Strengthening the Church in India
We bring you warm greetings this week from our brothers and sisters in Coimbatore, India. Brother Nathan Tittley and Brother Scott Phillips have just returned, bearing witness to God’s work: laying foundations, knitting hearts in unity, and stirring a fresh breakthrough in the south of India.
Although Brother Nathan spent the first couple of days in India in bed with a fever, the brothers sensed from the outset that the enemy was at work—and that the Lord must have something good in store for this trip!
The brothers from Texas came with a desire to strengthen this tiny group in their faith and in their efforts to embody Christian community.
All the brothers met daily for morning prayer and discussion. The whole group had powerful times of worship, teaching, and instruction, and they responded with zeal to put the Word into immediate application.
Indian culture dictates that both husband and wife must work, even to maintain a modest and meager lifestyle. Many of them work twelve hours a day, six days a week, which makes home and community life almost impossible. The Heritage India community is making strides toward establishing home-based businesses.
Brothers Nathan and Scott helped our Indian brothers consider opportunities and develop partnerships with other believers in the area. Brother Jerry and Sister Asha just moved into a larger home, which they hope will provide a larger kitchen for their catering business as well as extra room for leather and other crafts.
Brother Scott shared, “With over 1.4 billion people in India—in an area smaller than the continental U.S.— things tend to be fairly chaotic. Whether you’re making your way through city traffic or just standing in line, everyone seems to be pushing their way through a throbbing crowd. And if you don’t push, you won’t get anywhere (instead, you could get trampled)! Built into the fabric of their society is a sense of ‘every man for himself.’ In that cultural milieu, learning to move in harmony with one another can seem like an insurmountable obstacle. But as families come into order, the foundation for a different kingdom is being laid.”
Brother Solomon and Brother Isaac lead a local Tamil-speaking congregation that is seeking to connect with our community. They invited our brothers and sisters to join them for worship. On Nathan and Scott’s final Sunday in India, the whole church loaded into vehicles and crossed town for a shared time of praise in multiple languages.
They had one more meeting together before our brothers had to return to Texas. A prophetic spirit fell as Brother Scott sang “Breakthrough’s Coming.”
Scott wrote, “Brother Nathan then brought a Word of faith: God is building His church in India. Together, the church worldwide will stand in stark contrast to a world marked by selfish ambition, self-exaltation, and self-gratification.”
Please keep our brothers and sisters in India in your prayers, that God would unite them with cords of love and make them a witness in the midst of a dark and chaotic world.
