The Outward Focus

Flying in formation

One of the rites of summer is to witness humankind’s mastery of machines of the air.  The Air Force’s Thunderbirds and the Navy’s Blue Angels have raised precision to an art form. When it comes to their awe-inspiring air shows, anything less than perfection is a recipe for disaster.

A friend of mine with an understanding of formation flying explains it thusly: Formation flight consists of leadership and followership. The team leader is fully responsible for every maneuver; his job is to maintain “situational awareness.” The leader is required to know exactly where he is in relationship to the ground, of knowing what is happening all around him. He uses nearly all of his senses to keep tabs on all the factors involved in executing the team’s maneuvers, which often occur at 500 miles per hour with a wingtip clearance of a mere 18 inches.

Followership, on the other hand, is exactly the opposite. Each wingman has a specific responsibility - to maintain his or her position in relation to the leader, nothing else. Each follower flies with eyes fixed on a reference point on the leader’s aircraft. This followership is honed by countless hours of practice, practice and more practice of focusing on the leader alone. This makes the follower fully dependent on the ability of the leader to complete the maneuver successfully.

The consequences of that unwavering trust in the formation leader became tragically apparent in 1982. As the Thunderbirds practiced looping maneuvers in a desert area surrounded by mountainous terrain, the leader experienced a flight control malfunction which altered the feel of the jet’s flight control stick. He was unaware that his situational awareness had been compromised. The leader bottomed out of a loop only to discover that a mountain lay directly ahead with no time to divert his course. The leader and three other pilots perished as the team crashed in perfect formation.

Here are some takeaways. Jesus Christ is our leader. He demonstrates the ultimate in situational awareness. He alone is fully cognizant of everything that affects the situation around us. Our job is to focus exclusively on Him, to follow without reservation or diversion. Those follower skills are developed and honed by immersing ourselves in the wisdom of the Bible and in prayer.

As the leader of an Awana team of ministry volunteers, your job is to keep everyone flying in formation. Do all of your followers understand the ministry goals you’ve set? Are you investing time and energy to encourage your followers toward those goals? Are you working to shape and sharpen those people for the task of positively influencing children? A good commander will grow in his or her situational awareness by being tuned in to both the needs of the children and their leaders.

One final thought – the Thunderbird tragedy clearly showed that no pilot is perfect. We aren’t perfect either, but with the wisdom of the Bible and much prayer, we can minimize the effects of our errors. Then someday, our Leader will say to us, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

Relative or absolute?

In his three letters written around the end of the first century, the apostle John addressed the Gnostic doctrines infiltrating the church in Ephesus and for which he was deeply distressed. The Gnostics, with their “special knowledge,” claimed to communicate with God on a spiritual plane.  Jesus, because he was human, was made of “evil matter.” Therefore, He could not possibly be a deity.

In the parade of human progress, we are circling back to that theological environment that threatened to destroy the church two thousand years ago. As it was in John’s time, much of the false doctrine is growing out of the church itself.

As outlined in my previous post, where a biblical world view holds that truth is absolute, defined only by God, the modernist replaced God’s revealed truth with human reason. Then a century of disillusionment precipitated the rejection of modernism in a cultural shift to post-modernism, which maintains that there is no ultimate, absolute truth or reality. Individual experience determines truth and reality. The inevitable result is a direct conflict with orthodox dogma, precisely what was occurring in the church at Ephesus.

Dogma, which can be defined as belief in an authoritative biblical doctrine that is not to be disputed, doubted or diverged from, is anathema to the post-modernist. Dogma and the relativity of truth as defined by individual experience cannot be reconciled. On that issue, John was adamant.  Still, humans are compelled to try. Paradoxically, in their zeal to make Christianity “relevant” to the post-modernist, a phenomenon began to take shape among evangelical churches in the 1990s.

The first casualty of the “dialogue” that sought to lure the postmodernist into the church was dogma. Authoritative doctrine was out; an exchange of ideas based on individual perception was in. Individual perception demands that my concept of God be given equal value to yours, even when they are entirely different. People are led to Jesus on their terms, not His. It follows that my understanding of what heaven is and how I get there, can be entirely different from yours. Since we are both right (as is everybody else), there must be many different paths that converge in heaven.

A recently published survey of 35,000 Americans by the Pew Foundation confirms that this type of thinking is making headway within the church. The survey found that nearly two-thirds of Protestants believe that “many religions can lead to eternal life.” Among mainline denominations, the number is 83 percent. And 57 percent of self-proclaimed evangelicals believe it!

How are we to respond to a culture that chooses to believe that all “good people” go to heaven, and that being a “good person” can be self-defined? We need look no further than John’s letters. In no place does John suggest that the church should modify its beliefs (dogma) to accommodate self-determination. In no place does John suggest that the church should engage in dialogue to eventually wander into “relevant truth.” Nor does John suggest we should argue or debate theology.

John did emphatically remind true believers who they are and what they believe. He urged them to reflect God’s love for them in their relations with each other. He warned them not to succumb to the twisted theological teachings of the world. He was clear – such teaching is the embodiment of the anti-Christ. Finally, he instructed the church to “walk in truth.”  Perhaps we all should read John’s letters again. We need to reinvigorate our dogma. It’s the truth!

What happened?

Fifteen years ago, evangelical theologian David Wells wrote, “I have watched with growing disbelief as the evangelical Church has cheerfully plunged into astounding theological illiteracy.” Less than a year later, Christian pollster George Barna published his findings that the beliefs and actions of Christians are by and large no different than non-Christians.

What happened to the church that it no longer stands apart from the culture to which it is called to reach with the gospel of Jesus Christ?

For the church in early America, there was no doubt that the Bible held every truth, and truth was absolute. But in the aftermath of revolutions in both America and France, a new human-based “philosophical system” gained popularity among European intellectuals, and within a generation appeared on the shores of North America.

The “Enlightenment” elevated the human intellect to supreme power. Reason, order and science became the standards by which things were judged. A century later, modernist intellectual analysts began to view Scripture as inaccurate history, mere literature without spiritual inspiration. The inevitable result was to discredit Scripture. Church dogma (statements of doctrine and belief not open to discussion or debate) and Scripture were to be regarded as symbolic and allegorical, not literal and true.

Where the modernist relied upon the universal truth of reason, the absolute certainty of science and upon the ability of systems of social order to eliminate social disorder, the postmodernist sees human thought (reason) as incapable of determining ultimate, universal truth. Since reality is nothing more than a reflection of that which is true, there can be no universal reality. Reality and truth are not based in external standards or absolutes. Reality and truth are based only in experience.

To the Postmodernist, orthodox Christianity becomes an anachronism. God can be experienced in multiple ways, and there are multiple paths to “heaven,” which also is defined by individual experience. Understanding scripture is based on individual perception of truth. The original intent of the author has no meaning. Understanding scripture becomes “What the Bible means to me,” not what the Bible actually means. God is no longer in authority through his Word. The only God is “the god one finds in himself,” the god one constructs from his individual perception of reality and truth.

Nevertheless, a strong current of “spirituality” (a desire to relate to the supernatural), runs through the postmodern religious culture. Humanity has not abandoned its search for God; it has merely widened the scope of the search. Seen through the faceted eyes of postmodernism, all forms of religion – New Age, Universalism, human secularism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Eastern mysticism, et al, – are legitimate and “true.” The universal truths of original sin and atoning sacrifice are alien to postmodernism. Jesus Christ is relegated to the role of great teacher and all around “nice guy.” Jesus is portrayed as a “super-social worker,” whose value is in his “good-works.” Paradoxically, postmodern culture is tolerant of all religions, except one. Any religion which is so arrogant as to believe it knows the truth is to be scorned, and even worse, censured.

Tragically, the church of Jesus Christ has over the years, fallen for many of these fallacious philosophies, rendering it powerless to impact the world in the way God intended.

Several years ago, George Barna met with the leadership of Awana and challenged us to understand and address the crisis that is facing the American church. Our response was the development of the Rorheim Institute, dedicated to helping adult workers instill a biblical worldview in the next generation of kids.

George also approached the folks at Focus on the Family with the same challenge. Their response is a remarkable seminar called The Truth Project. The very pillars of human society are examined in light of what the Scriptures have to say, and in doing so, makes an eloquent defense of absolute truth and the Word of God Himself. The Truth Project has the potential of making a tremendous impact on the church, and in turn, the culture in which we live.

I urge you to take a look at The Truth Project Web site and consider attending their all-day satellite simulcast seminar at a location near you.

The source of our security

So how do you deal with rising gas prices, the growing threat of terrorism, wars and rumors of wars and disasters large and small? Do we worry and fret, or do we place our trust in a sovereign God who sees and knows everything and promises that all things work together for good?

For those of us with the opportunity to influence children – whether as parents or as children’s and youth workers – the young ones in our charge, as they become aware of the world’s problems, will take their cues from us as to how to respond. Do they see an adult who exhibits confidence in a God who cares and meets needs? Or do they see a grownup that is frustrated and fearful?

Certainly we can be discouraged, especially when we are paying more than four dollars for a gallon of gas and when the media reports threats of annihilation and retribution from heads of state and unfortunate folks are left to pick up the pieces after another disaster somewhere in the world – or even right next door.

For us as Christians, we have a hope that surpasses circumstances and takes a long view – to a time when oil and gasoline won’t matter, when all wars are history and we have only to look forward to the rest of eternity spent with a God who is all-sufficient.

This is precisely the view that Joseph of the Old Testament took when, as a young man of 17, circumstances tore apart his world and way of life. This is precisely the view that Awana would love to instill in a generation of young people.

How are you doing at embodying this view and passing it on to our kids?

Where is the urgency?

It pours into your living room via the television and through your computer monitor every hour, every minute – bad news. Tornadoes rip through the Midwest, shredding towns and leaving thousands to pick up the pieces. The spiraling price of oil sends shockwaves through our economy, forcing people to choose between gasoline or food. An earthquake in China kills 30,000. A typhoon leaves 80,000 dead in Myanmar. Saber-rattling continues unabated throughout the Middle East. Famine decimates entire nations worldwide.

Marketers identify a phenomenon called “message fatigue,” where people are so accustomed to hearing thousands of advertising messages each day that they simply tune them out altogether. Are you and I in danger of developing a similar “disaster fatigue?”

If anything, these news reports should remind you and me that the Bible predicts that such tragedies would become more commonplace as the end times drew near.

We of Awana desire to serve the Lord by reaching out to children. The sense that we are living in the end times should give new urgency to our cause and spur us to action. We know that Jesus will come for His people, but we don’t know exactly when that will happen. Given those truths, every day of our lives should make an eternal difference in the life of a young person. How are you doing?

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” Matthew 24:36

“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.” Matthew 24:42

Embracing the smell

There is an old saying making the rounds: “The church is much like Noah's ark. If not for the storm outside, you couldn’t stand the smell inside.” How true. The only escape from the stench of animals in close quarters was to jump into the floodwaters of destruction. This observation speaks directly to the dilemma of my friend John, who has become disillusioned and disenchanted with the church because of the self-destruction he has witnessed among Christians who cannot resolve conflicts in a Christ-like manner.

John has come to the realization that Christ-like perfection will not ever exist in the earthly Body of Christ. Every one of us is in the process of Christian maturity. Until we are reunited with Christ, we will remain flawed, and we will, individually and collectively, continue to disappoint Him.

Even the letters of the Apostle Paul to the fledgling church are full of criticism and exhortation in addressing faulty human behavior. Paul sadly but forcefully spoke to the issues that were tearing the church apart.

What can we as the people of Awana do to edify the Body of Christ? What can we do that promotes unity and healing in the precious Body of Christ? Obviously, we can dig into the Word. We can benefit from Paul’s “been there; done that” instructions and advice. We can pray.

My friend John came to one other startling realization. In his disillusionment, he completely failed to recognize that his perspective was Pharisaic. In separating himself from the church, he had become elitist. With his choice to step away, he set himself apart from the imperfections that he shares. He has come to understand that spiritual development is an incomplete process in him as well as those he chose to avoid. I suspect that there’s a little bit of John in all of us.

The smell in the Ark may be disgusting at times, but the storm outside is fatal.>>

Gaining a ministry edge

Every church has it – a continuous competition for resources, funds and people. Missions vie for resources with youth ministries. Youth ministries compete with Sunday schools. Sunday schools compete for classroom space and materials. There are never enough volunteers. All too often, a church’s ministries become fragmented and isolated from each other, as each ministry and program seeks to satisfy its needs.

Where does Awana fit into the resource matrix of your church? How well do you interact with the pastoral staff and with other ministry leaders? More importantly, what can you as an Awana commander do to be an asset to your church instead of just another competitor for resources?

Awana exists to serve the church as an outreach ministry to children and through them, reach their friends and families. How well does your Awana program achieve that purpose? Have children come to faith in Jesus Christ under your leadership? Has your Awana program built bridges into your unchurched community?

I sincerely hope each Awana commander can answer those questions with a resounding, “Yes!” But no matter where on the spectrum between “roaring success “ to “floundering” your Awana program sits, I want to make you, the commander, an “offer you can’t refuse."

Awana has developed a three-day experience called Commander College. No matter what your level of Awana experience, you’ll participate in a renewing experience you will not soon forget. You’ll learn how to integrate Awana into the overall mission and ministry of your church. You’ll come away equipped to build bridges across the competing ministries of your church. You’ll return to your church inspired to be a leader of excellence among volunteers and children.

Even if you have years of experience as a commander, Commander College will hone your organizational, communications, and leadership skills. If you are a brand new commander, you’ll leave Commander College light years ahead in building the skills you need to serve your church well.

That’s what Commander College is about – helping you serve God and your church with dedication complemented with skill and excellence.

You’ll find more information on our Commander College Web site. I hope to see you at the next session.

Learning from success

The Southern Baptist Center for National Research at the North American Mission Board (NAMB) recently released the results of a study on evangelizing children entitled Not Just Playtime: Insights from Evangelistic Churches Reaching Children. You can read the fascinating report on the NAMB Web site in its entirety. For now, I’d like to emphasize a few key points.

At a time when it’s abundantly clear that the prime time to reach kids is before they reach their teen years, the study indicates that, overall, baptisms of children age 9-11, a key indicator of the success of child evangelism efforts, has been trending downward and is currently at a 30-year low.

In an effort to combat this trend, the team from NAMB surveyed 1,000 churches with the highest child baptism rates in an effort to learn how the best churches do children’s ministry. Here’s what they discovered:

• The most successful churches take child evangelism seriously. Children’s ministry is not a baby-sitting service while “big people’s church” is going on elsewhere. It is a full-blown ministry effort to make a difference in kids’ lives.

• Regardless of church size or location, the most successful churches evangelized three groups at once – children of their church family, children of regular attenders and those new to the church - and they did so in approximately equal numbers.

• Over 90 percent of the top evangelizing churches reported they have a visionary senior pastor who wholeheartedly supports the church’s ministry to children.

• Half of the churches train parents in how to evangelize children.

• Three-quarters train children in how to share the gospel with their friends.

The report’s conclusion is that the evangelism of children flourishes when pastors are encouraged to enlarge their vision; children become a priority in the church; solid biblical training in evangelism is provided for workers, parents, and children; and high-quality intentional approaches are implemented that do not overburden volunteers, yet include parents in the process. Do those sound like the objectives of a ministry you know?

Awana can play a major role in making children’s evangelism an effective reality, and indeed, Awana receives a favorable mention in the report itself. As we encourage pastors, provide excellent training and raise the priority of children in the church, we help churches fulfill their calling.

A real and present danger

What was Eliot Spitzer thinking? How could a man with so much to risk yield to lust? Spitzer has plenty of company, both past and present. King David, one of God’s most powerful and enduring saints, could not resist the lure of Bathsheba. Numerous political and religious leaders have also fallen in shame over the course of the past several years. School teachers have been caught engaging in affairs with their students.

All you have to do is to look at the cancerous spread of shame and indignity into the lives of innocent wives, children, siblings, friends and co-workers to see the destruction.  The consequences of adultery reach far, far beyond the adulterers’ shame and guilt. Relationships are destroyed. Reputations are destroyed. Institutions are destroyed. Churches are destroyed. Families are destroyed. God knew those consequences would be inevitable. That’s why He instituted the Seventh Commandment.

In reality, sin is a state of our existence. The sins we commit are nothing less than symptoms of the universally inherited disease of evil. It infects all of us. To be sure, all of us are sinners, and in our sin, we are equal in God’s eyes. Not one of us is acceptable to Him until we have encountered the atoning blood of Jesus Christ given by the grace of God.

As I consider the thousands of Awana missionaries, leaders, and volunteers who labor with me in bringing children and youth to Christ, I must concede to the statistical probability that some among us have succumbed to the temptations of adulterous relationships. To those people, I implore: Please step back from your emotions and think about the damage that we will all inevitably suffer.

Oswald Chambers said it well in his acclaimed devotional book, My Utmost for His Highest: “The inescapable spiritual need each of us has is the need to sign the death certificate of our sin nature.” The Apostle Paul emphatically stated, “I have been crucified with Christ!”

This is serious stuff. Don’t treat it any other way than as a real and present danger. Guard your heart and mind.

Beyond the bubble

Human beings crave stability and will go to great lengths to achieve certainty and prosperity, often heeding the siren call of the “sure thing.” In the 1990s, the “dotcoms” led the market to unprecedented heights. Millions of people poured their efforts and money into the dotcom bandwagon only to see the bubble burst. Today, lending institutions and tens of thousands of homeowners facing foreclosure are now learning the hard lessons that are following in the wake of the bursting sub prime lending bubble. Government agencies are now evaluating the extent of the damage to the overall economic picture.

When it comes to the economy, there is really only one “sure thing” – tomorrow will present another opportunity which will grow into another bubble, which will, in time, burst like all the others. There will never be stability, certainty, and predictability in the institutions of this world. The only place that offers stability, certainty, and peace is not of this world. Only the kingdom of God can reliably promise such things.

We Christians are human. Too often, our vision becomes blurred by our circumstances and environment, and we tend to lose sight of that immutable truth. In Jesus Christ, and only in Him, there is “the peace that passes all understanding.” I wish that peace for each of you, and I encourage you to share your confidence with your teams, ministry partners, and, most of all, with children. Yes, especially the children. Keep pointing them to Jesus. Every club night, don’t fail to show them Jesus in a fresh and exciting way.

As the Psalmist said, “He is my refuge and my fortress…” Though the world around us may fall apart, we shall not be moved!

The power of a dream

We recently paused as a nation to pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who gave his very life in the pursuit of achieving equality in the eyes of men. This August will mark the 45^th anniversary of Dr. King’s proclamation to America, “I have a dream.” While much work remains, much progress toward achieving equality has occurred over the last four decades.

In the 1930s, two men stood in the basement of a burned-out furniture store on Chicago’s North Side. The Great Depression held the entire nation in its grip. These two men – Lance Latham and Art Rorheim – had a dream. They dreamed of winning the children in their neighborhood to Jesus Christ. They didn’t have much in the way of money, materials or training, but they had a passion that moved them to action. Little by little, through small successes and major frustrations, Lance and Art created an outreach ministry in that building. You know it today as Awana.

These two men did not start with the vision of reaching into more than 100 countries with the gospel through their ministry. They just wanted to reach the children around them. God blessed their work and by His grace, allowed it to grow and spread across the country and around the world.

We are a long way from the wreckage of that furniture store and we stand in grateful humility at how far God has brought us. Although Awana has had the privilege of bringing the gospel to children of every color, race, and nationality, our dream remains elusive. Our dream is to reach every child we can for Christ.

Can I ask you to dream with us? Will you dare to dream that you can evangelize and disciple every child that the Lord has placed within your reach? I speak from experience when I say that when you dream big things for God, you will be amazed at how much the Lord can accomplish through you.

When promises go to pot

In 1928, presidential candidate Herbert Hoover promised “a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage” to all who voted for him. Hoover won the election in a landslide and less than a year later, the country plunged into the depths of the Great Depression. Not only were people forced to go without chicken and cars, many of them lost their pots and garages to boot.

So much for campaign promises.

Every election cycle brings political candidates offering promises as they attempt to sway the electorate. But how many campaign promises can you recall that have actually been kept by the winners? The historical fact is, most campaign promises are as reliable as Mr. Hoover’s ill-fated proclamation. Forces beyond the vision or control of the promise maker can easily render those promises impractical if not impossible.

The apostle Peter had something important to say about promises. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

The apostle John tells us unequivocally that there is only one promise that comes with a guarantee of eternal prosperity. (John 3:16) God promises that someday there will be no wars, no poverty, no tears, and no death. So, which assurance can we safely rely on – the assurance of humans or the assurance of God? Unlike campaign rhetoric, there are no forces strong enough to undo the power of God to keep His promises.

Those of us who have dedicated ourselves to the ministry of Awana have this as our joy - we have the privilege of teaching children the only promise they can depend on. It’s the promise Jesus gave us –an abundant, everlasting life with Him.

I’ll take that over a pot of chicken any day.

Catching the fever

Every new year brings with it a great wave of religious fervor. Millions of the faithful gather each week to sing praises and shout words of edification and encouragement to their fellow believers. At no other time do otherwise seemingly sane people completely sell out their very souls and take to the highways and hedges to proclaim their allegiance. Of course, I’m talking about the football bowl season. By now, 32 bowl games have taken place and we are now in the lead-up to the holy grail of all bowl championships, the Super Bowl, which is so elevated that it is designated by Roman numerals. Regular numbers are just not good enough.

But for all the raging passion, hoopla and hype surrounding these games, in the end, people will file out of the stadiums or turn to another TV channel. The bright lights will be extinguished, and the stadiums will go dark.  It’s over. A hundred years from now, few words will be uttered describing any aspect of these championship games.

Dedicated young men have spent nearly their entire lives preparing for those few fleeting moments of glory. Their dads tossed footballs to them, encouraged and taught them. Once they were in school, coaches took over. Slowly, and at times awkwardly and painfully, they developed into world-class athletes.

Developing children into spiritual champions is accomplished much the same way. It begins with parents who do everything possible to set their children on the right road to spiritual development at an early age. And then along comes the local church to take seriously its role in equipping parents to mentor those children well.

That's why you are so very important. Awana missionaries, ministry team members, commanders, and directors are the coaches to both kids and parents. You have been called to help prepare young people for the greatest event of all – let’s call it the “Eternity Bowl.”  Only this “bowl” is not a game. For the winners, the lights never go out; it’s never dark, and it’s never over! Thank you for leading, teaching, and coaching the winning team. May God richly bless each of you.

A day to pray

The 56th Annual National Day of Prayer takes place today. The theme that has been chosen for this year is "America, Unite in Prayer" and is based on the verse from 2 Chronicles 7:14 which states: If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

I encourage all of us to pray for the challenges that face this great nation and for the leaders that bear the responsibility for governing our towns, our states and our country. And please pray also for Awana and the influence that we can bring to bear on churches across this country. Our desire is for churches and moms and dads to work together to raise a new generation of spiritual champions that will impact this nation and the world for God.

My favorite Bible verse is Jeremiah 33:3 – Call unto Me, and I will answer Thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

Pray for God to do great and mighty things through us and to bring salvation and healing to our land.

Touching the Untouchables

Imagine a world where being born is considered a crime against society. For more than three millennia, the Dalit people of India have lived in that world and have suffered abuse at the hands of the higher castes.

According to National Geographic, the Hindu religion designates four main societal classes, or castes. Within each are thousands of sub-castes. The 160 million Dalits are a group considered so unworthy that they do not have a designated caste – in effect, they are considered subhuman.

Not only are Dalits denied education, ownership of property, access to public wells and basic medical services, authorities looks the other way when a Dalit is robbed, beaten or raped by a higher caste member. It’s not that laws do not exist to protect the rights of the Dalits. India granted basic human rights to the Dalits in 1950. It’s just that today, the laws go largely unenforced, despite pressure from human rights groups and a grassroots effort to denounce the caste system.

The good news is the Christian community is taking to heart Christ’s admonition that ministering to the outcasts of society is akin to ministering to Him. God is at work through His people and doors in India are opening wide for many ministry organizations, including Awana.

Recently, I had the joy of meeting with several representatives of Operation Mobilization at Awana headquarters in suburban Chicago. Awana will soon team up with Operation Mobilization to begin work with the Dalit people of India.

After all, we followers of the Lord Jesus Christ were ourselves outcasts from the family of God at one point. It’s only by His grace that we have had the opportunity to hear about and accept his marvelous gift. Can you imagine what God might do as we share God’s message of salvation and acceptance to millions of Dalit boys and girls over the next several years?

Perhaps after hearing of the plight of the Dalit people, you may feel God calling you to help in some way. Pray for us as we prepare our outreach efforts. Send for free information on our overseas ministry opportunities. Think about yourself or a group from your church coming with us as we minister in India.

You may find yourself a part of something so big that you will most likely never be the same.