Nestled in the heart of India is a region where every day more than 1,700 people die without a knowledge of Jesus and spend an eternity separated from God. This area has one of the highest concentrations of lostness on the planet. To reverse this trend, a catalytic movement is needed among the existing Christians in the region. The good news is that Indian evangelical partners are anxious to team up to reach these lost millions! Your gift will support three-tier church planter training over multiple years, enabling thousands in this area of 100 million people to hear and respond to the gospel.
An Indian leader who received this training said, “I was not sharing the gospel, not even trying to share. Now I am trying to meet lots of people and share. I have baptized nine people since this training began.”
Another leader said, “I learned to reach people in an easy way. Now I am reaching so many people. In ten months, about twenty people have believed.”
Many of those trained regularly experience persecution such as being expelled from their families, beaten, and thrown in jail, but this training has bolstered their courage in the face of affliction. One trained leader said, “I learned I need to share every day instead of staying in my house. I started going out and preaching. I used to fear going to Hindus. They said they would hurt me if I spoke the word of God. I have faced so much opposition, but I have not stopped.”
The tools used in teaching sessions are biblical and contextual and include both oral and literate methods. The importance of prayer is interspersed throughout the training. Often, segments of the training require an adjustment in tools to contextualize for appropriate cultural communication and application.
Although half of the people groups here are completely unengaged with a church planting strategy, your partnership will move us closer to engaging all the peoples of this region.
South Asian peoples live within a kaleidoscope of colors, a cacophony of sounds, and a buffet of flavors that ignite the senses and warm the soul. This enigmatic region is the birthplace of four world religions but is also home to the world's highest concentration of lostness.
The 1.6 billion people of South Asia are concentrated in an area less than half the size of the USA. Muslims and Hindus comprise the overwhelming religious majority. Every week 225,000 South Asians die, most without Christ. Yet there are glimmers of gospel hope. Through the work of local Christians and foreign workers God is bringing South Asians to faith in Jesus, the church is growing, and stories of Christ’s redeeming power are emerging from the field.
More than a billion South Asian eyes are searching for hope. Pray for long-term workers and their local partners who share the love of Christ daily. Ask God to use their efforts to create a movement of his Spirit across the city and throughout countries and islands of South Asia!