A Season of Change
For over 20 years, The Centre has been a constant presence among university students in Chiang Mai, Thailand, declaring the love of God through word and deed.
With incredible staff from all over the world, many meaningful friendships have been formed, with outcomes lasting into eternity.
We are entering into a unique season where many of the long-term staff will be transitioning out of Chiang Mai for various reasons. Now, the Centre is praying for God to lead those who are ready to serve in the Great Commission through cross-cultural relational evangelism.
Please prayerfully consider whether God may be calling you or someone you know to a season of service, and an adventure of a lifetime.
Read on for experiences of some of our most recent staff members...
Daniel (from Houston, TX, USA)
My time at The Centre for the last three years was nothing short of incredible, as in that time I got to really experience God in action and also grew in so many different ways. Teaching English, hosting cooking nights and other events, and just spending time with the students, all transitioned smoothly to initiating spiritual conversations and inviting them over to house church or small groups. For me personally, the ministry style fit perfectly, since it allowed for me to serve the locals with English-teaching, but also provided me an opportunity to fit in and enter the local culture as well, especially with language and relationships.
I'd definitely recommend The Centre for anyone who's thinking about serving in ministry in the Chiangmai area, as it was the foundation for a lot of open doors and opportunities within the local community that could be somewhat difficult to find otherwise. My time there grew me up as a worker and spiritual leader, but also as one who loves the Thai people and continues to pray for them to know Jesus! I already miss working there and all the awesome people I got to meet through the experience, but at the same time know that God will continue to move there in amazing ways.
Joanna
I committed to serve at The Centre for a year or two, depending on how the Lord led. I ended up staying in Chiang Mai for 14 months and it was an honor to be called into such a unique community. My goal was to show up to The Centre every day, ready to steward whatever opportunities God would provide.
I loved that I had the time to be present with my students and others in The Centre community, whether that was playing board games in the afternoon, eating dinner, or adventuring around Chiang Mai on the weekends. Some days we just had fun and didn't talk about anything very deep, but I would say that being available in those smaller moments led to more personal and spiritual conversations in other contexts.
Looking with anticipation for how God shows up isn't something contained to my life in Thailand, nor is the satisfaction in obedience and putting off of self. I was able to experience God in a significantly deeper way than before. Even though I don't know the full implication of my time at The Centre, I would measure my time there as a "success" because I showed up in obedience. This obedience just wasn't for my students, but also for myself and my community that sent me.
Thanks to Christ Church (W. Monroe, LA, USA)!
Recently, a team from Christ Church (Lousiana) came out for a visit and participated in the life of the Centre for a week. They opened their hearts and shared music, food, and powerful personal stories about God's goodness with the students of the Centre, and their visit was culminated by an English Day Camp. All the smiling faces at the end of the week tell the story of what an awesome time everyone had together!
This year is a critical year for The Centre... Do you sense that perhaps God is leading you into a new season? Perhaps he will have you join in this amazing opportunity to reach the lost with the love of God here in the Rose of North Thailand..? For those curious for more information, you can email us, or follow along on our Facebook page!
Having fun in the kitchen!
One of the fun ways we connect with our students while also teaching English is through cooking. This is a fun, non-threatening way to interact...and enjoy some tasty food as well!
Hanging "out"
We encourage our staff to get to know the students outside of class and the Centre as well. One way to do this is to go out for a meal together. This gives us opportunities to build relationships with our students that are more than just academic.