HISTORY

Tim is originally from New Zealand, & Bronwyn from Highett.  We met when Tim came from New Zealand to do Bible College at Destiny (then called Harvest Christian Centre).  We married in 1990 and had 4 kids, all of whom grew up at Destiny. We pastored at Destiny from 1992 until 2007 when we moved to Thailand to continue working with destiny as missionaries.  A job it has been our privilege to continue in up until this day...

 

Destiny Church Melbourne

While working at destiny we held several roles over the years including:

• Youth pastor

• Kids Pastor

• Worship pastor

• Bible College Principal

• Church manager

• Women’s pastor

• Connect group pastor

 

TheRiver.Asia

Background

TheRiver.Asia was established by Ps Erik & Mariaana Klar who have been

working in Thailand since 1993.  

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Vision

TheRiver.Asia has always aimed to raise up and release national leaders through community development projects and church planting. To see all people transformed and set free in all areas of their lives

Team

The River team consists of ethnic Thais and hill tribe Thais, short term volunteers from ASEAN nations, missionaries (mostly from Australia) and short term western volunteers, - all working together.  We are also closely connected with a network of leaders from ASEAN nations who form part of our extended team.

 

Locations

TheRiver.Asia has its main base in Chiang Mai, (Northern Thailand).  We also have campuses in Narathiwat (southern Thailand), and in Bangkok (the nation’s capital).  Aside from this we have works in many hill tribe villages spread across northern and central Thailand and partner works in several of the ASEAN Nations

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ASEAN Network

TheRiver.Asia ASEAN network is a voluntary, relationally based group of leaders from ASEAN nations who choose to work in collaboration to see revival in South East Asia.  Together we gather for prayer & worship via internet conferencing, run training camps, provide practical assistance to each other for out each, training and church planting projects and connect to encourage each other on social media groups.

Tim & Bronwyn's Vision

To administrate revival across South East Asia

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Tim & Bronwyn's Roles

Early Focus

• Destiny kids style school outreach concerts from which we built a
  solid kids club in Chiang Mai with a weekly attendance of over 150 kids

• English in schools. This helped us to connect our Thai team with
  hundreds of kids and led to us running many teacher and even Principal training days too

• Music / band training - some of the young teenagers that Tim was mentoring met Jesus on the way and are now significant leaders in our worship band and youth and kids club

• Bible Training - teaching for the existing River Team

• Overseeing Visiting teams - Coordinate & run short term missions experiences for church & school teams.

 

Current Focus

• Oversee the Bangkok work

  • Plant a vibrant, young, ASEAN church in the heart of Bangkok

    • Identify and train potential leaders

    • Establish programs for all areas of church life

    • Establish and fit out new venue

  • Mentor the local team

  • Run regular, appropriate, outreach / connection events

• Coordinate the ASEAN Network

  • Plan & run the Mega prayer nights with hundreds from many
    nations connected via internet conferencing to worship and
    pray together

  • Plan & conduct training camps such as bootCamp, attended by
    young up and coming ASEAN leaders

  • Aid connection between the members of the network

• Rural mountain village

  • Strengthen and encourage pastors living in remote rural settings

  • Support these pastors through visiting them & bringing teams to work with them

  • Promote them & their work

• Oversee River worship & musical training

  • Mentor worship team in Chiang Mai

  • Build worship team in Bangkok

• Finances & funding

  • Business establishment

  • Connection with Australian churches re projects and partnership opportunities

• Events

  • Promote organise & run events from small meetings to 12 day international training seminars

• Structuring for growth

  • Systematise functions of the Bkk & overall work of TheRiver.Asia so that everything runs smoothly without excessive input required

  • Institute communication processes between campuses so that all stay connected & on the same page.

 

A Typical Day for Tim & Bronwyn...

 

Firstly no such thing exists…

 

This week

Tim is:

• doing renovation works on the nes Bangkok office

• Looking after a team of people from New Zealand

• Writing up a vision manual for the Bangkok work

• Connecting with kids in 2 very poor communities

• Mentoring our team

• Facilitating training for our team to use QR code & chat bot programs to capture attendance and assist with followup

• Working on a games night outreach for this Friday night

• Preparing for church on Sunday

Bron is:

• Looking for new housing options for our Bangkok team (to be nearer the new office facility)

• Preparing programs for 6 visiting teams coming over the next few months

• Connecting with ASEAN network to encourage 50 of them to come and serve with us as we launch our new afternoon service in August

• Writing & sending promotional packages to the ASEAN Network

• Training new Christians in “Event Promotion & Event Management”(code for  Pastoral Care 101 Skills for serving at church & in church events)

• Assisting with the advertising & sale of tickets for Planetshakers concert in Bkk

• Pastoral care appointments for the western team

• Preparing a short newsletter for supporting churches

 

Every week includes

• team meetings across campuses

• Mentoring of the team

• Mentoring new Christians

• Follow up with new contacts

• Oversight of outreach programs

• Frustration

• Great Joy