Transformation through transformed people

Evangelization in India demands church to be a transformational agent. Missions in India cannot be an isolated program for a particular community in a limited geographical location. The effect of the mission activities of a particular mission field must transform the people in that area at the same time influence the entire nation. It needs to have a specific focus and a nationwide purpose. This can happen only when the church becomes the transformational agent.

The church is the body of transformed people (born again) who has the mission of transformation. The danger, the church can easily shift into is becoming parish oriented rather than mission oriented.   There are mainly three groups of people we see in the society. Let us name them as enemies of gospel (resistant), friends of Gospel (receptive) and children of god (church members). A parish oriented church has activities mainly for the church members where as the mission oriented church focuses these three groups equally. Evangelization of India is possible only when the church focus these three groups of peoples in the society. Therefore the missions of the church is three fold

· RESISTANT to RECEPTIVE

· RECEPTIVE to CHILDREN OF GOD

· CHILDREN OF GOD to MATURE IN CHRIST

Every day we come across these three groups of people. They are next to us. Identifying them as receptive or resistant is primary task before sharing the gospel. Direct sharing of the gospel help the receptive where as addressing the felt need helps the resistant.

Church is the salt and light of the society. It cannot limit its boundary only for the church members. The church must relate with every member of the society through its various mission activities. All our programs and celebrations be an opportunity to relate with not only the church members but also the resistant and receptive of the society because our church is St. Thomas Evangelical Church OF INDIA which is a transformational agent.

This article written by Rev. Jersih Varghese (State Coodinator, Bihar) in Hindi Belt Mission's newsletter in the month of October 2012