B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #189
B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #189
I Cor.. 16:9 ‘For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.’
March 31, 2011
CLC INDIA ACTIVITIES ANNUAL REPORT – 2010
A report to the 10th Joint Asia Conf. at Nellore, Oct. 2010
I thank our Lord for His wonderful healing grace towards Rev. V.S. Benjamin, the Chairman of the CLCI. He is recovering and is able to visit and participate in some church programs. We praise and thank the Lord.
Progress – With God’s presence, we have seen great improvement in the CLCI ministry, in Seminary, in outreach,in youth ministries, evangelism, missions, Children’s programs, worship and in every aspect of church life.
Christians of mainline churches and independent assemblies are showing renewed interest in reaching the unreached for Christ in India. But nobody has the proper doctrines of the Word of God. How marvelous is the grace of God that He has been helping the CLCI workers with the real Word of Gospel and salvation. Praise God for the Churches planted in tribal areas and among unreached people groups. Through the consolidated effort, nearly 11,105 souls were added to Christ, 213 worshiping congregations and 200 preaching stations have been established.
The longer the church exists, the stronger the witness is in the village. The CLCI has also been expanding more and more in rural, suburban and urban areas.
Outreach -This year the Lord has opened amazingly many doors to start new CLCI congregations. During our outreach in Feb. and March, many hundreds of members heard the good news of the Gospel. These newly established congregations were fully surrounded by the Hindu idolaters.
Many people were encouraged and equipped with the Lord’s strength.
Soon after these meetings, 84 baptisms in these newly established congregations were given. We give God all glory.
CLCI Public Gospel Meetings – This year CLCI public gospel meetings attracted 5,230 villagers and they received great blessings through these meetings. This year we conducted 17 public gospel meetings. We organize these meetings several times a year in various villages. They usually last 3 days. 500-1000 attend these meetings. The focus is gospel music and sermons intended to attract people and to introduce them to Jesus Christ. Meetings are held in open air under tents and sermons are given in loud speakers. Many have started to attend the church.
We mainly concentrated in villages .In total during these public gospel meetings we have performed 146 baptisms. Jesus Christ was the ultimate winner in the hearts of many people including Hindu and Muslims.
Tracts Distribution and Youth Ministry – With our almighty God’s grace, the tract distribution and evangelism programs through the year were cordial. We thank all for this work.
We generally use weekends for evangelism, house to house tract distribution. Our CLCI youth and evangelists go to various places including villages and slums and distribute hundreds of tracts, Good News of Deliverance. Even though it is becoming very difficult in doing outreach programs in India because of the opposition, still we are getting much calling for the new contacts in the tribal remote areas.
Please pray for this youth and tract distribution ministry, and we are sure that your prayer support will enable us to add more people for Christ.
CLCI Audio ministry – As Acts. 1:8 says that the Word of God should be reached to the ends of the Earth, the powerful messages by Rev. V.S.Benjamin and other CLCI pastors are being delivered to different places of Andhra Pradesh through the CLCI Audio Ministries. We now use CD’s and DVD’s to send the messages. This is supported by freewill offerings. We are admonished in Matthew 10:8 that “freely you have received, freely give.” Please pray for this ministry.
HIV/AIDS awareness program by CLCI – Is HIV or AIDS a punishment or judgment from God? Many say “yes”. But in the minds and hearts of our CLCI pastors and members, the answer is clearly, “no”! if it is acquired through blood transfusions. Adultery is sin and if acquired through that, is wrong. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, was it his sin or that of his parents that caused him to be blind?” “Neither”, answered Jesus. “it was no sin, either of this man or of his parents. Rather it was to let God’s work show forth in him.” John 9:1-3. Jesus reached out to heal and comfort the blind or leper people. People of faith, like Jesus Christ, must reach out with a prayerful touch. Suffering becomes an occasion for God’s love to be demonstrated.
During 2009-2010 the CLCI has developed effective programs to the health of hundreds of people who are suffering from various diseases like viral fevers, Dengue, Swine flu, diarrhea, especially from HIV/AIDS. Some of our CLCI pastors have taken special HIV/AIDS awareness classes with the help of Aids Control Project, Hyderabad. We provide daily used commodities and medicines provided by the Aids Control Project for low prices, so they can continue to live on with the love of Christ. We are improving a program to promote counseling of HIV/AIDS patients, aid the families and patients in home care through distribution of medicines and food.
Within six months time, we have assisted nearly 428 people by visiting, befriending and praying with them. We can find God’s healing grace through that inner peace that comes from God’s wonderful word and promises. We know that in everything God works for good with those who love God. (Roman 8:28)
Our Planning – The CLCI seeks to experience and reflect Christ by:
conducting more Sunday School programs, conducting more HIV/AIDS awareness programs, conducting adult educational programs to increase literacy rates, increasing in the effectiveness of the spiritual growth of our CLCI youth, maximize the spiritual care and support we offer to people in our church with personal needs such as house visiting, more counseling in family and marriage issues,, providing medical assistance for elderly.
More concentration on – Increasing the number of Public Gospel Meetings, Studying ways to expand outreach, finding new preaching stations, construction of more prayer sheds, conducting more social service programs like medical camps in rural areas, employing more evangelists in Hindu & Muslim areas.
Our goal is to revere and give homage to God, serving Him through profound adoration, intense love and desire, intimately turning towards Him, exposing our essential innermost selves in complete surrender.
We give Him all the glory for His work in our lives as we seek to make His name known in our Indian community.
Presented by the CLCI Ministries
——————————————————————————–
Africa Calling – Station Zambia
In January Teacher Ibrahim Karioki of the CLCEA sent out news that he was going to Zambia to try to establish the church there. In a February report he wrote:
“I thank God because I had a good trip from Kilimanjaro-Tanzania to Lusaka Zambia. I departed my home place to Zambia on 21/02/2011 and I reached Lusaka Zambia on 24/02/2011 this is because I used the road by traveling…
The Lord was faithful in my trip and I hope He will continue to guide me in His work.
When I reached Lusaka I met my friends who were waiting for me, because I informed them about my trip. I thank God for it, because it was my prayer to God that when I will reach this country to have brothers and sisters in Christ who can welcome me and it will be my starting point for planting the CLC congregation in Zambia. And God has answered my prayer.
I want to let you know that now I am in Zambia for the work of the Lord (Full working not part time preacher). You may contact me through this email address or the cell phone numbers (+260964868370) you can send a short message to me through this number and I will appreciate your prayers.”
In March Ibrahim wrote:
“The aim of this message is to try to let you know more about me since I departed in East Africa Tanzania. Really I have seen the hand of God upon me.
I want to tell you that the work of God has already started here in Zambia. I have introduced the CLC to my friends and they agree to join. On 13/03/2011 I preached for the first time for forming the CLC congregation and we were six people and four kids. The place which we are meeting is the one of the friend who welcomes me, he is a good man and he wants to serve God but he doesn’t know where he can start. Pray for this man (His name is evangelist Peter Mwerwa) .He has promised us to work together and he will assist me to reach many people by the word of God (Matthew 28:19-20).
My daily time table is to have real evangelism (door to door).Sometimes this happen in schools because Zambia is Christian Nation and we are allowed to teach in schools. My target is to make sure the church is growing and people know the truth and the truth shall set them free.
The goodness of Zambia most of people are speaking English.Even though they have other languages but in town they are using English. Please send to me anything about our church then I will print and share with people in Zambia.
Lastly, I request CLC mission to visit us in Zambia even for two days for a seminar.”
(Also at Kitwe, Zambia a congregation of 25 is being formed under the CLCC(Congo). We pray Pastor Yumba will be able to send us more news.)
From Lusaka town to the place which I am planning to open the church is almost forty five minutes. Nearest to the main road to Botswana and Zimbabwe…
——————–
Pastor Koenig