Raising Up the Church of the Future
Tired of false promises, broken homes and religions they view as irrelevant, teenagers in India are looking for a meaningful purpose for their lives. For thousands of young people, that search has led them to follow Jesus. However, most of these youth are first-generation believers who were not raised to live out a Christian worldview.
Chatura Gagan, Gospel for Asia’s children’s ministry leader for northwest India, knows that these students have genuine faith and want to serve the Lord, but they need guidance.
“If we do not lay a strong foundation of faith for these young people, we will lose our churches, because the youth are our future,” Chatura says. “The churches will only survive if the students become grounded in their faith and grow into devoted leaders for the Lord.”
“If we do not lay a strong foundation of faith for these young people, we will lose our churches, because the youth are our future,” said Chatura. “The churches will only survive if the students become grounded in their faith and grow into devoted leaders for the Lord.”
These youth are on fire for Christ and desire to follow Him closely, so Chatura and his team of GFA native missionaries get them involved in mission work in Delhi. Already, several of the responsible teenagers lead children’s Sunday school classes, directing songs and teaching Bible stories.
Daiwik, a young man who came to Christ through a GFA youth camp, works alongside Chatura every Sunday morning. Many of the young children look up to him, and he is learning to be a good example for them.
“I bring lots of children to church,” Daiwik said. “It’s awesome to see the changes in their lives when we reach out.”
Many youth, like Daiwik, are also taking responsibility for other efforts sponsored by GFA-affiliated churches. This is the first time that most have been involved in outreach, tract distribution and helping with VBS. As their walks with the Lord develop and grow, these teens are learning how to lead others.
Chatura knows these youth will be the pillars of the church in years to come. That is why he wants to provide multiple opportunities for them to spend time serving with committed Christian workers. Currently, Chatura and his team are developing mission trips and internships for the students while they are on school breaks.
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| Many youth are growing to be strong leaders in the church through helping lead children in Sunday schools and Vacation Bible Schools. |
“These missions and service opportunities will help us get more work done to share the Gospel, and the students will be training to deeply serve the Lord at the same time,” explains Chatura.
Through Chatura’s programs, many teenagers will be ready for whatever Christ calls them to do because they learned to serve. As churches in India spring up, there will be many strong, dedicated Christians to help them grow.
Chatura requests prayer that he and his team will have wisdom for discipling tomorrow’s leaders. Also, pray that the young people will continue to grow in Christ and take strong stands for Him.
Read Daiwik's story.
