The Constitutional crisis in Nepal provides backdrop for a project launch

(Photo courtesy of BFTW)
Bible Distribution Center

Nepal (MNN) ― A new crisis seems to be looming over Nepal's fragile peace process.

This week, the government and the judiciary locked horns in a question of another extension to the Constituent Assembly term.

The Supreme Court had given three options if the Constituent Assembly failed to draft a new Constitution before May 28, 2012: Take a referendum, conduct fresh polls to elect a new body to draft the constitution, or seek some other alternative.

Apparently fed up with the slow progress, the Courts reject petitions for another extension should a draft fail to emerge in May. In 2008, the legislative body was given two years to draft Nepal's new constitution, but despite four extensions, the task is no closer to completion than it was when the CA was given its mandate.

However, some of the penal codes were re-written, and Christians were alarmed at the wording of anti-conversion legislation that could seriously complicate outreach.

Against that backdrop, Bibles For the World is launching the New Year with a new project: Bibles For Nepal.

BFTW's Mawii Pudaite says despite the ongoing changes in the government and concerns about religious freedom, Christianity remains the fastest-growing religion in the country. "We believe that it is an important time to plant Gospel Seeds in Nepal that will bear much fruit in the years to come."

With a roughly 48% literacy rate, BFTW is directly targeting this demographic for Scripture distribution, evangelism and discipleship. She explains that what often happens is development in the community. "These efforts will also have an indirect-multiplying effect among the illiterate population, as local churches and new believers engage their communities with the Gospel."    

While the window remains open, the ministry is moving ahead with plans for 2012. "We have made contacts with the leaders of these various groups and churches in Nepal, and they enthusiastically are responding to working with us in the distribution and follow-up ministries."

The next step, Pudaite notes, is printing and distributing the resources. "Claiming Nepal for Christ and His Kingdom will take prayer and resources to provide the tools: Bibles, New Testaments, and Gospels to do the job of evangelism, discipleship and church planting." 

Dr. John Stotts was noted for saying, "The Bible is the best tool for evangelism." Change for Nepal can come from within. "Today I am asking you to join me in praying for the people and country of Nepal. Let us claim the nation of Nepal for Christ and His Kingdom."

The pace of the project is dependent on the funding they receive. They're also mobilizing prayer teams to pray for Nepal. Check our Featured Links if you want to explore more with Bibles For The World.

Partnership to plant 1,000 churches by 2020

Japan (MNN) ― The 1st century church shared everything to accomplish Kingdom growth. Why shouldn't 21st century ministries do the same?

A strategic partnership uniting Asian Access and SIM USA was recently formed with the aim of sending more church-planting missionaries to Japan.

"In this unique season, the needs are phenomenal," explains Asian Access president Joe Handley. "We're seeing response rates to Christ like I've never seen in my lifetime. The need for people to go and help plant churches is significant. Japanese pastors across the country, and particularly in the regions most affected by the tsunami and the nuclear plant disaster, have huge vision to plant churches, and they've asked us for our help."

Openness to the Gospel has increased since a March 2011 tsunami ravaged one of the least-reached areas of Japan, which happens to be one of the least-reached nations with the Gospel in the world.

Plans for the SIM partnership started long before the tsunami hit, though. Asian Access went through a three-year process of examining organizations' DNA, vision, mission and core values.

Handley says Asian Access felt led to form a partnership with another organization partially for economic reasons, hoping to be better Kingdom stewards. But the ministry also needed someone to help them with a big project: "To establish a church planting network that would establish 1,000 churches across Japan." 

According to the agreement--which is not a merger, but a way of truly doing mission together--SIM will partner with Asian Access to recruit and send missionaries to Japan to plant churches. Asian Access will still be the key leader on the field and will manage the work and oversee missionary care.

Handley is confident in the decision. "SIM has been around for many years. It's a very stable organization, and they had the economy of scale to come alongside of us and help us do the very things we were looking for."

Asian Access prayerfully decided on a partnership with SIM, and God blessed their timing. People are more open to the Gospel than ever following such devastation in Japan, and now Asian Access is more prepared than ever to share the Truth with them.

Pray for this new partnership to be a catalyst for Kingdom growth in Japan. Pray that the Lord would guide SIM and Asian Access as they steward their resources to come alongside churches and pastors in Japan. Pray also that the financial resources to establish 1,000 churches by 2020 would come available.

If you would like to get involved in the work Asian Access and SIM are doing in Japan, visit go2japan.org. 

Authorities in South Asia release a missionary

South Asia (GFA/MNN) ― In some parts of South Asia, it's not unusual for believers to face false accusations.

That's been the case for Roshan Kuma, a missionary supported by Gospel for Asia,and his brother-in-law, M.T. Joshri. They were arrested March 10, 2010 and have been behind bars under charges of working with the Maoists, an anti-government terrorist group.

The good news is that Kuma is now free, released on August 10 after a trial earlier this month found him innocent of the charges brought against him.
  
While Kuma was in prison, he refused to give up his calling to share the Gospel. He told his fellow prisoners about the love of Jesus, and many chose to follow Christ. He also started a prayer meeting in the jail.

At the time of his arrest, Kuma pastored a church with about 100 members. Some in his village believe the accusations against the missionary pastor originated with anti-Christian extremists unhappy with the growth of the church.

"In spite of spending more than a year of suffering in prison, Pastor Roshan's vision for serving Jesus never dimmed. He still has an unquenchable thirst and passion for the ministry," said Dr. K.P. Yohannan, Gospel for Asia president and founder. "He continues to serve in the same area where there's a lot of Maoist activity, which causes many people to live in fear. Yet he has a successful and wonderful ministry in this small village."

The believers in Roshan's village continually prayed for their pastor while he was in prison. The amazing part was that while the pastor was behind bars, the church grew and now has about 125 people attending worship each week. The congregation is in the midst of constructing a new church building, which they plan to dedicate this fall.

"Please pray for Pastor Roshan, that God would continue to use him mightily for the Kingdom," K.P. asked. "Praise the Lord for using Pastor Roshan in prison and for the inmates who chose to follow Jesus. Pray that they will stand firm in their faith--even while they are in prison."

Also keep praying for Kuma's brother, M.T. Joshri. There has been no new word on his case.

Story-Telling Evangelism Workshop Planned

USA (MNN) ― According to Mission Aviation Fellowship, 80% of the world cannot or does not learn from reading. They prefer to learn by listening to stories. Even in the United States, this is quickly becoming the preferred way to learn. Because of that, MAF is holding an Oral Strategies Workshop August 16-20, 2011 in Boise, Idaho to help Christians learn how to use stories to share the Gospel.

MAF is hosting a Story-Telling workshop
 next month, and you're invited.

MAF's Oral Communications Specialist Regina Manley says, "We're having a five-day workshop where people can learn how to tell dynamic Bible stories accurately, and then follow that with oral style inductive Bible study questions so that people discover the lessons in the story for themselves."

The workshop is actually two parts, says Manley. "It's a five-day workshop for those who have the time and are interested in not only learning the method, but learning to become teachers in the method."

The second part of the workshop is for the average person who wants to learn how to use stories to tell Bible events and biblical truths, which is a three-day program.

According to Manley, this program is for all kinds of people -- pastors, missionaries, teachers, and others who want to be better communicators of the Gospel. She says this could help "three-point sermon" pastors. "How many of us walk out remembering the three points in a sermon? But when we teach them to use their own natural story-telling ability, everyone can walk out, repeat a story and remember the truths that they found themselves."

While it's important to get everyone involved in story-telling, Manley says MAF has a special interest. "Because we work with isolated leaders around the world, our heartbeat is to impact those who are also going to be training and working with nationals overseas."

MAF is seeing this method of outreach succeed. "There are actual church-planting movements where hundreds of churches are being started -- many of them are house churches -- that are using just stories and discussion for evangelizing, discipling, and planting churches."

Workshop participants will learn to:
• Lead interactive, inductive Bible studies
• Tell fascinating, accurate Bible stories without using written materials
• Teach using interactive discussion
• Design questions that help listeners discover spiritual truths and personal applications

Manley has extensive knowledge and experience in the field of oral learning. She has presented oral strategies workshops in Brazil, India, Colombia, Lesotho, Thailand, Guatemala, and northern Africa. Manley also served 17 years as an MAF missionary in Ecuador.

The five-day leadership workshop is $80, and the three-day practitioner session is $30. You can register by going to http://www.MAFlt.org.