628945521Recovery.jpg)
Celebrate Recovery and Alpha are used to help in local churches
Celebrate Recovery and Alpha training did not only provide directly to the local church pastors, but also the groups of churches as well. Pastor Tith, the local church pastors and his wife, Vanny, appreciated the course and they hoped to use in their church for their small groups. Thengheang, 71, shared her story of change after she got saved by the grace of God the Lord Jesus Christ. “I am free from the bondages of sins.”
Mr. Mao, one of the local church pastors, addressed to the participant that “I used to join the training in 2017 and it was very helpful for my church members to engage and receive healing during the course. It is a bit long, 25 lessons, but it is good for the members to come and join weekly.”
![](https://bethelgraceministry.org/userfiles/content/900x600/1628945549Healing.jpg)
I receive healing during the course
Bethel Mission equipped local church pastors and leaders to make their churches become a place where hurting people to find healing. This will help promote and build the quality ministry of local churches where children, youth and their families grow spiritually and socially to live with love, joy and peace. 75 local church pastors were equipped with Celebrate Recovery and Alpha training so that they could apply at their individual local churches for quality ministry and their churches would become the place where hurting people receive healing.
Phally, the local church pastor, witnessed that “I was refused and denied by uncle who later became my step-father. After I came the believer of Jesus Christ, I tried to bury the denial from even he hated and refused. I always talked to him and did good to him always. I found that the lesson today is about me and I have to continue and deal with.”