DAWN Fridayfax 1999 #05

News from India, USA

In this issue:
India: Church planting aims corrected upwards
USA: Evangelisation through advertising

India: Church planting aims corrected upwards

"The greatest church growth in India is taking place in the countryside, where the Holy Spirit is doing incredible things, of which only a few people hear or know," writes Rev. Samuel Stephens, leader of the India Gospel League (IGL), a missionary movement founded in the 1950's in Salem, Tamil Nadu. Today, the movement has some 400 full-time staff, and is active in 9 other Indian states. Their aim is to reach the rural population with the gospel by planting Christian churches in the villages.

In 1996, Stephens started to develop a strategic plan under the name 'Vision 2000', to plant 2000 new churches by the year 2000. (The plans were covered in a previous edition of the Friday Fax.) In the meantime, though, the strategy has resulted in over 3,750 new churches! Almost 40 other regional pastors' networks have taken responsibility for planting at least 200 new churches by the year 2000. Following many upward corrections, the total target now stands at 12,500 new churches by the year 2000.

One of the movement's key elements are the so-called "Barefoot pastors", simple Indian Christians who travel through the villages showing the Jesus film, preaching the gospel and training local pastors to carry the work into other villages and plant churches. "Millions have come to Jesus as the result of such pastors' work," says Stephens.

"I was particularly impressed by the pastors' 100-percent dedication to God and their task," said an American visiting the movement. "I met one village pastor who has planted 3 churches in the last 2 1/2 years, and whose services are attended by 645 people. He has also trained three others who help him lead the fellowships." IGL is now training another 3,500 pastors in the vision.

"As far as I know, there is no other organisation in India which systematically trains such large numbers of simple people to become church planters," says Rev. Vasantharaj Albert, Director of the "Church Growth Research Center of India". In 1997, the "National Association of Interdependent Churches" was formed, an association of over 1,000 churches which had "no support or practical fellowship with other churches", says Stephens. "This number will grow significantly in future, because new churches are continuously being planted," and continues "It is all based in prayer."

Over 75,000 people in hundreds of villages in southern India form an intercession chain which plans to pray without interruption until the year 2000. This movement started in 1996 as part of the "Vision 2000" church planting strategy, and the number of intercessors grows daily. "Through prayer, Satanic strongholds are overcome, people are freed from the power of sin and superstition, miracles repeatedly occur and the Kingdom of God is being anchored in Indian villages," according to Stephens.

Source: Project Partner with Christ, Inc, e-mail partner@projectpartner.com

USA: Evangelisation through advertising

A new and unusual advertising campaign in southern Florida is being noticed all over the USA. "Let's meet at my place on Sunday before the game. God." says one poster. "Go ahead, abuse my name. I'll just add you to the line. God.", "Have you read my #1 best seller? There's an exam to pass. God.", "By the way, when I said 'Love your neighbour', I meant it. God.", "I liked the wedding, will you invite me into your marriage too? God." are further examples. The campaign lasted 3 months, and the $200,000 bill was paid by an anonymous donor. Some churches are also investing in clever adverts to reach the average American, according to the organisation Church Ads. Marble Collegiate Church in New York, for example, paid for a plane to circle over the city pulling a banner with the text "Make a friend in the highest place. Marblechurch.org." "Adverts can only start people thinking and rouse curiosity: the decisive step takes place in the churches," comments Church Ads, which also paid for the advert "Nothing against TV Christianity, but have you ever seen a Sony distribute Communion?"

Source: Religion Today

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