Chiang Mai University has a student body of 35,000, with an additional 15,000 at nearby Rajamangala University. Since the opening of the Fusion Center in May 2024, we have seen over 4,000 Thai college students enter our doors. We now have the opportunity to plant a church with the many students who frequent the center and engage our discipleship programs. This new church plant will impact thousands of individuals, with the potential to impact 50,000 students for Christ!

Our target demographic is Thai college students who have come to Chiang Mai from all over Thailand. They are generally in Chiang Mai for four years. Recent reports have confirmed that Thai young people are among the world's most anxious generation, with suicide rates higher than the global average. The majority of students come from a Buddhist background and have never been given a clear gospel presentation. These students are some of Southeast Asia's most unreached and unengaged people in the 10/40 Window, yet they are open to spiritual and societal change.

The church will be located across from the main entrance of Chiang Mai University in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand’s second-largest city. The university draws students from across the country, many of whom go on to become influential leaders in Thailand.

Positioned in the heart of the campus’s largest and busiest night market, the church will be surrounded by the vibrant hub where students regularly gather. This area is filled with popular shopping and food stalls that attract consistent crowds, with many students spending time there late into the evening, often until midnight. This makes it the ideal place for the light of Jesus to shine!

As our primary objective is to engage a high volume of Thai college students with the gospel, this project has already demonstrated significant success. Students from Chiang Mai University and Rajamangala University have come to view the Fusion Center and Red Panda Coffee Shop as their primary off-campus gathering place. This consistent presence has created meaningful opportunities for relationship-building and ongoing spiritual conversations.

Through regular events and a dynamic, free game room, we are effectively drawing students into a welcoming community where they can encounter the message of Christ in a natural, relational way. These initiatives have not only increased foot traffic but have also fostered trust, curiosity, and openness among students.

As a result, we are now positioned to take the next strategic step of planting a church among the very students who already frequent the Fusion Center. This church will serve as a natural extension of the relationships and spiritual interests already cultivated, providing a space for discipleship, worship, and long-term spiritual growth.

1. Establish a Consistent Student Gathering Community. We develop regular weekly gatherings that foster a welcoming, spiritually engaging environment for students from Chiang Mai University and Rajamangala University, building on existing relationships through the neighboring Fusion Center.

2. Facilitate Gospel Engagement and Spiritual Conversations. We intentionally create opportunities for students to hear and explore the gospel through events, small groups, and one-on-one conversations, fostering genuine curiosity and understanding of the Christian faith.

3. Develop Student Leadership and Discipleship Pathways. We identify and equip spiritually interested students to grow in their faith through structured discipleship, mentoring, and leadership development, preparing them to take active roles in the future church.

4. Launch a Sustainable Church Plant. We will transition from informal gatherings to an established church with regular worship services, leadership structure, and ongoing ministry programs that are culturally relevant and student-focused.

5. Create a Long-Term Campus Impact Strategy. We will establish a model for continued outreach and engagement that ensures a lasting presence among university students, with the potential to influence future leaders and expand to other campuses in Thailand.