Evangelizing and Discipling Date Thursday, December 21 @ 19:23:39 Topic About Us VIETNAM MINISTRIES, INC. NEW CHALLENGES There are approximately 3 million Vietnamese living in over 100 countries outside Vietnam, and 85 million people living in Vietnam today. According to a U.N. study, Vietnam is ranked 13th among the most populous countries, and Vietnamese is among the twenty most spoken languages of the world. There are more people today who can read and write Vietnamese, with a literacy rate reaching 90.3%. Supplying nearly 80 million people with Christian literature and Bibles is huge challenge and, yet, it is a privilege for all of us to be partners together in spreading God's Word in one of the 20 most used languages on earth. The current number of Vietnamese Christians has risen to 1.5 million from 150,000 in 1975. Vietnam Ministries, Inc. (VMI) receives many requests from individuals and churches in Vietnam and around the world for training and discipleship materials, devotional literature and Bible commentaries. Moreover, over half a million Vietnamese immigrants and guestworkers live in Eastern Europe and other countries desperately in need of spiritual care and nurturing. This is a great task and responsibility for the Vietnamese church abroad. In response to these challenges, VMI seeks to introduce Jesus Christ to Vietnamese people both in Vietnam and "overseas." through its ministries. Accordingly, VMI's mission is To promote the Great Commission through evangelism and discipleship among Vietnamese people around the world by providing all believers with access to the Bible, study guides and education that help them mature spritually and bring others to Christ. VMI's core values are: * Glorifying Jesus Christ through service to all. *Advancing Bible knowledge and theological training. * Fostering spiritual and emotional wholeness of the person. * Committing to preserve and enhance the unique Vietnamese history and culture for future generations. *Raising awareness of the needs of Vietnamese immigrants and local churches worldwide. A BRIEF HISTORY OF VIETNAM MINISTRIES, INC. Founded in 1981, and incorporated in California on June 30, 1987, VMI has gone through three stages of development: 1. THE WORLD LITERATURE CRUSADE - VIETNAMESE MINISTRIES (WLC-VIM) YEARS 1981-1985. Ministries featured: Dr. Phu Hoang Le's "Vietnamese Tape Ministries"; publication of Prayer Bulletins; establishment of Follow-Up Ministry; a mailing list of persons living in 20 countries. In January, 1983 WLC-VIM had 5 full time and 4 part time staff, plus 4 student interns. March, 1985 - WLC droped all financial support for VIM because VIM cannot carry out the main purpose of WLC, which is home-to-home literature distribution and evangelism. The WLC-VIM office is closed and all material and literature is moved to the home of an employee. Half of the staff continue as volunteers. 2. VIETNAMESE MINISTRIES - THE TRANSITION YEARS 1985-1987. Representatives from different denominations and para-church ministries established the Board of Directors; financial support is provided by the "overseas" Vietnamese community. April, 1987 - at the annual meeting Vietnam Ministries decides to seek incorporation of its work as VIETNAM MINISTRIES, INC. June 30, 1987 - the State of California granted non-profit corporation status as a religious organization. October 2, 1987 - IRS granted non-profit status as a 501(c) (3) organization. 3. VIETNAM MINISTRIES, INC. (VMI) YEARS 1987 TO THE PRESENT. Current Programs: Publishing Ministry Prints: (print, video, audio and CD-ROM disks) Bibles, books, other material to meet needs of Vietnamese Christians in 68 countries. Evangelism Ministry: introduces Jesus Christ by way of tracts, cassette tapes, booklets, and monthly paper New Horizon (Chan Troi Moi). Monthly circulation of New Horizon is sent toVietnamese immigrants in 68 countries. Follow-Up Ministry: answeres readers and other inquiries through letters, telephone, and E-mail contacts. VMI conducts Bible correspondence courses and sends Bibles and other materials. Nurturing Ministry Provides: the daily devotional Live With the Word (Song Voi Thanh Kinh) and the monthly Prayer Bulletin. The monthly circulation is 21,000, of which 16,000 is distributed in Vietnam. This number falls short of the actual amount needed. Individuals have access to this material on the Internet. Published quarterly, Study the Bible is a curriculum for personal study, small groups, Sunday school and sermon preparation. The circulation is 19,000, of which 18,000 are distributed in Vietnam under the title Weekly Bible Studies. Training Ministry: trains individuals through correspondence, seminars, training camps and conferences in evangelism, leading Bible study and small groups. Reference Ministry: helps or refers new arrivals and new Christians to Christian families and churches or church leaders in order to settle them in a Christian environment. Advocacy Ministry: helps raise support for Vietnamese in various settings, and sponsors programs such as Vietnamese Kids' Camp (held at the Vietnam Ministries Center), and Ministry to Disabled Persons in Vietnam. Achievements: VMI has reached Vietnamese refugees and immigrants in 68 countries. Request for Bibles and literature comes from Vietnam, Arab Muslim countries, North and South America, Australia, other Asian Coungtries, Western and Eastern Europe as well as the former Soviet Union. In March, 1989 the first 5,000 copies of the Old and New Testaments of the Vietnamese Bible were officially distributed in Southern Vietnam. Each year a ministry book is sent to all pastors and lay preachers in Vietnam. Three recent significant publications: 1. The Vietnamese translation of William Barclay's 19 volume New Testament The Daily Study Bible Series; 2. The 1925 Vietnamese Bible was corrected and published in collaboration with the United Bible Societies and the American Bible Society; and VMI has 5 full time employees and 1 part time employee, plus 10 volunteers serving in different areas of our ministries. The Vietnam Ministries Center was dedicated in August 2002. Official permission was given to print Live With the Word and the Weekly Bible Studies in Vietnam under the auspices of the Christian Education Committee of the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (South) The Warren E. Wiersbe's Bible Commentary BE Series has been printed officially in Vietnam VMI has collaborated with Vietnam Bible Inc. to publish 40,000 copies of the New Vietnamese Bible. VMI is a member of ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) since 1989, of WEA (World Evangelical Alliance), and of EAA (Evangelical Alliance of Asia). VISION & GOALS FOR THE FUTURE Ministries to Vietnamese: Complete translation and publication of Warren W. Wiersbe, Commentaries BE Series - Old & New Testament Partner with Christian organizations and denominations to continue publishing the Bible in Vietnamese Print Vietnamese-English Bilingual Bible Provide more literature, tracts, cassette tapes, CDs Build a new library for Vietnamese history and culture, and history of the Vietnamese church and Christianity Ministries to Ethnic People: Complete the Vietnamese Contemporary Bible with the collaboration of International Bible Society in 2007 Publish of bilingual Vietnamese-English Bible Publish of Vietnamese Life Application Bible Support existing publishing ministries and programs in Vietnam Ministries to Next Generation: Research and conduct studies on needs of youth and young adults in Vietnam and abroad Provide ministry programs, short-term mission projects and literature designed for young people Create a reading room with English language books Capacity Building for God's Church: Recruit and form groups of individuals with special interests, gifts and vocation in theology and ministry Train additional writers for Live With the Word, New Horizon and Study the Bible and other materials Facility Improvement: Build a new storage with 5.000 sq ft. for books, Bibles etc. Yes, I want to get involved with Vietnam Ministries I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT VIETNAM MINISTRIES AND ITS PROGRAMS. MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES IN VIETNAM. I WILL PRAY FOR VIETNAM MINISTRIES. HERE IS MY CONTRIBUTION OF $TO BE USED WHERE MOST NEEDED. (Rev., Mr., Mrs., Miss) Address City State Zip__ Telephone (_) E-mail _ ___ SIGNATURE DATE PLEASE MAKE THE CONTRIBUTION TO: VIETNAM MINISTRIES P. O. BOX 4568, ANAHEIM, CA 92803-4568 This article comes from Vietnam Ministries, Inc http://www.vpns.org/ The URL for this story is: http://www.vpns.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=news&file=article&sid=21