Bridge of Hope concludes plantation drive to mark 'World Environment Day'

With an aim to make earth a better planet, believers Church's child care project Bridge of Hope concluded 15 Day sapling plantation drive across India.

The drive was started on June 5th 2016, on the occasion of World Environment Day. More than 3 lakh saplings were planted across 29 states and seven Union Territories of India by 80,000 children and 5000 staff members of the organization.

As a part of the drive, children and staff conducted various rallies, skits, street plays and distributed one sapling a home and asked them to take care of it. The children also motivated and urged the citizens of the country to purchase one tree for their home and nurture it to give a better future to the coming generations.

Under this project the team also planted saplings in local government offices and identified various road side medians and planted saplings in the area.

The first sapling of the drive was planted by Rajnath Singh (SHO) of Towari Pur Police station, Gorakhpur, UP in the presence of Gorakhpur Diocesan staff and other members of the organization.

"It is a great move by Believers Church. I really laud them for taking these measures to protect environment as well as combat global warming. I will extend full support to them whenever they carry out such socially significant activities," said Rajnath Singh.

"We at Bridge of Hope are committed to improve the environment which is currently depleting at a very rapid pace due to global warming, felling of trees, setting up of various industries and multiple other reasons. It is no more a choice but a necessity to save our environment so that this planet is livable for our future generations," said Director Bridge of Hope, Prince Josiah.

"I really thank children, countrymen and our staff for making the 15 day drive successful. We believe in making our mother earth a great place to live in and this is one such step in that direction. Preserving and protecting the environment for a better future of our country men is top most priority. I request our citizens to help us in the drive and each family to plant a tree to maintain the ecosystem for our coming generation," said Metropolitan of Believers Church' Dr. K P Yohannan.

Last year, in a similar drive Bridge of Hope planted one lakh saplings across India.

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.

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.”

To read more:

http://www.asianage.com/delhi/kollam-fire-tragedy-church-provide-aid-607

“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.)

To read more:
https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2015/05/15/no-other-weapon-we-know/