India (MNN) — For the first time in over two decades, partners of Audio Scripture Ministry in India are gathering for a time of spiritual refreshment and restoration
"This is the first time that they have ever been able to get together as a staff," says Executive Director Tom Dudenhofer. "The two regional centers…and the main ministry center in Bangalore are all getting together for the first time."
ASM's partner, World Cassette Outreach of India, has ministered to the people of India for 25 years. After learning of this service, one U.S. church decided to fund a retreat for the entire WCOI staff.
A small retreat center in one of India's upland regions was reserved for the gathering, to refresh workers physically as well as spiritually. Dudenhofer explains that May is one of the hottest months in India, and ASM wanted to give their partners a chance to escape the heat.
ASM teams will share God's Word with WCOI staff and provide encouragement that their work is not solitary.
"We're mostly just there to encourage them to be excited about the fact that other people know and are praying for them," says Dudenhofer. "We also want to encourage them to think strategically about better ways that they might be able to reach the continent with God's Word in audio."
Along with spiritual refreshment, the retreat would allow staff members to step back from the daily grind and be restored.
"They get just as weary in ministry as we would," Dudenhofer says. "They don't have an annual retreat or anything like that; they've just never been able to do anything."
A new ministry center will be discussed at the retreat, Dudenhofer adds, but no decisions will be made. The current ministry center in India is 100 years old and has suffered significant damage from typhoons. A new building is needed, and the funding has yet to be provided. Dudenhofer says believers could help meet these needs.
"They could pray for the building fund," Dudenhofer said. "They could pray that God would give us and WCOI wisdom on what we should do if we don't receive the full amount of money."
If you want to financially contribute to ASM's building fund, click here.
