Church Plants
Jesus said, “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God “(Deut. 8:4).
For this reason our feeding, helping, teaching, building and healing programs build into the church. And as our church plants foster a spirit of community and compassion in their local areas, they become the root from which all other projects grow.
Pastor Tomas Agostinho writes about his church in Caia, one of our eight church plants in Mozambique.
In my church, which lies far in the interior, I preach a lot about witchdoctors and witchcraft. Here in Mozambique when a child is born he or she is dedicated to a spirit for protection. Often these are ancestral spirits that have been part of a family line for generations. Whenever someone comes to our church and says he or she accepts Christ, I know the discipleship process is going to be long and hard. The new believer must renounce the devil and all his marks, amulets, signs, cords and chains, and go through a full confession of anything that was done for or with a demonic spirit. He must give himself fully to Christ.
In India we have twelve churches among tribal peoples in the Deep Forest region located just north of the city of Rajahmundry, plus one in the city’s Rock Quarry. Pastor Isaiah writes about them:
Twice a month we go into the Deep Forest villages to preach the Word of God and give out rice in places of great need. Many have accepted Christ as their savior. Others have opposed us and asked why we are bringing in foreign gods? I am praying for their repentance because I know that the gods they worship, gods who live in trees, are no gods at all, but false and lying spirits. I have remained strong in my personal witness and from this many have come to believe.