Continuing My Father’s Work

Almost 2000 years ago a strange and foreign figure arrived on the pristine shores of southern India having made a long and dangerous journey from the Middle East. This man, often referred to as “doubting” Thomas, began preaching a “new” faith. He soon witnessed many embrace the gospel – including a number of Indian religious leaders and even a cluster of Jews who had been there since the 5th century BC. These new believers soon formed the “Seven Churches.” Thomas’ work served as a catalyst. Through the work of a foreign man, the Kingdom of Heaven was being established in India.

Church planting in India, by and among Indians, was born.

The gospel began to spread throughout the sub-continent. Each passing century witnessed the continual growth of the church. Today, even by extremely conservative government figures, over 25 million Christians fill the landscape.

There exists a legacy of church planting in India and by Indians. But God wasn’t finished writing this story. Instead, a tale that began in India in 52 AD had now seen a change in scenery. A church that was established along the Malabar Coast had now found a new home 8,000 miles away near the Atlantic. What began as a trickle of immigrants from India became a steady stream. Large populations of Christians were beginning to settle in major cities around the United States. Soon these new arrivals were planting “Indian” churches on American soil. Church planting was alive and well in the Indian community.

Today a new generation is emerging, the children of the first. The Advance Initiative believes God has called us to continue this legacy of planting churches.

The Advance Initiative exists to see a movement of gospel-centered, multiethnic churches planted by or among Indian Americans.

Let’s break it down:

Movement: At its most basic form, a movement is a group of people working together to advance an idea or cause. We believe that God can raise up not tens, not hundreds but thousands of Indian Americans to help plant churches across the country.

Gospel Centered: The Gospel is the good news that “Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15) and to give us new life in him (Jn. 10:10). The Gospel centered church believes that “the gospel of grace in Jesus Christ changes everything, from our hearts to our community to the world. It completely reshapes the content, tone, and strategy of all that we do.” (Tim Keller)

Multi-ethnic: There is something strikingly beautiful about the life of Christ lived out in diverse ethnic communities. When these diverse communities then gather, learn and love each other through our differences, we become a powerful testimony of the Gospel (Jn. 13:35). The beautifully diverse church at Antioch (Acts 13) changed the world, perhaps more than any other.

Church: The local expression of the body of Christ, the church, is God’s primary vehicle for accomplishing his mission on earth, under the authority and headship of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23). The church is distinguished by its commitment to the Gospel of Christ, obedience to his teachings, faithfulness to his mission and love for Christ, the community of believers and the world.

Planted: We believe that God has called the church to multiply by planting new churches, which was the New Testament strategy. We agree with Tim Keller: “The vigorous, continual planting of new congregations is the single most crucial strategy for the numerical growth of the Body of Christ in any city, and the continual corporate renewal and revival of the existing churches in a city.”

By or among Indian Americans: We believe that Indian Americans can play a key role in planting thousands of churches around the country. Not only do we have a legacy of planting churches, we believe that our narrative as immigrants and as minorities can serve a unique role in bridging diverse cultures and planting multicultural churches.

The need is great. The questions are many. But we will depend on God to bring new life and progress to our generation as He did to the many that have gone before us.

We plead with our Savior that he would raise up a movement of Gospel-centered, multiethnic churches planted by or among Indian Americans.

We hope you will join us.