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| GC3 attendee in Maharashtra |
The young woman bows her head in
prayer, asking God to send her out to fulfill the Great Commission. Her state,
Maharashtra, is populated by almost 115 million people and plays a lead role in
the nation’s political, economic, and cultural destiny. There are 40,000
unreached villages in Maharashtra; 73 of its people groups remain without a
witness. Who will train this precious
woman?
The number of Christians in the vast
nation of India has exploded in recent years, due in part to efforts to
disciple men for evangelism and church planting. In comparison, much less
attention has been given to the discipleship of women. Indian society generally
regards women as “second class citizens” with fewer rights, privileges, or
consideration than men. They are disadvantaged emotionally, educationally, and
economically.
Recent mass protests by women in
India reveal a powerful undercurrent of discontent. While primarily angered by
reports of violent rapes and related abuses, these women’s most important needs
are truly spiritual, although most of them do not yet know it.
Sadly, this cultural attitude has
also affected God’s Church. Women’s spiritual talents are often neglected in
the planning of seminars, programs, training and mobilization. Apart from a
handful of females receiving seminary training, very few opportunities are
provided on the church level for equipping common women for better Christian
life and ministry. Mobilizing women to win the lost and make disciples will
dispel the cultural darkness, giving hope to women who face considerable
challenges in everyday life.
Evangelism Resources and the
Association of International Discipleship Advancement (ER/AIDA) have envisioned
the “Women’s Impact Network” (WIN) to minister among Christian women of twenty
states of India, mobilizing them to impact other women for discipleship
advancement. Women challenged for deeper discipleship will undertake dynamic,
spiritual formation with other women, who in turn will become empowered
disciple-makers.
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| Women gathered for discipleship at a conference in Gujarat |
Some church leaders have already
realized and expressed that women are better and more effective evangelists
than many men. They have more opportunities than men to reach special
populations, such as other women, children, teens and the elderly. Women are
very influential when engaged in personal evangelism and hospital or jail
ministries. Since many Indian women do not have careers, they are available to
reach neighbors and families easily while the men are at work.
Another growing arena of influence
for Christian women is among Muslim women. The Muslim population of India is
growing rapidly, and the two faiths endure in common the increasing persecution
from the dominant religion of Hinduism.
In bygone days, women teachers and
evangelists were very common, accompanying missionary ladies in rural
evangelism and ministries targeted to other women. Today, largely because of
the efforts of those early pioneers, and by the grace of God, the number of new
believers in India has increased tremendously. Women form more than fifty
percent of the church’s population, yet little attention is being given to
equip them for ministry.
All these factors compel us to see
the urgency as well as usefulness of empowering women to be disciple-makers in
our churches. Since we know that only a disciple can produce a disciple, we
choose to impact through WIN selected women to be true disciples who will then
impact other women with the same vision. Better disciples are better
evangelists. Therefore, we are sure that if we prepare better disciples, they
will be better witnesses too.
Will you pray with Evangelism
Resources and AIDA for the funding to initiate the WIN project? A proposal has
been submitted to a foundation for a matching grant; pray with us for favor for
this request, and begin to ask the Lord how He wants YOU to help India’s women
WIN for Christ!
Visit Evangelism Resources Home Page at:
Learn about ER's Women's Conferences at:
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