Lao Samphang Methodist is Homeless

4,800 Lao Samphang Methodist church members are “homeless”, and we are in great need of 69 homes (church buildings) to house our worship by the Lao Samphang Methodist Church’s (LSMC) 15th anniversary (2016). A place to worship our Holy God is important to our United Methodist faith, and the church building is the physical part that makes the spiritual church grow in faith and spiritual understanding of the life of the church.

In 2001, Lao Samphang Methodist church was born without a church facility. Since then, the church is continuing to grow. Although some church buildings have been built to house its members, they are not enough to meet its need. These are growing pains; still, we can no longer ignore the facts and let the church continue to be homeless. As church leaders and disciples of Jesus Christ, our duty is to come together, to gather resources and build 69 church buildings to house 4,873 members. The Council has put a plan in place to follow. The plan is to begin by building six churches for the first year (2009), increase by twelve churches in the second year, build fifteen more churches in both the third and fourth years, twelve more in the fifth year, six more in the sixth year, and three more churches in the seventh year (2015). That will total 69 churches by 2016. The total project is estimated to cost $654,800.00. We (the council) come to ask you, our UMC sisters and brothers in the world, for $428,800.00. The LSMC Council will be accountable for the costs of land and labor ($226,000.00).

A physical church building is central to holding the church together in Christ, for continuing growth in evangelism, for church leadership development, and for skills training for future leaders in such lay leader, women, and youth leadership – what is needed to lead the LSMC into the next century. As the LSMC Council, we come to you asking for financial support and prayer. 98% of LSMC’s members are newly converted, and it takes time to understand the life of the Church, and how to be a part of the local church’s contribution to the whole Church. Our covenant to you and to the Lord is that we will make sure that every penny that the LSMC Council receives for church building will go straight to building.