India

1. India: New Testament Principles of Church Planting Yield Results 2. Liberian Missionaries Reap Harvest in War-weary Land 3. Myanmar Missionaries Overcome Weather, Sickness, and Satanic Opposition 4. India: Muslim Family Rejects Daughter 5. Photo of the Week: Concert on the Mall

———————————————————————- These are the contents of today’s Missions Insider Report by Christian Aid August 27, 2003 Vol. 4 No. 434 Visit our website at http://www.christianaid.org ———————————————————————– John Lindner, Editor ———————————————————————– Note: Missions Insider refrains from mentioning names that could make the subjects targets of anti-Christian activity. Names are sometimes mentioned of ministries conducting work commended by authorities or located in areas of greater religious freedom. ———————————————————————–

1. India: New Testament Principles of Church Planting Yield Results

A ministry in northern India has seen the Lord move mightily through its church planting program, which is modeled after the methods of the New Testament apostles.

The ministry presently has 199 church planters traveling to every district of its state to raise up and disciple new believers. More specific information on their growing number and locations cannot be published for security reasons.

Many areas of this state are particularly hostile to the gospel. One district had a population of only 324 Christians out of its nearly one million inhabitants, according to 1991 census data.

Yet even this ground is being broken by the truth. Recently in this district, seven Christians underwent training to do outreach in their communities. In one town, a new house church was started in June with seven members.

The house church is the ministry’s point of entry into unchurched communities. Following a process laid forth in the New Testament, gospel workers visit villages searching for believers. If they find none, they look for a “man of peace” who might be receptive to the gospel. His home becomes the staging area for a potential house church.

Often they discover isolated Christian families with no leadership or means of going deeper in their relationships with Christ. The church planters bring these families together, discipling and teaching them Biblical truth. A small cell group is formed, and leaders emerge. As the cell begins to attract new believers from the village, a substantial house church eventually is formed.

At this point, the church planters move to a new location, always keeping in touch with the newly-formed congregation. When a pastor is needed for a growing church, believers select the most able man to attend a nine-month training program run by the church-planting ministry.

This method has proved extremely effective. In May and June alone, one district saw 100 people decide to follow Christ; 165 were renewed in spirit; 32 dedicated their lives to the Lord’s service; and 40 experienced the healing power of God. In another district, 33 believers joined together to construct a church building.

God continues to move through this ministry, bringing many to Christ and to His service as missionaries, teachers and pastors. To learn how you can encourage and support this effective ministry, write and put MI-434 640-OFU on the subject line.

———————————————————————– 2. Liberian Missionaries Reap Harvest in War-weary Land

Missionaries native to Liberia are making a difference in their war-weary land, with help from Christian Aid.

The leader came to the Lord in 1978 and began a ministry organization in 1983. Since then his mission has succeeded I planting at least one new church annually for 19 years. Today they number 2873 baptized believers.

The leader and his 12 fellow missionaries preach the gospel to many still steeped in witchcraft and idol worship. During a recent crusade, three young men who heard the gospel willingly brought their fetishes to be burned.

“We’ve been worshiping these things since childhood,” they said. “Sometimes we sacrificed animals and even offered human blood to increase our power. Now we have the true power of Jesus Christ.”

The missionaries labor in a country suffering from 14 years of civil war. They’ve had no electricity since 1998. Running water, sewage disposal and telephone service are unreliable. Along with the infrastructure, jobs as well as homes have been destroyed.

“Almost 90% of our people are without work. The government cannot pay its workers. Some of our church members that work for the government have not been paid in six to eight months and depend on assistance from their friends and churches. Tears are running from the eyes of our people,” the leader said.

Since the recent fighting, several members have been killed in the crossfire. Rebels have taken over the ministry headquarters compound where there is a church building, homes of several families, and 40 orphans living. Much rebuilding will have to be done when they are able to move back home.

In the midst of this chaos, with help from Christian Aid the missionaries operate two primary schools, one junior high school, and assist 67 orphans and refugee families.

To learn how you can help, write and put MI-436 532-CEFM on the subject line.

———————————————————————– 3. Myanmar Missionaries Overcome Weather, Sickness, and Satanic Opposition

Missionaries in Myanmar (Burma) overcome a myriad of oppositions and hardships as they continue to take the gospel to inhabitants of their distressed land.

“The situation in Burma is still serious,” a missionary leader travelling in rural Myanmar last month told Christian Aid. Missionaries-and ordinary believers-have to be careful due to the government’s dealing with the democratic movement within the country. All mail is subject to censorship or confiscation.

Inflation also makes living difficult. For example, the cost of beef in one locality recently doubled.

The missionaries use the rainy season (August through October) to conduct a “rainy season Bible school,” since agricultural work during that season virtually halts. After that they plan to tour the rural churches and conduct revival meetings.

Also, because of the rain, some of the students are coming down with serious cases of the flu. “We don’t believe it is SARS,” the leader said.

“In one community a man came to challenge the missionaries, but through their fervent prayer they overcame the Satanic power and converted ten people to the Lord,” the mission leader said.

He requests prayer that his country might enjoy freedom from oppressive military rule and freedom of religion.

For more information, write and put MI-434 715-UCM on the subject line.

———————————————————————– 4. India: Muslim Family Rejects Daughter

People from Muslim background who turn to Christ in India are often rejected by their families and entire communities. This was the case of a young Muslim woman who accepted Christ and married a Christian.

Ramla and her family were neighbors of a godly Christian leader. Through him, the girl was led to the Lord. Then she married a Christian man. The girl’s family and village rejected them, and now she and her husband are homeless.

The leader who led the Muslim girl to Jesus has seen many such incidents, since many new Christians in India experience this kind of ostracism. Sometimes entire villages turn against a person when he or she accepts Christ, regardless of his background.

The leader heads a ministry that reaches remote tribal villages throughout India. His organization operates in 10 of India’s 25 states, hosting Bible classes and seminars, offering food and medicine to the poor, conducting open-air evangelism, and discipling new believers.

Please pray that this good work may continue, and remember to lift up those, like this young couple, who have been rejected for the cause of Christ. For more information, write and put MI-434 637-CFI on the subject line.

———————————————————————– 5. Photo of the Week: Concert on the Mall

http://www.christianaid.org/pow/pow-4-34.asp

Young people lead a praise and worship concert on the outskirts of Zagreb in Croatia. The evangelical event was held last March in a strong Catholic area of the country. The audience was larger than expected, and two women responded to the music ministry by coming forward to pray the prayer of salvation. One is now attending a home Bible group. The following Sunday, two people from the concert attended church services at the band’s home church. This Croatian ministry also operates a drug rehabilitation center. For more information, write and put MI-434 336-CEO on the subject line.

———————————————————————- Mission Statement:

Missions Insider is a free weekly email report from Christian Aid Mission, your link to the world of indigenous missions. We seek to establish a witness for our Lord in every tribe and nation (Matthew 24:14) by supporting highly effective native missionary ministries based in poorer countries overseas, or where believers are persecuted. Christian Aid has contact with more than 6000 indigenous ministries that have a total of 300,000 missionaries on the field or ready to go when support is available.

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