SEND! magazine Second Quarter 2006: Building Unity

Building Unity

For Asian Christians, church isn't about stained glass or coffee in the foyer. Teaching and discipleship are essential, especially for new believers who have no Bibles. And for those disowned by their non-Christian relatives, the church is a place of fellowship and family. "We are sort of castaways," says Vinod, an Indian believer. "Besides our family, there are also some in our society who oppose our decision to follow the Lord. They tell us, 'We don't want anything to do with you.'

"But the Lord Jesus is with us, and though we are separate from our family, we have all the believers as our family. We are all together."

When a pastor plants a church in a previously unreached village, his ultimate desire for his congregation is a permanent home. At first, new believers meet in rented homes for prayer meetings and Sunday church services-until they can no longer fit.

But these house churches face problems besides space. Landlords often raise the rent, prohibit meetings or even evict Christian families, especially under pressure from anti-Christian groups. In addition, the neighbors may complain.

Did you know? Depending on available materials, church building are usually constructed of concrete, brick, stone or wood. The average cost to seat 300 is $11,000.

"When we worshiped in homes, people would object that we made too much noise," says Esther, a member of a congregation that recently received a church building. "They used to hinder our worship, but there is nothing like that now. Here we can worship openly."

A building brings the church and its pastor a measure of respect and recognition from the community. It also provides a place for ministries such as Sunday schools and Vacation Bible School, as well as a base for mobile teams outreach. Because they know the church is "God's home," rowdy villagers are more afraid to attack the church building.

"The power of darkness is obvious [in our community]," says Esther. "It would be difficult to have these programs in a believer's house. The devil would definitely cause hindrances for the ministry. It is really such a blessing to have a church building like this for our Sunday school."

And the physical presence of a church building is a comfort to people like Vinod, whose earthly family no longer supports him. The church brings a sense of belonging, unity and purpose. New Christians don't have to wonder where their children will get married, where family members will be buried or who will help them in times of sickness.

About 1,000 congregations across South Asia are currently in need of a church building. These include congregations that have outgrown their present rented facilities and those whose structures have been destroyed by the tsunami, floods, the Kashmir earthquake and anti-Christian groups.

Members of a congregation will do everything they can to help in constructing their own church building, often donating land, materials and labor. But there is normally no way they can pay for it entirely. Through the gifts of Christians around the world, church buildings can be completed and will benefit the congregation and the community for years to come.

If the Lord is leading you to help with the construction of a church building for Christians in Asia, visit http:www.gfa.org/churchbuildings, or contact Gospel for Asia in your country.