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Departure into all the world

1. STRENGTHEN MEMBER CARE

Who Cares?
In the early 1990s, the mission scenario in India w as not very ideal. There w ere many mission agencies that w ere started but the
personnel recruited by them w ere expected to sacrifice many of their needs. Young men and w omen enthusiastically left their jobs,
extended families and culture to live thousands of kilometers aw ay, learning a new language, living in a new culture and struggling to
communicate the good new s and disciple people. How ever, these young people did not realize that many times they had to deny
themselves several basic physical, emotional and financial needs. Over the years these young men and w omen got married and raised
children and their needs kept grow ing. The mission leadership overw helmed by the enormous challenges on the field and pre-
occupied w ith achieving the goals never realized the brew ing storm.
It w as difficult to talk about personal needs, since the church and mission leadership assumed that their personnel have sacrificed all
their needs and w as happy serving the Lord. They w ere often treated as spiritual heroes. Nobody realized that in some of the fields,
a few personnel w ere no longer enthusiastic and had already left the field mentally, though they remained their physically.
C. B. Samuel* says that caring according to Apostle Paul w as tw o-w ay. First, he received, feeling encouraged even by new believers.
In his letter to the Corinthian church, he w rote that he w as refreshed in the company of Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus. (1
Corinthians 16:17, 18) In his letter to the Romans he addressed Rufus’ mother as his ow n mother – a new family on the field.
(Romans 16:13). The emerging church at Philippi gave needed supplies, and found blessings in return. Paul w as both relaxed and
transparent in requesting his colleagues to get books for w riting and reading as w ell as w arm clothes to help him prepare for the
w inter (2 Timothy 4:13,21).
How ever, the second aspect, his care for them, is also clear. He gave of himself. W hen there w ere misunderstandings in Corinth (2
Corinthians 6:5-13), Paul honestly expressed his concern and affection for the congregation. In crisis, Paul restored relationships. For
him member care w as both pastoral and holistic. Paul w as a care-giving and care-receiving missionary. W ho cares to follow Paul’s
example? We are indebted to Interserve for
providing us pastoral care. When we
Eappen John* says that people on the field face much stress in ministry. There may be insufficient staff, a poor job fit, and even are out in the ministry field, knowing
misunderstandings in a multi-cultural organisation. Limited cultural adjustment may surface over language, climate, cultural norms, that someone is praying for us has
chaotic administration or corruption. Losses may even go unrecognized – grief on separation from close family, loss of security, loss of given us a sense of belonging --Mr.
familiarity, of possessions, of hopes, of stability. W ho cares to meet the needs of our front line personnel? Amzad and Mrs. Yoorila Decruz
M. C. Mathew * says that the pace and profile of urban life in India have changed. Young professionals in India move jobs to advance,
moving up socially and economically. In three years, about 40 percent in any urban setting w ill be middle class people involved in
competitive career grow th. But all this engenders stress on lives and life style, resulting in life style related diseases. Families become
unstable; turning to substance abuse or descend into anxiety disorders – an epidemic of preventable diseases. This dynamic middle
class sustains the prosperity of a society, yet they are lonely and isolated. Desperately they visit resorts and therapy centres, investing
time and resources.
So me churches keep their campus open for professionals to pray. Some organize social gatherings on Saturday evenings. Some
‘w atch’ families for indications of stress or need. Some Christian professionals serve as “pastors” in the corporate office and market
places. We need more innovative ideas to meet these needs and disciple middle class people to follow Jesus Christ. W ho cares for
such innovative ministry?
Eappen John further adds that interestingly, many field personnel prove resilient in stressful situations, often thriving through their
sense of call. Yet some become depressed or anxious leading to burnout and anger. Timely member care is essential. Care can revive
motivation and efficiency, enabling them to stay at the task. Member Care should include the entire family including the spouse and
children. This w ill prevent problems, restore confidence, nurture spirituality and develop resilience, skills, and virtue resulting in inner
perseverance as w ell as external interpersonal skills. Do w e care for our people?
Member care depends on all of us. God asks all of us to do it daily. ‘But encourage one another daily, w hile it is called today, lest any
o f you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrew s 3:13).’ It is a “tw o-w ay” street: w e receive and w e give, and w e
w ould hardly survive w ithout it. Rightly so Interserve India has made ‘Excellence in Member Care’ as one of its major goals serving
those on the front line ministry as w ell as serving people in need. Let us model excellence in caring for one another! Compiled &
Edited by Beulah W & J Amalraj
(* Mr. C. B. Samuel, former General Director, EFICOR & former Chair of Interserve India Board, Mr. Eappen John, Educationist &
Interserve Partner, Dr. M C Matthew , Developmental Paediatrician & Interserve Partner)

2. EQUIPPING LOCAL CHURCHES IN MISSIONS

I start w ith a question. W hen did mission become a task only for 'missionaries' and 'mission agencies'?
Let us look at the biblical history. God chose Abraham and through him Israel as an entire nation to be the missionary that w ould
reach out to the w hole w orld. God sent prophets to remind them of their calling. Then, at the right time, God sent His son Jesus
Christ as a missionary. Jesus w elcomed disciples to join that mission, "fishing for people". The first disciples w ere also missionaries, going
about Judea announcing the coming of God's kingdom. After Jesus' death and resurrection, and most importantly, w ith the gift of
the Holy Spirit, the mission exploded out from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, including India.
W herever the disciples w ere (all the follow ers of Christ not just the apostles), at home or anyw here else, they told others about the
Saviour they had met, the Spirit they had received, and the Father w ho loved them. Some spread of the gospel happened because
of a deliberate mission thrust to take it to other places. This happened w hen people migrated to w ork, and during persecution. (This
is probably how Christianity first came to India.) An example is that the church in Antioch assigned Paul and Barnabas to go to other
lands to proclaim the message.
How ever, an even larger part of the spread of the gospel happened because nobody then thought that only a few should proclaim
the message of Jesus. Those w hose lives w ere transformed naturally told others in their neighborhood about it.
This can still be our model in our ow n churches. Local churches can disciple and nurture those w hom God brings to faith in Christ.
Later these too may nurture and disciple yet more people in their neighbourhood or further aw ay.
Now let us look at Christian history. After Christianity became the state religion under the Emperor Constantine, the disciples of Jesus
seemed to lose their missionary zeal. Later, during the crusades against Muslims and Jew s, a misguided perception of mission and
Christian zeal bound church and state together in a w ay that tw isted mission into imperialism and colonialism w hich lasted for many
centuries.
Glimmerings of change show ed in the medieval era w hen a passion for missions emerged in some Roman Catholic orders, and monks
like Francis Xavier w ent around the globe w ith the message of Christ. Designated missionaries like Robert de Nobili, Ziegenbalg and his
associates w ere sent out w ith the purpose of communicating God's kingdom to 'the heathen'.
The coming of W illiam Carey to India in the 18th century revived the passion for missions in its true sense. As a local Baptist pastor
Carey, felt that it w as the duty of every Christian to spread the gospel. He w as rebuked by his contemporaries, w ho felt that, “W hen
God pleases to convert the heathen, He w ill do it w ithout your aid or mine” (John Rylond, cited in Timothy George, 1991:53). But
Carey's example and methodology spread, and as a result mission-minded people began to set up organizations w hich w ould send out
men and w omen to proclaim the gospel. Most established churches in India began through such efforts by denominational and inter-
denominational mission societies from the w est.
Interserve (then Zenana Bible and Medical Mission) is is an example, founded as an inter-denominational society in 1852 to serve along
w ith churches to seek and disciple new believers. Mission is not about keeping mission societies going, but about churches reaching
individuals and communities around them. It is God w ho makes churches grow , and w e are His fellow w orkers in this process (1
Corinthians 3:7&9).
And w hat does mission mean today? In earlier days, mission w as only understood geographically, joining mission societies and going to
distant lands. That thinking, thankfully, is changing. Globalization has made mission possible both locally and across boundaries. We are
recovering the true meaning of mission as God's w ork; w e are his disciples w herever w e are, participating in God's mission. Disciples
learn from the master, and do as he does. As God is a missionary, his follow ers are also missionaries. As God's people belonging to
many different local churches, w e are making disciples, w hether to our ow n culture or across cultures.
At least w e should be! But most Christians still seem to be stuck thinking that 'the foreigners' are the real missionaries (even the
South Indians in North India) and mission is their job. As a result, missions are left to those designated as missionaries. W hat happened
to discipleship and w itnessing? Are not all Christians disciples? Have they not had their lives transformed by him? Should not the local
church join in transforming the communities they live in? Should they not care for communities w ho live in distant lands? Every
individual Christian and the local church is naturally a participant in God's kingdom mission! If the good new s has truly transformed our
lives, w e must share it in w ords and actions. We all have a part to play. Mission can be the heartbeat of every disciple of Christ. We
need to recover the breath and urgency of the early church, w here all w ere called to proclaim the message of Jesus.
All of us in missions should lead our fellow w orshipers in local churches (that means everybody), to revitalize our thinking on missions.
Teach it, preach it, run seminars on it, talk to people one to one about it. If every Christian in India took their role as a 'missionary'
seriously, w e could calculate three missionaries (including children) for every one hundred people. And that w ould be a pretty good
ratio for getting the message out to the w hole country!
So, let us remember, you and I and our Christian acquaintances are Christ's missionaries here and now , in your place my place, and
their place.
Jessica D

3. RECRUIT MORE PROFESSIONALS

Off the beaten path
As I travel around the country for w ork, I have a strange identity crisis. I am a trained doctor and development professional and this is
how I have alw ays know n myself. W hen w orking in secular institutions earlier, my principal identity w ith my audience w as my
professional one-people knew me no other w ay. That has changed.
During my first visit to Tezpur in Assam recently, a meeting w ith several Bodo pastors had been arranged. W hen my hosts at the
hospital introduced me to the church leaders, a few said that they already knew me. I w as confused as this w as my first visit to this
politically troubled area. W hen a church leader got up to introduce me, he did so not in terms of my professional identity or w hat I
had come there to do, but as someone w ho w rote articles for some Christian magazines that he and his colleagues had been blessed
by. I w as uneasy but also secretly pleased: uneasy because I w onder if I am losing touch w ith my profession and the identity and
purpose it gives me; but pleased at the tangible success of my tent making that it is possible to have tw o equally meaningful
identities and somehow integrate them. It is possible to practise a profession and also help in the task of evangelizing and discipling if
not directly, then at least w orking alongside those w ho do. In this instance, I could never dream of doing anything purposeful among
the Bodos, but the fact that w hatever I w as doing w as providing nurture to those w ho w ork and serve among them w as a great
encouragement.
The w ell beaten path of the modern missions movement is the road of the supported w orker. One often hears inspiring testimonies
of zealous Christians w ho laid dow n their secular employment to enter missions “full time”. The professional missionary, w ith a Bible
School diploma and technical training in development, is the epitome of a successful missions strategy. He or she is also the spiritual
icon of the Church, held up as an example of counting the cost and a model of spirituality. How ever, in the history of the Church, the
professional missionary is a recent phenomenon. During its first four hundred years of existence, the Church grew from being an
obscure religious sect of Judaism to a dominant global religious influence, principally through people w ho lived their faith in the
marketplace. Paul's missionary efforts had their greatest success among the middle and upper middle classes. The converts w ere like
Lydia, a business w oman, w ho had the freedom to associate and to gather others to hear the good new s (Acts 16:15). It is likely
that these Christians traveled as merchants and traders to new lands and introduced nations to the gospel as they plied their w ares.
All around the w orld today, men and w omen are moving across cultures to use their professions and trades in the cause of w orld
mission. There are several w ays of looking at this movement. Each may have some truth, but if taken alone can be misleading or even
damaging because they are only partial. For example:
Tent making is a substitute for explicit missionary w ork, necessary because of reduced freedom to enter countries as "missionaries".
Tent makers are just Christians w ho are part of the w orldw ide movement of people in trade, service industries etc.
Tent making is a cheaper means of w orld evangelism, because it is self-supporting.
Each of the above can distort the true picture of w hat tent making is. It is inadequate to view tent making as simply a new response
to the Great Commission of Matthew 28. It is something more. Tent making is one facet of renew al in the church w orldw ide,
essentially a renew ed understanding of the priesthood of all believers. This ministry is not for “specialists”, but for every Christian.
This is the road for 21st century missions. It is the obvious road of the future. It is the road once traveled w ith great success by the
Church in its early history. It is the road the Apostle Paul exhorted the church to travel w hen he stated that the purpose of the
church professionals prophets, apostles, evangelists, pastors and teachers is to equip the saints to do the ministry rather than doing
the ministry themselves (Eph 4:11-16). How ever, the influence of a Greek w orldview has sometimes caused us to separate ministry
from w ork spiritual w ork from secular w ork and reserve the spiritual w ork for ministry professionals. It has also caused us to reserve
ministry to church-based programs rather than seeing our secular w ork as a ministry. For example, tent making Christians are rarely
asked to share about their ministry in the marketplace at church meetings but they are encouraged to “make time” for church
ministry in the evenings and on w eekends. Those w ho are especially good at church-based ministry are encouraged to leave their
secular employment and join the church so they can minister “full time”. Thus most ministries done by the church are church-based as
opposed to marketplace-based, w hich distances them from the vast majority of people w ho live and w ork in the marketplace.
God values secular w ork, not just so because Christians can w itness to unbelievers, but because, through transformed w ork, glory and
honor w ill be brought into the New Jerusalem. All w ork has the potential for eternal significance. Tent making offers one w ay to learn
how to become all things to all men, to introduce as many people as possible to the Lord.
Shantanu Dutta

4. MOBILISE INDIANS TO BE PLACED OVERSEAS

Departure into all the world
W hen w ill w e stop being a universal recipient and move on to become a universal donor?” This is a question to be debated in India.
Lakshmi Mittal, the richest Indian is feared by several European companies. His flagship company, Mittal Steel along w ith other Indian
business groups like TATA and W IPRO are taking over businesses around the w orld. India is everyw here, from being the w orld's call
centre, back office, bio-medical research centre, to being the w orld's largest democracy, the youngest nation, and having the
maximum English speaking population. By providing the cultural richness through music, movies, and fashion, our country has entered
the international arena in a big w ay. India has become a global consumer market.
The w orld of Christian ministry has also undergone changes. Indians are in senior positions and even leading Christian ministries in
different parts of the w orld. A country w hich used to receive funds and other resources has started sending personnel and is even
financially supporting other Christian ministries in various parts of the globe.
financially supporting other Christian ministries in various parts of the globe.
In the Scriptures w e read the mandate given to us, to “go into all the w orld and make disciples of all nations”. “All the w orld” does
not mean only India. In Acts, the call is to be “w itnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
There is a w orld beyond the political boundaries of India, a w orld w hich needs Christ desperately and urgently.
Of course, there is a lot of need in India. But, w e haven’t been called to fulfil all needs in our land before w e go out to other nations.
A classic example is Paul, w ho w ent out to ‘all the w orld’ in spite of the real need in Jerusalem. Surely Paul w as the best person to
reach out to the Jew s in Jerusalem, but he w as called to reach the Gentiles in Jerusalem and elsew here too. Since all the w orld is the
Lord's and everything in it, and since He loves the w hole w orld and everyone in it, He may be calling some of us to move beyond our
‘Jerusalems’, cities that w e love and are concerned about, and reach out to the ends of the earth.
There is no country in the w orld better equipped for this task than India. We have a rich heritage of being recipients of God's grace
and his gospel. We Indians do not need any cross cultural training, since w e live in a culture w hich is a potpourri of hundreds of
different cultures, religions, languages and tribes. Hence, Indians are among the most adaptable people in the w orld. The presence of
NRIs in all corners of the w orld is proof for that!
We Indians have been know n to travel far and w ide to find secular employment. As Christians, w e need to learn to merge that w ith
God's call of global missions. As a matter of fact, w e do not even need to go to the ‘ends of the earth’. The w orld’s neediest places
are part of our ‘Judea’ and ‘Samaria’. Our neighbours in South Asia, the Arab World, Central Asia, East and South East Asia are torn by
political turmoil, civil w ar and poverty. There are millions of people w ho are hungry for the gospel of love and peace. Let us rise up
and be the torchbearers of the Gospel in the 21st century. The w orld needs us Indians: are w e ready?
We have been pioneers in cross-cultural ministry for the past 150 years. It is time that w e started a paradigm shift in cross-cultural
missions - a shift from the traditional idea of the West reaching out to the rest, to Asians w ho have been blessed by centuries of
mission w ork reaching out.
To usher in this new era, Interserve (I) has included ‘Mobilising Indians to be Placed Overseas’ as one of its Strategic Goals for the
next 5 years. In the past a few of our partners have been w orking in neighbouring countries. Some of them have been there all their
professional life, some for a few years and yet others on short term assignments. We have started the process, and in the next five
years are committed to turn it into a movement.
Johns George

5. NETWORK WITH OTHER MISSIONS AGENCIES

I can’t We Can
Tw o common nets illustrate tw o important functions of netw orking - fishing nets that catch fishes and mosquito nets that protect
from mosquitoes. Like these tw o, netw orking w ith one another helps us to fulfill common goals as w ell as protect us from common
adversaries. Scripture exhorts us in Ecclesiastes that a cord of three strands is not quickly broken. It has been rightly said, 'United w e
stand and divided w e fall.' Similarly, alone w e can accomplish little but together w e can move mountains.
The New Buzz Word
Netw orking is now the buzz w ord in the business, economic, cultural and political w orld. It is important to us involved in missions as
w e strive to fulfill the Great Commission. Netw orking evolves out of informal relationships, less structured and built on personal
relationships that are strategic. We make links w ith others w ho have similar goals, for each connection counts. Each individual,
organization, church or group can contribute something important to achieve common goals.
Networking in History
Early church history depicts valuable netw orking w ay back in the time of Paul. By netw orking, he established churches throughout
Asia Minor, in Greece and even in Rome, often using his skills of tent making to build links. The Reformation Movement started by
Martin Luther and others in Europe have many examples of individuals netw orking to fulfill their common vision, even though each one
of them w ere great stalw arts in their ow n region. The father of modern missions, W illiam Carey netw orked w idely to achieve major
breakthroughs in his pioneer ministry. He also netw orked w ith W ilberforce an evangelical Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom
to bring social reforms like abolition of the practice of 'Sati' in India. The Indian mission movement w hich emerged in the late sixties
and seventies saw success in reaching many tribal groups because of netw orking at various levels. In the last decade before the end
of the millennium there w as a global movement of netw orking among missions w hich focused on the unreached people groups
through the AD 2000 movement. Recently, the Global Day of Prayer Movement and other similar efforts have resulted in helping
Christians around the w orld to pray together across all kinds of boundaries in a fresh w ave of revival.
Network Works Now
Netw orking is not controlling one another, hijacking ideas, stealing personnel, merging organizations or churches and starting new
organizations etc. It is not superiority complex, crossing boundaries or margins and overlooking framew orks or guidelines. Netw orking is
recognizing our diversity, learning to complement each other's strengths, enabling one another and including as many as possible to
fulfill our common vision.
The biggest threats to netw orking are individualism and limited vision. One example is churches that honor only their ow n
denomination and forget that they are only one part of the w hole body of Christ. Some self-satisfied organizations do not look
beyond their ow n w alls. Trends like these portray any organization in bad light. At the grass root level, staff may find it difficult to
netw ork because they are compelled to seek approvals from their leadership. The lack of understanding of netw orking and the skills
of netw orking can affect netw orks. A t times, the lack of champions, influencers, visionaries, leaders and facilitators can become a
major stumbling block for netw orks to emerge.
We can netw ork at local, regional, national and global levels. Staff of mission organizations, pastors of local churches, can meet
together regularly for fellow ship, prayer and encouragement. These meetings can prevent competitions and promote pastoral care
for one another in times of struggles. Churches and mission organizations can, for example, organize joint programs and projects,
learning from one another's experiences, and sharing resources and information. Sharing of information is a major form of netw orking.
Alone w e w ould overlook, fail to collect relevant information, or spend too much time and resources on getting it.
Interserve and Networking
In the year 1960, Interserve (then know n as BMMF) made a momentous decision to voluntarily hand over all health care and
educational projects run in north and w estern India to the local leadership. Int erserve transformed itself from being project
implementers to becoming people facilitators. Interserve netw orks actively by seconding its personnel to serve w ith the local Christian
institutions, mission agencies, local churches and denominations. Interserve believes that it is called primarily to netw ork and partner
w ith the global church to serve the needs of the peoples of Asia and the Arab w orld. Interserve India as part of fulfilling its various
goals seeks to netw ork w ith like minded churches and mission mobilisers to recruit Indian Christians to serve across cultures w ithin
India and beyond through w holistic ministry. We all have tasks both individual yet corporate. We can and must come together and
w ork. We can together fulfill the vision of transforming individuals and communities in this generation.
Rajesh Agarwal

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