Showing posts with label kerela. Show all posts

Monday, July 18, 2016

Gospel for Asia-Supported Workers Holding 7,500 Vacation Bible Schools Across Asia

Children Taught Bible Stories, Respect, Love, Personal Discipline

Workers supported by Gospel for Asia (GFA) are holding 7,500 Vacation Bible Schools (VBS) across Asia this summer, teaching children important values, including respect and love for parents and friends as well as personal discipline through a variety of activities such as songs, skits and crafts.

"Vacation Bible School is an inviting place for children to come during the summer," said K.P. Yohannan, founder and international director of GFA. "There, they learn solid values through fun, educational activities, all while being taught that they are precious and loved by the God of the universe."

VBS typically begins with the support of church pastors. Each program has a theme — this year's is "New Beginnings" — and classes are formed according to age group. VBS classes are well-organized and are conducted by people who have been given special training to teach, in collaboration with local Sunday School teachers. Typically, VBS fills entire days and are generally a week long.

On the first day of the program, each child is given an age-appropriate VBS book filled with stories, games and songs. GFA-supported workers guide each program so each child's unique gifts are highlighted through enjoyable classes, skits, puppet shows and competitions. Teachers encourage the students to continue to develop their gifts as they grow.

The schools also supply snacks and juice each day provided by the church. On the last day, each child receives a VBS certificate and is given the opportunity to participate in a presentation for their parents by demonstrating the songs and dances they learned and showcasing the crafts they made.

To date, more than 6,000 VBS programs have been conducted. VBS is held over several months and is on schedule to exceed program attendance of 231,713 children in 2015.

About Gospel for Asia
GOSPEL FOR ASIA has – for more than 30 years – provided humanitarian assistance and spiritual hope to millions across Asia, especially among those who have yet to hear the Good News. Last year, this included more than 75,000 sponsored children, free medical services for more than 180,000 people, 6,000 wells drilled, 11,000 water filters installed, Christmas presents for more than 400,000 needy families, and spiritual teaching available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry.

Sunday, July 17, 2016

Speaker to open YMCA meet at Adoor

The South-West India region meet of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) will be held at the Mar Thoma Youth Centre, Adoor, on July 9.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, YMCA national president Leby Philip Mathew said the theme of the meet would be ‘Youth for change and peace’.

Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan will inaugurate the meet at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Minister for Forests and Environment of Mizoram Lal Rinn Mavia Ralte, who is also the YMCA North-East India regional chairman, will be the guest of honour.

Geevarghese Mar Coorilos Metropolitan will deliver the keynote address and Chittayam Gopakumar, MLA, will deliver the national integration message.

Bishop K.P. Yohannan, Metropolitan of the Believers Church, will inaugurate an ecumenical meet to be held later.

Gabriel Mar Gregorios Metropolitan, president of Kerala Council of Churches, will deliver the benedictory speech.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Dr. K. P. Yohannan, Metropolitan Bishop, Believers Church, Kerala calls on PM

Dr. K. P. Yohannan, Metropolitan Bishop of Believers Church, Kerala along with a delegation called on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today. Dr. Yohannan donated Rs. 1 crore towards Ganga cleanliness campaign. Prof. P.J. Kurien, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha was also present on the occasion.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Kollam fire tragedy: Church to provide aid

Believers Church is collecting medicines and food items from its centres across the country and the national capital to help the victims of the Kollam temple tragedy. It has ensured speedy delivery of these relief items to the tragedy-hit area. More than 5,000 packets of food and medicines will be delivered within the next two to three days.

Bishop Simon John of the Delhi centre of Believers Church said, “Our priority at the moment is to ensure that food and medicines are made available to all those in need. We are pooling resources from Delhi and other places such as Kolkata, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Amritsar and Udaipur, to ensure that items of need are delivered at the earliest. We pray to Jesus to give strength to all those who have been deeply affected by the incident.”

Believers Church is also mobilising its medical team of specialised doctors from its Thiruvilla hospital, 35 km away from Kollam, to aid in relief operations.

A number of volunteers on behalf of the Believers Church are also assisting the local administration in rescue and relief operations.

“Doctors for the counselling of the tragedy-hit victims, mentally and medically, have been also sent,” said bishop John.

Dr K.P. Yohannan, Metropolitan of Believers Church, said, “We will do everything in our power to help the bereaved families and provide timely medical assistance to those who have been injured.”

Monday, July 11, 2016

“No Other Weapon We Know”

by Ken Ham on May 15, 2015

“Pray because there is no other weapon we know to combat the powers of this world,” said Dr. K.P. Yohannan, Gospel for Asia (GFA) founder and president, in a special presentation for the AiG staff on the National Day of Prayer.

We are often blessed during our morning staff meetings to hear and learn from leaders in other ministries around the world. Well, recently K.P. shared with us about his passion for prayer, which is fueled by his own testimony, a direct result of his mother’s prayers for him.

K.P. grew up in India, blessed to be born into a Christian home (today, India is one of the world’s least-reached nations with the gospel). As he told our staff, growing up, K.P. was puzzled by his mother because she would wake up practically in the middle of the night to pray for several hours before the sun rose. K.P.’s mother led him to the Lord and he received Christ at eight years old. At the age of sixteen, he responded to the Lord’s call to “go” and be a missionary. When he told his mom, K.P. recalled that she jumped for joy in excitement that he would be leaving the home for two years. As confused as he was by her response, and thinking she perhaps hated him, K.P. still left his family to do the work he believed the Lord had called him to. It wasn’t until he returned home that he learned why his mom was so ecstatic about his decision to be a missionary.

“I prayed all my life that one of my sons would be called to preach,” his mom told K.P. when he returned home. She had watched each of his older brothers enter the workforce and had begun to lose hope. She fasted and prayed every Friday that one of her six children would go on to serve the Lord as their vocation, and that day when K.P. announced his plans to “go,” her prayer had been answered.

Today, K.P. and Gospel for Asia are bringing hope and the love of Christ to people in more than 14 Asian nations, including the victims of the recent earthquake in Nepal. Because Gospel for Asia's heart is to raise up believers in South Asia to reach people in their home countries where many westerners cannot go, GFA had a unique position to provide aid and practically show the love of Jesus to those who are hurting in Nepal.

K.P. finished his devotional presentation during our morning meeting with some encouragement for our staff about the power of prayer. He said, “God is not looking for workers, he is looking for worshippers.” Would you pray with us for the victims of the Nepal earthquake, the ministry of Gospel for Asia (and please consider a donation to the GFA relief effort), and the many missionaries around the world facing increasing persecution for their Christian faith? Would you also continue to pray for the ministry of Answers in Genesis as we too face a degree of persecution in the US, especially in relation to our religious freedom lawsuit with the state of Kentucky over the coming Ark Encounter? We need to pray that the state of Kentucky will decide to preserve and protect religious freedom. And please pray that we will continue to stand solidly on the authority of God’s Word from the very beginning and boldly proclaim that truth to our increasingly hostile culture.

During their stay with us, I gave GFA leaders an update on the Ark Encounter. This large bay, which will go into the Ark, stands near the entrance of the Creation Museum. (L-R: John Beers of GFA; K. P. Yohannon; me, K. P.’s son Danny; David Chakranarayan of AiG.)

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Church collects aid for Kerala temple tragedy victims

In solidarity with the victims of the Kerala temple tragedy, Delhi-headquartered Believer's Church, a Christian denomination with congregations and parishes worldwide, is collecting medicines, food packets and clothing to provide relief to the affected people in Kollam.

K P Yohannan, Metropolitan of Believers Church said, "We will do everything in our power to help the bereaved families and provide timely medical assistance to those who have been injured."

The Church said it is also mobilising its medical team with specialised doctors from its Tiruvalla Hospital to aid in relief operations. A number of volunteers on behalf of the Believers Church are also assisting the local administration in relief operations, it said.

The Church said it is willing to provide free of cost treatment to the sufferers at its state-of-the-art multi-specialty hospital in Tiruvalla which is about 35 kms from Kollam.

"Believers Church Medical College Hospital, Tiruvalla, is offering free treatment to all victims of the Kollam tragedy," added Yohannan.

The Church said it is pooling resources, including collecting donations, for carrying out relief work in Kollam and assisting in rebuilding works.

"We have collected 5,000 mosquito nets and as many packets of medicines, food and clothes to be sent to Kollam. We have a team of doctors which is monitoring the verification of medicines that are to be sent," Bishop Simon John of the Delhi Centre of Believers Church said.

The Bishop said the Church has asked all its members in cities like Lucknow, Udaipur, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Delhi, Amritsar to contribute for the cause.

"Use of firecrackers is a part of the festival. People should be more careful while using them. And as a Church we have taken an initiative and asked our members not to use firecrackers. We are trying to communicate to people and raise awareness that firecrackers may cause harm," he said.