A long-awaited dream came true for our team in India, when they held their first in-house training last year.
Just days before the first lockdown put a hold on all public activities in 2020, they moved into their new office, which also had a dormitory. Initially they wanted to use it to invite pastors for training, but then the Lord put a burden on their hearts for young leaders.
A new generation rising up
Director Elsie explains, “We are seeing a huge number of young people arising, especially in the field of worship, but with very little Bible training. They perform well, which makes them become famous, but their songs contain a huge deviation from Biblical truths and just appeal to the senses. These young people are hungry for the Lord but the guidance they are receiving is not taking them into the right direction.”
In April 2022, a first group of 25 young men received training, which really challenged them. Their traditional approach of the Word of God was changed. Although many of them had grown up in the church, now their eyes were opened by seeing things through the Spirit of God. They were able to understand the Word of God from a perspective they never had before.
Unbalanced teaching
One of the topics was that of grace and righteousness, based on Derek Prince’s book ‘By Grace Alone’.
“In India, people are either totally on the side of keeping the Law or totally on the side of grace”, Elsie says. “There is no balance. We even hear Christians say that you can do whatever you want, because grace will cover it all. God doesn’t look at your sin because of the righteousness of Jesus that has been imparted to you. But when your doctrines are not right, you don’t see the victories that you need in your life and ministry. Our training seminar helped these young leaders to see the way ahead in ministry, and we challenged them to take it forward to others.”
Women Youth Leadership Training
After this first Youth Leadership Training Programme for young men, there were many pleas for a similar camp for girls, so second programme was launched in July 2022 for young women. Nineteen young women from different parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka attended this training over three days. Many of them were pastors’ children and most were already into ministry in their churches.
Elsie recalls, “We faced a lot of spiritual opposition in planning and conducting this training but we realized that the impact it created was possibly the reason for the opposition. Many times, when young women minister to others, they are opposed by their leaders and men who think they shouldn’t be ministering, so these women had questions about their calling and whether they should be in ministry or not and how to go ahead. Coming to the training opened their eyes to what God wanted of them. The session on how to pass from Curse to Blessing was probably the eye-opener for many of them. Many were healed emotionally and set free.
On the last day, the team prayed for the young women and anointed with oil, to which they testified: “There is nobody who blesses us like this. We don’t get much encouragement from the pastors or leaders that we work with and even our parents sometimes don’t encourage us. We are so blessed that you pray for us, especially with Director Danny laying hands on us, because we don’t have a father to bless us. You are sending us out with a huge encouragement in our hearts, knowing that the Lord will lead us on.”
Praise the Lord!
Read some of the testimonies of these young women here. We praise God for His work in the lives of these young women and thank you all for helping us do this ...without you it would not be possible.
Training leaders for children’s ministry
Another opportunity to train young leaders came through an invitation by an ordained pastor of the mainland church, who asked us to train a group of trainers that work among young children. Often, Derek’s teaching is considered to be a ministry to adults. But the pastor who invited us had personally been touched by Derek’s books. He said: “Children’s ministry is generally considered to be one of the least ministries of the church. There are not many people who go to a Bible school in order to do children’s ministries. But it is vital to give these trainers a proper and sound theological basis for whatever they do.”
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