Training that helps churches reproduce in the country that has the fastest growing church in the world!

What is God doing in the Himalayas? Some pretty exciting things! I have been going yearly to Nepal to develop, empower and release church planters and all I can say is that I have found the context pregnant with missional passion. Then one of the leaders there shared with me that a church growth study coming from Gordon Conwell seminary's Center for Global Studies found that Nepal has the fastest growing church at this time, followed closely by China. That report is quoted here: http://discipleallnations.wordpress.com/2013/08/25/the-top-20-countries-where-christianity-is-growing-the-fastest/

I give God all the glory. The best way I know how, is to share how I saw God at work during the last two weeks of March 2014.

I flew from Berlin to Kathmandu, Nepal on March 16. Craig Ott and I enjoyed working with the 30 leaders who participated in level 3- Training of Trainers. These were those who had participated in level one and two training and came back to share what God was doing and prepare to become trainers of other church planters.

 As the Nepali custom goes, participants sat on the floor which made it easy to work in groups.

 The training was rich in excitement, discussion and practical application. 

 

Our training team was composed of Dr. Craig Ott and I but several others shared from their church planting experience.

The Church Planting Training Network (CPTN) of Kathmandu prepared well and organized several case studies illustrating the impact of Level one and two training.

 Tilak Thapa planted new churches in Lalitpur (near Kathmandu) and Kapri (in the mountains) and three other churches in the Lamju district near Tibet.

 Indra Shestra, with the leaders he trained and coaches, started 3 new churches near the Tibet border and strengthened 15 others.

 Krishna Dangol has been the most prolific church planter. He works with others in seven regions to start 16 churches and 13 more are projected. 

One of the most helpful tools has been the "four field" church planting process. They learn what to do at each stage: the empty field, the seeded field, the fruitful field and the harvest field. The the process starts over because mature churches look for new empty fields.  

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  The CPTN produced a manual combining Level 1 and 3 and another manual for the Training of Trainers. 
  

  

  
  One day there was a political protest by the Marxists and all public transportation including taxis came to a halt. Cars were warned not to attempt to break the strike. Some that did were turned over and burned. At first the second day of training was canceled. But the trainees got through on their motorcycles and came to ge us at our hotel. The Lord made a way!
  
  
  

  

   My protective angel who got me through the city unharmed.
  
  

  

   Blake, one of Craig Ott's students enjoyed the adventure.
  
  

  
  

  
  

  

   Learners worked together to make regional plans to train more church planters.
  

   

  Then they chose a point person to share their vision and plans with the group. In the end they received certificates. The trainees decided to work together to reproduce church planter training in outlying regions through 14 second generation training events this year. That’s multiplication!
  

  
  

  
  

  

The Kathmandu CPTN will help by producing manuals at or below cost and by sending members to help with the Gen. 2 trainings. Hershey Evangelical Free Church has provided a fund to subsidize the cost of producing manuals in the poorer areas. 

On March 24, I flew across Nepal and met up with my team mate Mark Wold in Bagdogra, N. India. During our four-hour drive north to the Bhutan border, Sam Sharma, our host and key leader of the movement, hit a pedestrian. An angry crowd surrounded our car. We took him to see a doctor, fearful that he might have internal injuries and die on the way. We prayed desperately. God answered. He had surface wounds but no serious injury. We asked God to use Sam’s care and witness to save this man as we went to bed for our first night in Jaigaon. 

The three following days, Mark Wold and I taught Level 2: Biblical Foundations for Building and Reproducing Healthy, Transformational Churches – to help church planters plant churches that are increasingly healthy & impactful and will reproduce. 

The 39 men and women we trained were extremely eager to learn. They will now be passing on the training to the other pastors and leaders in their home regions. It is such a key crossroad, strategic area for training leaders – so close to the borders of Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Assam, Bangladesh, China, and Myanmar. And they are drawing pastors, leaders and students from each of those areas, except China to date.

(Training center and Sharma home)

The last day we debriefed and strategized with the organizing team. They honored us by giving us gifts and invited us to return next year for the Training of Trainers. We prayed with them for wisdom to implement the strategic plans they have developed - teaching others and forming their teams to reproduce healthy churches back in their home countries, particularly in Bhutan, a creative access country.

 The cake says 50 years of faithfulness. I told Sam I have been a Christian for 50 years and he surprised me with this. My testimony is 50 years of His faithfulness not mine. I don't deserve any recognition!

 Young and old shared what God was teaching them.

 There were solemn moments and joyful ones.

We also went to visit the land on which they are preparing to build a new Bible School. A week before we arrived, they had dug down 200 feet and reached very clear water. The pump is working well. 

 This land, about 15 kms south of Jaigaon, will be the site of the new Bible School one day. The first step has been to drill a well and install a pump.

The funds ($500) given for this project will go toward the next step: a pump house. The pump needs to be protected from the elements and misuse by strangers. 

 (pump controls)

 (goal shed)

Already on the land they have a goat shed, some farming and a small structure that houses the control center for the pump and provides shelter to the guard.

I am most thankful that our 4 hour ride back to Bagdogra airport on Saturday was totally uneventful. We had a great driver who is a Christian and we even stopped as a huge Indian elephant crossed the road right behind us. Not these elephants! They were featured in the new Delhi airport.

 I close with these pictures of one church planter's ministry in the mountains. They speak for themselves. What a privilege to partner with those who will pray for days and walk up mountains to take the gospel to those who haven't heard.