SERVE India

SERVE India works with many pastors in remote tribal villages. Many of these men began to share the Gospel with their family, friends and neighbors after they found salvation in Jesus Christ. They have the humble, faithful heart of a servant and wish to share the good news with others in their own village, as well as nearby villages. Their ministry includes prayer meetings, discipleship, teaching, and mentoring potential pastors. A village pastor’s outreach to non-believers includes door-to door evangelism, outdoor worship and preaching, and showing the “Jesus” film.

Most of the tribal villagers live in poverty, and the pastors are no exception. They work long hours at their own occupation or trade in addition to the hours spent in ministry to their small churches. SERVE India helps to lighten their burden by providing financial support to pastors that have met certain qualifications. This support is only meant to supplement their regular income.

It is important that the local churches grow in faith and learn to provide financial support for their pastor, so SERVE India plans to assist each pastor for approximately five years. The monthly stipend will gradually be decreased, so the local church can begin to take over the responsibility. SERVE India will also provide assistance to the congregation, if needed, to develop a community based business which will help the church become self-supporting.

With a monthly gift of $25, you can partner with a pastor in the remote tribal areas of India. SERVE India will provide you with the name and background information of the pastor that you are supporting financially, so that you can also support his ministry in prayer as well. As the local church becomes more able to support their pastor, your monthly contribution will be channeled into other vital areas in the ministry of that pastor and the surrounding villages. As God blesses this ministry, new churches will be planted, and new pastors will be called into service.

In India, a woman that suffers the death of her husband is considered cursed. She is ostracized by society in general as well as her own family. Many of these women are now living in extreme poverty, no longer enjoying the home and family that was always a part of their lives.

SERVE India encourages outreach to widows through the local pastor and village church. Many of these women have come to a saving knowledge of the Gospel through the local church, and their lives have been changed for eternity. The pastor may help with arrangements for food and housing, and in turn the women assist with the care and upkeep of the church. They assist in teaching the children, and do outreach ministry to other women in their village.

With a monthly gift of $25, you can help to encourage and support these women who have dedicated their remaining years to service and evangelism. Each pastor and village church will care for the widows in their midst, so the women may remain in their own villages if possible.

Life in the tribal villages of India can be very difficult, especially if you are a child without a home. There are many children in the villages that SERVE India reaches that do not have a parent or family member to take care of their basic needs of food and shelter. In some cases the parents are deceased, or the family may be unable to care for their small children.

SERVE India encourages our local pastors to provide for these children with food, lodging and the opportunity to learn in a small church school. Whenever possible, the local church will care for the children from their own village, and the surrounding villages. Some pastors take children into their own homes as needed. A local church may establish a facility to house and educate a larger group of children if the need is great.

Your monthly gift of $20 will provide for the needs of one parentless or abandoned child in a tribal Indian village. Their need for food, shelter, clothing, education and health care will be met through this regular support.

Pastors’ Training Center

SERVE India purchased a building as the major buiding block for the new training center near the city of Visakhapatnam. The South East Rural Vocational Education (SERVE) Center will have a number of buildings, including a church, dormitory and classroom building, as well as library and office space. Construction has begun to add a second floor, which will serve as a children’s learning center and dormitory. The center will offer basic Bible teaching for the rural pastors that have been partnering with SERVE India in remote tribal areas. The pastors will also meet at the training center for their monthly meetings for fellowship, encouragement and worship. The training center will also be used for gospel outreach meetings and medical camps.

The SERVE center will offer vocational training to help provide job skills for people living in surrounding villages. Training will be offered in topics such as agriculture, sewing, computers, and ESL. Many of these students will be non-believers, so the opportunity for evangelism is great.

Financial support is needed for the ongoing work of the SERVE center. Funds are needed to pay the salaries of teachers and support staff, and for the maintenance of the facility. Scholarships will be offered for the vocational training programs. Regular support of $25 to $100 per month, or any one-time gift will help to make this center a vital outreach ministry.

Please join the SERVE India team in prayer for the development of this new ministry. God has greatly blessed the plan for this training center, and we know that He will guide our decisions and be in all the details.

Medical Camps

Each year SERVE India sends a team of doctors and medical staff into remote areas to provide free medical care to tribal villages. The medical teams visit villages that are so far removed that most of the people have never been seen by a medical doctor. In addition to providing care for their physical bodies, it is our hope that we can minister to their spiritual needs as well.

The local pastor assists with the camp, and as a result his status in the village and recognition of the local church is raised. By meeting the people’s physical needs, we are able to show tangibly how God values and cares for each person. The “Jesus” video is often shown, and each person has the opportunity to hear the gospel and have individual prayer if they choose.

Many new people begin attending the local churches after the medical camps; their lives have been changed for eternity. In the course of 12 – 14 days, the medical team will treat and minister to around 8,000 people. The cost of this project is approximately $4,000 each year. Financial needs for the medical camps include the purchase of medicines, vitamins and supplies, as well as providing rental cars for the medical team.

Church Buildings

One of the main goals of the SERVE India ministry is to reach out to villages that have never heard the Gospel and give them the chance to know Jesus and His salvation. In many of these villages there is now a growing group of believers. Most of these villages are very poor, so the believers are not usually able to construct a church building. They meet at someone’s house until it is too small for their group, and then they meet outside. Outdoor meetings are difficult during the hot weather, or during the rainy season.

SERVE India partners with these churches by helping them construct a building. The local believers must secure the land, which is often donated by someone within the village. SERVE India provides the building materials and the skilled labor for the project. The church members provide the unskilled labor, which provides them a sense of ownership of their new church building.

The building is made of cement blocks with a tiled roof and cement flooring. It is a sturdy structure that will accommodate seating for more than 100 people. The cost for this church building is $4,000.

The church is used for worship, discipleship, and spreading the Gospel to surrounding villages. In addition, it can also serve as a school during the week for the illiterate children of the village.