Empowering Christ-like Leaders for Grassroots Evangelism and Church Planting in India and Beyond

Mission India Grassroots Level Trainings Vision To equip young men and women to become Christ-like leaders for grassroots evangelism & Church planting in the unreached villages and cities of India & beyond.

Mission India Grassroots Training Centers It has 28 Training Centers in India, one in Nepal and one Myanmar that offers grassroots training in regional language. Among these, its has a Theological Seminary at Nagpur (MITS) that offers Grassroots training in regional language and up to Master s level of theological education in Missiology & Counseling. From 1996-2015, it has trained almost 6000 lay Christians with Grassroots Training and 1000 with higher theological degrees. Out of 6000 trained lay-Christians, around 1200 are still working with Mission India Trinity Churches as Grassroots workers in all over India. In 20 years, Mission India Grassroots evangelists could convert around 72000 non-Christians to Christ .

Target Population Christians Churches, read and write in their respective languages. from who local can local

Training Methods Trainings are offered in local languages It has campus and curriculum based formal education. It takes seriously the three domains of learning (Knowledge, Character, and Skill) while designing the curriculum and course delivery in the classroom. The trainees are expected to read additional books and write short papers with the help of library. They are required to participate in the extra curricula activities of the Seminary. They are sent for weekend educational and evangelistic outreach ministry They are required to assist their local Churches during a month Christmas vacation.

Courses Offered 1stTerm 2ndTerm English Grammar The Gospels Bible Survey Ministry of Prophets in OT History of Israel Pauline Epistles Indian Society Educational Ministries in the Church Character Formation Biblical Principles of Leadership Introduction to Theology Principles of Preaching Major India Religions Biblical Principles of Counseling Evang. & Church Growth Introduction to Church history

Trainers for Grassroots Evangelism & Church Planting Mostly theologically trained Bible teachers or pastors, who have a Bachelor s or Master s degree. Rarely, mission practitioners.

Analysis of MI Grassroots Training Mission India has a vision for Grassroots evangelism and Church planting. It is a positive side to have vision for the specific task. Grassroots trainings are in local languages. It is good to develop local Church planters for their community. Grassroots trainers are mostly theologically trained graduates and rarely mission practitioners. Need more mission practitioners, who can simplify the courses in the level of grassroots trainees understanding than theologically trained educators, who can be more theological and theoretical in course delivery. Trainees are required to be able to read and write. What about the illiteracy (Overall 26 % in India- Urban 16 % & Rural 32 %)? Trainees are required to be in the campus most of the times during their trainings. Needs more experienced based-learning. Less times in the classrooms and more times in the activities Formal Educational. Needs to be included non-formal and in-formal mode of trainings to be able to cover the entire community. A curriculum based training. Courses to be designed as per the local context and the learning capacity of the learners.

Grassroots Training? Basic assumption that every member of a local Church can be an evangelist. Only the things to consider that he/she does not know how to do the job of evangelism. But, at present dispensation, the Church has reduced the ministry of evangelism to either a paid staff or a gifted person or a Seminary trained missionary. A Philosophy that the training needs to be taken to them at their context and NOT that they be brought to a Seminary or School. Training at their context, at their level and by a person, who has done this and NOT by a person who has the theory, but has not ever practiced. Training could be from very basic to more comprehensive. Grassroots Training may be regarded as an elementary preparation of the lay-Christians with a basic skill of presenting the Gospel in a given situation. Needs a holistic curriculum in the program that deals more with social, economical, political, and spiritual.

Suggested Courses Indian Religiosity & Cultural Identity Indian Constitution & Fundamental Rights Life style of the people: Urban and Rural Comparisons God and the People in the Bible: Bible Survey Biblical Principles for Community Transformation Educational Ministries in the localities Story Telling & Dialogical Methods of Communication Cultivating Christ-like Character : Four Gospels Primary Health Care & Basic Counseling Methods 1. 2. First Term 3. 4. 5. Second Term 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Principles of Church Planting & Church Growth (Acts) Third Term 11. Social Entrepreneurship & Transformational Leadership 12. Advocacy and Land Rights

1. Literacy & Illiteracy 2. Urban, Rural & Tribal 3. Rich & Poor 4. Down trodden & Lowly in the Society 5. Civilized & Uncivilized A CHURCH - BASED GRASSROOTS TRAINING

Why Church Based Grassroots Training? Less than 1 % of Christian populations in India go to a Bible College for theological Education. Professionals, businessmen, Housewives, unemployed, School dropped out, Uneducated, etc. could be part of the program. One research proves that 87% of our theological graduates want to work only among the 30% of the population who live in the urban areas (1979-1999). Patra, 2000). Realistically, most of the theological graduates in India look for the ministry opportunities in the Bible Colleges as instructors, in well- established Churches as pastors/associate-pastors/deacons, reputed organizations as directors/coordinators/administrators, in well- established children s homes as managers/wardens, and etc. Moreover, most of them like to be in the cities or developed towns, not in the rural areas (70 % of Indian populations). Perhaps, only 23 % of them go to the mission field as grassroots level workers for grassroots evangelism and Church planting. The point is that the lay-Christians will become the workers, who will saturate in every city of India. in

Why Church-Based Grassroots Training? Religiou s group % 1951 % 1961 Populati on Populati on Populati on % 1971 Populati on % 1981 Populati on % 1991 Populati on % 2001 84.1% 83.45% 82.73% 82.30% 81.53% 80.46% Hindu 9.8% 10.69% 11.21% 11.75% 12.61% 13.43% Muslim Christian 2% 2.44% 2.60% 2.44% 2.32% 2.34% 1.89% 1.79% 1.89% 1.92% 1.94% 1.87% Sikh Buddhist 0.74% 0.74% 0.70% 0.70% 0.77% 0.77% 0.46% 0.46% 0.48% 0.47% 0.40% 0.41% Jain 0.13% 0.09% 0.09% 0.09% 0.08% 0.06% Parsi Animist, others 0.43% 0.43% 0.41% 0.42% 0.44% 0.72%

Suggested Modes of Delivery the Program Three Terms in a Year (Each term for four months) Four courses in a term 30 days for a course Each Course (Available: 30x4= 120 hours) Lectures Home Works (Reading & Writings) Field Works (Survey & Interns) (Includes Interactions & Discussions) 15 Days (45 Hours) 30 Hours 15 Days (45 Hours)

Budget for Training 50 Lay- Christians (Day School) S.No. 1. 2. 3. Activities Faculty (Teaching) House Rent Transportation for field works Coordination One Year Three Years $ 4500 $ 7200 $ 3600 300 Hrs @ $ 5 = $ 1500 12 months @ 200= $ 2400 12 months @ 100 = $ 1200 4. 12 months @ 120 = $ 1400 $ 4200 5. Teaching/Writing tools/stationery Total 12 months @ 25 = $ 300 $ 900 $ 6800 $ 20, 400 S.No. 1. 2. Items Laptop Projector Total Amount $ 500 $ 500 $ 1000 One Time Need