Pune, India – Five hundred and sixty pastors representing 1,230 congregations attended the launching of the “Power of One”, Eurasia Region’s Missional Church Initiative, in Bangalore, Pune and Kolkata this month.

The initiative, launched in September, is designed to help local churches in every field become engaged in evangelism, discipleship, church planting and community transformation, providing tested and proven resources written by Nazarenes across the region.

The initiative is centered around a package of materials that are believed to have local impact and regional impact.  Translated into 10 Indian languages – 23 regional languages in all – the materials offer sound holiness doctrine and strategies for the local church to engage their communities and start new churches.  The materials cover the four growth dimensions of missional development: internal, external, devotional and transformational growth.

The region has been unveiling the new initiative at conferences in each field, starting in Germany, continuing through the South Asia, India, Western Mediterranean and CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) fields in October, reaching the Eastern Mediterranean Field in November.

The name “Power of One” refers to the necessity of the Holy Spirit’s power and the unity of the church to activate internal transformation and a church planting movement.

Until now, many fields did not have Nazarene or holiness materials in their own languages, a number of leaders have said.

One Spirit, one church

A spirit of purpose and unity marked the Missional Church Initiative launches across India.

“I believe that this Power of One … [is] the breakthrough event in the history of the church in India,” said Atul Meshramkar, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries (NCM) India coordinator. “The pastors responded with openness, eagerness and with a hunger to learn and know more about how their ministry would be more holistic and compelling.”

More than 20 pastors and the superintendent from the Central Maharashtra District said they simultaneously sensed the Holy Spirit giving them a plan during the conference in Pune.

During a break time, the pastors wrote the plan to start 32 new churches in the district, identifying locations where they felt led – in unison –to begin ministry. They gathered in a corner of the room and prayed over the plans. Soon they were hugging and singing.

“It was like a mini-Pentecost,” said Dr. Gustavo Crocker, Eurasia Region director. “We praised the Lord for about 30 minutes; the Spirit of God broke loose again and we had a beautiful riot of the Spirit.”

The India conferences began with a service emphasizing the power of the Holy Spirit as the “engine to move the church to be missional,” Crocker said. A series of workshops covered the four dimensions of missional development.

“The four dimension of church growth pattern was timely for pastors and churches in India where only evangelizing people was given importance, and [was] opening the back door for people to leave the church,” wrote Rev. Simon Jothi, South Asia Nazarene Bible College (SANBC) principal and dean. “The four-dimension concept helped pastors to understand the need to stabilizing the church in all her growth.”

India commits to be a ‘missional church’

The conference closed by challenging the pastors to three commitments: 1) passionate preaching and pursuing the power of the Holy spirit daily; b) to plant at least one church within 12 months; c) to celebrate with all churches in the Eurasia Region the “Easter to Pentecost” campaign by using the provided devotional materials and organizing a holiness service on Pentecost Sunday. More than 500 of the pastors signed a commitment banner.

“I observed pastors thirsty for knowledge to further grow the church with a passion that is rarely experienced in the church in the West,” said Philip McAlister, Northern Europe Field strategy coordinator. McAlister helped to launch the Power of One in India.

After the conference, Meshramkar’s pastor, Rev. Makasare of the Wanwadi Church of the Nazarene in Pune, described a desire to plant a new church as a result of being at the conference.  Leaders reported that the other pastors who attended the conferences shared Rev. Makasare’s vision and passion.

"I wish to enlarge our vision and go beyond our town, into the far out places so that our people in the church have a greater understanding of the mission,” Meshramkar said Makasare told him.

“Our pastor is on fire, and wants to do something tangible so that Power of One is reflected from our church as a profession of faith and growth of the strong and unified body of Christ,” Meshramkar added.

Upcoming events

The Missional Church Initiative materials will continue to be presented at upcoming Power of One conferences. About 1,000 pastors have attended training events in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka (stories to come soon), and an additional 100 pastors will attend in the CIS Field. A Power of One Holiness Summit will be held in Lebanon November 12-13.

The launch tour will conclude in the Netherlands in May 2011. To download Power of One materials in English or German, or to learn more, visit www.missionaleurasia.com.

 

Sidebar

The following materials were included in the Power of One package given to each local pastor in India.

Philosophical Framework

Developing a Missional Church "The Jesus Way," by Gustavo Crocker

Internal

Resources for Discipleship includes the following sections:

  • “Discipleship Lessons on a New and Abundant Life in Christ,” by Mónica Mastronardi
  • “The Island” (not available in India or South Asia)
  • “A Journey in the Right Direction,” by Gustavo Crocker, Ed Belzer, Clive Burrows, Tim Evans, Jayme Himmelwright, Kyle Himmelwright, Todd Waggoner, Sabine Wielk
  • Core Values
  • StudyMap on the Articles of Faith, by Stéphane Tibi

External

Resources for Evangelism and Church Planting includes the following sections:

  • "Methods of Relational Evangelism," by Bruno Radi and Louie Bustle
  • "Principles of Church Planting" by Louie Bustle and Gustavo Crocker
  • "Treasure Chest of Love," by Ron Gilbert
  • "Momentum – Tools for Church Planting and Church Development," by Trevor Hutton (not available in India or South Asia)

Devotional

Resources for Personal Growth includes the following sections:

  • "How to have a devotional time," by Richard Krejcir
  • "Resurrection Power," by Gary Moore

Transformational

Resources for Compassionate Ministries:

  • “Rhema: the Church’s Faith in Action” by Gustavo Crocker and Helmer Juarez 

 

 

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— Click on the image to view more pictures of the Launch of Power of One in India.

— Photos courtesy Woodie Stevens and Matthew Roy.

 

 

 

  

 

 

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