India (MNN) — Have you ever been through a unique experience or worked on something and later found out you are not alone? It is incredibly reassuring to come alongside other people who are in similar situations or are striving towards a similar goal.
This was the purpose behind the first-ever GACX India Roundtable hosted by Mission India.
(Photo and header photo courtesy of Mission India)
“We joined with the GACX and they also have a larger network of ministries that work in India. So we were able to partner up with like-minded ministries to share different thoughts and processes and ideas with one another and also just to encourage each other with our walk in ministry in India,” shares Mission India’s Erik*.
Everything Mission India does — from their Children’s Bible Clubs and Adult Literacy Classes to their Church Planter Training — is with the aim to transform India for Christ.
However, it is not always easy for ministries in India. According to Open Doors’ World Watch List, India currently ranks as the 11th harshest country for the persecution of Christians. That number has even gone up from years past.
“India itself just continues to see an increase in [persecution] towards Christians and other religious minorities. So working in that presents its own challenges that are unique to India alone.”
Erik adds, “You’re also talking about a population [where] over one billion people don’t worship Jesus and over 400 million people have never heard of the name of Jesus. Mix that in with persecution, it is its own unique challenge comparatively to other regions of the world.”
There were 21 Christian organizations represented at the recent GACX India Roundtable in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ministry leaders shared current outreach initiatives, built relationships, and spiritually bolstered one another.
An Adult Literacy Class with Mission India. (Photo courtesy of Mission India via Facebook)
Erik shares, “It’s very encouraging from the standpoint of some of the issues and frustrations that we deal with, we’re not alone in. Similar ministries are dealing with similar issues. So through that, talking through the different scenarios and ways we can handle those frustrations and problems together and share best practices with one another is encouraging.
“Also, just the worship part and the prayer part of all that encourages each one of us who were a part of it to go back into our ministry worlds and continue to move forward despite the persecution our partners in India face.”
From here on out, these ministries doing Great Commission work in India hope to collaborate and make better use of Kingdom resources in this beautiful country.
“We had a really great, open, and honest dialogue of how we could work together to accomplish more than we could alone. I think that’s the beauty of this event. At times, we can feel like we’re the only ministry doing this work, but when we come together, you realize you’re not. Then the second realization is you can do more together than we could separately as separate ministries.”
Although the roundtable is over, Erik says Mission India and their fellow ministry partners covet your prayers.
“Just continue to pray for the movement of God through the partners that we work with. You know, the greatest thing I love about Mission India…is we don’t send Western missionaries to do the work. We enable and empower Christians in India to spread the Gospel. So just continue to pray for those partners [and] continue to pray for those relationships that we have.”
There is also always an opportunity to offer tangible support! “If you feel led, I ask that you would go onto our website, MissionIndia.org/donate, and give a gift as you felt led to help enable that work to continue in a nation where hundreds of millions of people have never heard of the name of Jesus Christ.”
Click here to learn more about Mission India’s ministry.
*Name changed for security purposes.
