REASONS TO PRAISE AND PRAY

The Growth of a Church Planting

“Then the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the descendants of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.” Ezra 6:16

The second weekend of October I will be leaving for India, followed by Pastor Ray a couple weeks later, followed by our wives at the end of the month. The first thing on our schedule when Pastor Ray arrives is we will be traveling to Northern India to dedicate the new church building in Chhattisgarh and spend some time with Pastor Ayyub and the flock which now worships there.

The Lord gave us the privilege to minister in this slum two years ago. The widest path to get inside this slum is 3 feet wide. There’s no sanitation, no running water, and no electricity. We gathered in front of a small cleared out area in the middle of the slum. Before long, we had a crowd of people who were hungry to hear the Word of God, and many received the Lord in those 3 evenings and a “church was birthed”. This group of believers began to meet in the open area the very next week. One of the slum dwellers cleared out 1000 square feet of land, and the Lord provided for us to build a church building. Pastor Ray and I will be dedicating the flock and the building, worshipping with the saints, and thanking the Lord for His continuous faithfulness over them.

Pastors Family Conference

2010 Pastor's Conference

Just as soon as we get back from the Northern Part of India we’ll be joined by our wives, and we will welcome pastors and their families in Pune for a Pastors Family Conference, which is always a special time for all! It provides a once-a-year opportunity for the pastors to be ministered to, and gives us the opportunity to pray and speak with men who are faithfully serving in the field. Our conferences are geared simply to encourage the men to know, grow, proclaim and glorify Christ. The Lord continues to plant new churches, and we are looking forward to meeting men who have recently been raised up to lead village churches in Maharashtra, West Bengal, Delhi, Bihar and Orissa.

Ministry is simply our sharing of the gospel with others in the prayer that God would give growth through it, to transfer them out of darkness (Colossians 1:13) and transform them into His image (2 Corinthians 3:18). It is the gospel that brings growth, given out by people as God's agents, in prayerful dependence upon His Holy Spirit. It's a humbling and exalting privilege! This year we have Lizzy and Teresa joining us for the Conference, and the ladies are going to have a time set aside for them for teaching and fellowship, while the men meet separately. Please pray that the Lord will anoint this time of Word, prayer and fellowship.

School of Ministry

While in India this trip we will also be teaching at the School of Ministry, meeting with the faculty and staff, getting familiar with the new students, setting up the upcoming Medical Missions Trip, working on many details and licenses in preparation for the Girls’ Home, and seeking to make progress with other administration issues. Please keep all these matters in prayer!

As we go, you go with us. Your prayers and support make it possible for us to reach those who are unreached. You also share abundantly in all the blessings. We give all the glory to Jesus for the privilege to serve Him in India among His people!

Yours in Him,
Pastor Ben