Faces of Indian Church Planters
No doubt about it – we don’t have church planting movements in the West – and there are two kinds of faces in the west we don’t associate with church planting, that they do.
They are young – this group of young teen-age guys will all plant somewhere between 7 and 15 new churches in the next 5 years– not bad!!!! The ones who direct and lead the movement are generally in their early 20’s. Age isn’t an issue here.
They are women – many, many of them, a high percentage. Nothing to do with women’s issues – just obedience issues for them. We are standing outside a church here that a lady started. She was healed and came back to her village on her own and began to share her faith, read the Bible, and gather the people. Today there are 30,000 people that know Christ and hundreds of churches that have been planted in her region – and she’s in the middle of all of it. They really believe neither “Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female.” The idea of any caste or differentiation in the ability to serve God is gone. They believe that spiritual gifts are just that – spiritual and gender. They believe everyone should be involved sharing and spreading the Gospel. I have seen this in other countries as well.
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Nov 2, 2009 at 01:37 PM
Bob,
Wonderful and encouraging -- youth and gender are not at all the point, God's calling heard and fulfilled to bring others in relationship to him and for His glory and His kingdom is the point.
I'm convinced Satan smiles when we are distracted by youth, gender, education, socio-economics, ethnicity because such focus renders us less effective -- if not ineffective -- for God's purposes.
I like your point about obdedience. If we hear and do not respond, then we are not being obedient to our God and are instead being obedient to the social norms and expectations of our organizations.
What matters most? What people think or doing what God wants us to do? I'd say most people live out what they think others expect of them, and the banter of people can drown out that still small voice.
Having heard, the courage to take action follows. God's provision of course, but obedience can build our faith as well as our courage.
As long as we are really hearing His voice. I loved the point about the woman being healed and returning to start the church in her village as you recount here.
How exciting to see what Northwood is called to do and to hear of what you see happening in India now!
Best regards,
Denise Hurst
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