Blog

NT 100 Revamp

Posted on August 8, 2020

The idea was first floated more than a year ago. The closer we looked at it, the more problems we noticed. Following a teaching experiment reflecting changes in our newer courses, the enthusiastic responses of our students convinced us it was past time to refresh one of our most popular foundational courses, NT Survey, 100 Steps (NT100). Though it has served us well for over 20 years, it is clearly outdated and not meeting the expectations and higher education levels of both pastors and believers in East Asia. Unlike all our recent...

Best of Both

Posted on July 8, 2020

How do we keep the best of both worlds? How can we retain the favorable features of traditional classroom teaching within a new delivery format? That is the challenge before us now as we evaluate the video course we had designed in order to comply with social-distancing regulations due to the pandemic. From participant feedback on the Chinese Church History 1 video course that was taught at a local church last quarter, we discovered that almost all respondents appreciated the flexibility in terms of time and place: students could view the lessons at their convenience,...

Where are Your Eyes?

Posted on June 2, 2020

We typically share in these monthly emails about what is happening "over here" in Asia. In this new era of COVID-19, however, there is no over here and over there. We are all in the same little boat, drifting and dazed in the same unknown and un-navigated current. For some, the virus is inconvenient, but for many others, it is painful, even perilous. In the developing nations across Asia where we work, COVID-19 is placing severe strain on people whose lives are tenuous even in normal circumstances. Many of the people...

Grace in the Time of Pandemic

Posted on May 8, 2020

"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9, ESV) COVID-19 is not the only novelty! Despite suspensions of SALT trainings across East Asia since January, our God of breakthrough has birthed multiple developments during this quiet season of reflection, evaluation, consolidation and completion of unfinished business. First off, after months of rigorous review based on field-test results, and in consultation with an independent language expert, Bible Study Skills 2 (BSS2) was finally completed and even made...

Still but not Idle

Posted on April 4, 2020

Like you, we have been learning what it means, quite literally, to "be still and know that I am God" during this pandemic. All national trainings have been suspended since January. During this difficult time, we have received encouraging notes from some of our three-year certificate students who completed their first three courses last year. Their reflections on that experience serve as reminders to us that the pandemic has only increased the vast demand for biblical training in the region. Below are excerpts from two of those notes: "After these three...

Facing Headwinds

Posted on March 5, 2020

Blown off course by the coronavirus outbreak, all SALT trainings have been suspended since Chinese New Year with no telling when they can resume. Nonetheless, as re-directed by the "Holy Wind," our local trainers have pressed onwards not in the classroom, but in the battle against the epidemic in their respective hometowns by marshalling fellow-citizens in order to prevent cross-infection, patrolling intersections even during the chilly nights, sharing protective gear and giving a helping hand wherever needed. Joining forces with other believers, SALT trainers are shining the love of Christ in...

A Milestone to Celebrate

Posted on February 5, 2020

At the start of this Chinese New Year, rejoice with us over the completed first year of our Three-Year Certificate Program! Comprised of five core plus four elective courses, this Program provides systematic biblical training for church leaders to correctly handle the Word of Truth, and in turn as unashamed workers, to teach others (2 Tim. 2:5). Training took place at over ten different sites. So, what kind of success has been achieved at the one-year mark? Risky as it was to obtain during such “stormy weather,” the data revealed encouraging...

All Things New!

Posted on January 3, 2020

"Behold," God says, "I am making all things new!" As we celebrate the New Year, we remember that God is in the business of renewal. He continues to do new things in very old places. Exhibit A for us is a cold and ancient city that first received the gospel just over 100 years ago. The pastor of a very large church network based in this city has watched many trainings come and go, from both within and outside the country. But because of his excitement for our practical approach, we...

Training for the Future in Nepal

Posted on December 2, 2019

Imagine a chaotic maze of muddy, trash-strewn streets and air so thick with dust and vehicle exhaust it almost hurts to breathe. Imagine maroon-clad monks and backpack-toting foreigners making a slow circuit around Asia's largest Buddhist stupa, all searching for spiritual insight. Imagine thick black smoke rising from bodies burning in open cremation on the banks of the Bagmati River. This is the Kathmandu that most people see. But there is another, less obvious side: the strong presence of the Nepali church, its rapid growth despite persecution, and the need...

BSS 2 Field Test . . . at last!

Posted on November 3, 2019

Five to six years ago, David noticed a changing demand among national church leaders. Our old course, Bible Study Methods 1 & 2, was not being effectively used. As a seminary graduate himself, he knew the critical value of using Bible study skills for effective preaching. He was determined to find a better way to develop this skill among national pastors. Thus began the effort to revise the old courses under the new name, Bible Study Skills 1 & 2 (BSS 1 & 2). Yet the challenge remained - would the new...