A Strong Call for Mission Among Workers

From 1960 onward Taiwan like Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong had faced t he last 30 years industrial workers have become the largest group of grass roots people. According to government statistics of the ROC, the total grass roots employment rate was 5,770,000 people of which 3,340,000 are industrial workers (58%) and 1,550,000 people worked in the service industry(27%).

More recently Taiwan's industry has been facing a change in direction. The products have been upgraded, many medium and small businesses can't find enough workers.

In addition, there are many kinds of public building projects under construction. The government and the factories have been employing foreign workers on a large

scale. By 1998 the foreign workers in Taiwan had already reached 280,000 workers.

Until today this large group of factory workers has been severely neglected by the Churches. For lack of suitable bridges the church is still very unfamiliar with this Group of people. This is one of the reasons why they have moved towards idols and evil spirits. The Taiwan Industrial Evangelical Fellowship was born out of this need. In the last 15 years the grand "Vision for Industrial Evangelism" has quietly been Cultivated, bringing forth one group after another of industrial workers who become

Christ's disciples. They face over 3 mill. unsaved grass roots workers. We still want to ask, "Where are the brave warriors who will respond to the call for industrial mission?"

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A Great Challenge for Today and Tomorrow

¡EEvangelism among working class people needs to apply appropriate cultural means to bridge the gap, attracting them toward the gospel.

¡ETo lead industrial workers to be Christ's disciples is a hard and long road.

¡EClosely working together with all churches to encourage churches to adopt groups of workers and residential areas by providing a full time worker for evangelism and church planting in these areas.

¡ESuitable personalities needed for work among foreign workers, especially practical steps to help Thai, Philippines, and workers from other countries to hear the gospel.

¡ENew TIEF staff workers need churches wihtin Taiwan and abroad to support them with prayer, finances and loving concern.

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Broad Evangelistic Activities

By means of visitation, outings, evangelistic tea parties, counseling, interest Classes, language classes, literature, audio visual media, open home, night market evangelism, celebrations in the factories, and evangelism in residential areas, the Churches and factories in industrial areas connected with TIEF actively engage In evangelism in the factory dormitories, night markets, homes and neighborhood, thus sowing the seed of the gospel in the hearts of the workers.

• Factories adopt workers : On the one hand TIEF goes directly into all sorts of factories to show concern to the workers, on the other hand TIEF encourages Christian factories to adopt their own workers. With all sorts of means they can show Concern and preach the gospel to their workers by means of activities extending love, counsel, celebrating special days and events, organizing social clubs, family pot luck meeting etc.
• Churches adopt workers : TIEF assists churches with their outreach toward wording class families in their areas e.g. encourage churches to

Adopt working class neighborhoods, workers in the factories, in dormitories, special groups in industry (e.g. working women)with the aim to make these the church's priority for care and evangelism.

• Cross cultural missions :

In partnership with factories and churches TIEF is forming teams Everywhere in order to help the foreign workers in Taiwan, Advising them in practical ways in life, giving language lessons, And forming committees in order to share the gospel with them.

Discipleship Training for Workers

Why do we need to train disciples among the workers? According to the Scriptures the Lord Jesus did not only say, "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." But He also extended the Great Commission the his disciples, "All authority in heaven and on Earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples¡K"

Therefore to make working class people into Christ's disciples is TIEF's greatest goal.

• Teaching the Bible : We stress systematic Bible study relating to

Life. God's Word will change the workers' traditional religious beliefs and value systems, so that they can be set free from the bondage of traditional belief, Yi Gwan Dau, and Buddhism.

• Testimony as a Lifestyle : We want to help the workers to experience the new life in Christ, to make Christian faith a practical reality in their

Lives to follow Christ and to live holy, joyful, and peaceful lives.

• Mission Involvement : We not only want the workers to understand the

Bible and live out Christ, but we also want them to live in obedience to the Great Commission, and to lead relatives, neighbors and coworkers to follow Christ.

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TIEF in Cooperation with Churches

TIEF can help churches to be effective in the realm of missions to industrial workers.

• Literature Outreach : "The Friend of the Workers" monthly magazine

enlarges our outreach into working class neighborhoods and is a contact for evangelistic outreach to grass roots people.

• Short Term Mission : The Short Term Mission Program is geared to

Full time workers in churches and lay christians. It offers realistic and practical involvement in industrial missions. So far, participants have come from churches in North America, Hong Kong, Singapore and local churches.

• On the Spot Involvement : TIEF offers churches to learn from

observation and first hand experience in opening up gospel centers.

• Training : Under appropriate circumstances TIEF offers seminars and training on evangelism and mission.
• Church Planting : In appropriate situations TIEF will suport churches to do grass root church planting. The main goal for the "Meeting to

Exchange Experience in Grass Roots Evangelism" is to discuss Different cases in grass roots church planting and continue networking the experience.

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Missionary Prayer and Financial Support

Beloved brothers, sisters and mission-minded churches! We earnestly implore you to be our partners in industrial evangelism through your intercession, participation, and financial giving.

First we need every person and church to pray. Please intercede for Our full-time co-workers' physical, emotional and spiritual health, so that we may be useful vessels in our Master's hand. Also pray for more faithful, experienced servants to join TIEF, so that in every factory, neighorhood, and industrial zone there might be an effective witness of the gospel and a flsher of men.

Next, we hope that you and your church will cheerfully giver your financial gifts to support TIEF's administrative and ministry expenses,

Including co-workers salaries, ministry costs, publications/audio-visual

Expenditures, and training expenses. TIEF needs aproximately NT$8,250,000 (about US$300,000) every year. In view of this large budget,we can only look to our almighty Lord, who is also faithful and loving.

In His time, may He touch you and your church to give generously,

According to His will, in regular financial suport of TIEF, so that we may together work to complete the task of industrial evangelism in Taiwan today.

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Taiwan's Manual Laborers and Other Grass Roots Peoples

1. Taiwan Manual Laborers (3,656,000 people)

1. 2,375,000 factory workers
2. 633,000 construction workers
3. 283,000 foreign workers
4. 365,000 truck drivers

1. Taiwan Service Industry Workers (1,550,000 people)

1. 550,000 shopkeepers
2. 100,000 department store employees
3. 80,000 restaurant and beauty parlor employees
4. 820,000 street vendors

1. Taiwan Workers in Agriculture, Forestry, Fishery and Livestock (880,000 people)
2. Taiwan handicapped and disabled (1,000,000 people)
3. Taiwan Marginalized People (400,000 people)

1. 300,000 drug addicts
2. 100,000 troubled youth and gang members

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TIEF Address in U.S.A. :

Industrial Evangelical Missions. Inc.

P.O.BOX 1297, Arcadia, CA 91077, U. S. A.

(For tax-deductible receipt use above address)

Taiwan Industrial Evangelical Fellowship :

P.O. BOX 7-286, Taipei 106, Taiwan, R. O. C.

Tel : (02)2362-0657, (02)2363-0221

FAX : (02)2363-0221

E-Mail : iemtw@ms15.hinet.net