A Special Request To Our Partners
Dear CFI Partners, We are so grateful for the continued support from all of you! Thanks to your prayers and financial contributions, we continue to make an impact all throughout India. We are so proud to report to you all of the incredible work of the ministry that is being accomplished and we know you take pride in partnering with us as well. You are partners with us for a reason – because you believe in our vision to bring Christ to India. The Nava Jeevan Public School educates, houses and feeds thousands of children every day. Jyothi Hospital is a 30-bed hospital with all facilities that provides free treatment to patients. We also have remote Medical Camps set up in local villages each month to provide first aid and consultation to the poor. We have planted over 215 New Testament Churches throughout India and continue to train more nationals through our COTR Theological College and Seminary which equips young people to spread the gospel all around our country. Many of you have already sowed into the ministries mentioned above and we are so thankful for that. We are in a season right now, where we require more general funds in order to continue making the impact we want to. That is why we are writing you today to ask that you prayerfully consider giving a special gift this year towards our general funds to help cover the cost of day-to-day operations. If you are inspired by what we do and feel moved by our reports of what is taking place in India, then please consider what you might do to help further our impact there. We are so blessed to have each of you in our corner – praying for us, giving to our cause and cheering us on. CLICK HERE if you would like to give online. You can also send a check to: Christ for India, Inc. P.O. Box 271086 Dallas, TX 75227 Thank you! Jameson Titus and the Christ For India campus
Graduation Report
Thank you for all your prayers and support. India now has the 29th state of the union formed – named Telangana. The national elections are over with reports of 800 million voters! The BJP, a party usually described as Hindu nationalists, defeated the Congress party. During the last year, the political situation has not been good for the people of our state or for the ministry. We have dealt with riots, strikes, vehicles being damaged by mobs, fires and roadblocks, civil unrest, government offices closed, schools shut down, teachers on strike, and more! But we know that through it all, God is in still in control . By God’s grace, the ministry is doing well. Officially, the state has been split, and now we are now dealing with the end of the political elections. The BJP party I mentioned earlier has been known in the past to be unfriendly to Christians. Please pray for our safety during this transition. Also pray for the new party that is in power, for our state, A .P., for the new state (Telangana), and for the country of India. In the midst of this, we had the highlight of our year with 39 new graduates being commissioned and sent into the harvest field! We also held our annual pastor’s conference, where pastors from North India, South India, and in-between gathered and were encouraged, refreshed and equipped to go back into the harvest field planting new churches and fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission in the land of India. I am grateful for our keynote speakers including Dr. Ron Hammonds, Dr. Sonny Conatser and Dr. Doug and Cyndi Erickson. This year’s theme was “Discipleship” and all speakers had great teachings and encouraging words for the graduates and delegates. A special thanks to all of our teams that have taken their own resources and time to come and serve on campus: · Pastor Julian & Wendy Richards and CVCC Church team · Pastor Trevor Bucknell from Harvest Bible College · Pastor Ron Lewis and Pastor Gabriel Hensley and the COTR Kansas City team · Pastor Mike and Ruth Edwards and trustees from Wales · Pastor Ben and Jamie Starr and team from C3 Australia · Howard Poole and Don Einam from Australia · Dr. Greg Haynes and Scott Smith from Carry the Light Ministries in the US In our state, the economic climate is also changing with the uncertainty and instability in the government. The cost of rice, vegetables, eggs and chicken have risen dramatically. Our city is one of the top three choices to become the new capital of our state, causing land prices to rise as well. This has made it difficult to purchase land to build new churches. The urgency for Christ for India to become more self-sufficient from within India is becoming critical . One of our main projects this year is to buy a rice paddy, as we are now providing almost 3,000 meals per day! Rice is one of our most expensive food costs and we can save valuable funds by cultivating it ourselves. Please prayerfully consider helping us with this project! We need to buy 17 acres of rice paddy with the approximate cost at $20,000 per acre. In addition, we continue to have many children who need sponsorship, seminary students who need scholarships and 150+ pastors who need monthly sponsorships as they plant and pioneer churches in unreached villages . Since 1981, God has provided for all of our needs in all areas of ministry. God is faithful! Thank you for all that you do and your consideration on all projects this year. Training thousands to reach the millions, Jameson Titus
A Letter To The Givers
Dear Friend of Christ for India: Greetings in Jesus’ precious name! I trust this finds you blessed in the Lord. We are rejoicing because the Lord has blessed us with one of the best years in the entire history of this ministry. Even though the challenges are great in providing for all the students, faculty, support staff for COTR College & Seminary, the Children’s Home, Nava Jeevan school, and Jyothi Hospital (as well as other ministries too numerous to mention here), we serve a great God who is responsive to our prayers to supply what we need. And YOU have been a wonderful part of supplying that need through your gift, however great or small. I wanted to write to you today to let you in on a little secret. Many people who give to ministries like Christ for India, do so while apologizing that it couldn’t be a larger gift. Believe me, at Christ for India we cherish every last penny! But, you see, that is just the thing. While every ministry would love to have a few benefactors who are able to give 5, 6, even 7 figure gifts for the work of their ministry, the reality is that those gifts are harder to come by than hitting the lottery! The secret to how the Lord funds ministries is through prompting everyday folks like, you and me, to regularly give their $10, $15, $20, or $25 a month gift. And almost everyone on our mailing list can do that. Well, if everyone on the list DID, we would be able to pay off any indebtedness and move boldly into the projects the Lord continues to give us a vision for (like, pay off the school busses, expand the women’s vocational training programs, and move into new areas of media and technology resources and curriculum). As marvelous as a huge, multi-thousand dollar gift is, in the long run, it is the steady, faithful, month-in, month-out, year-in, year-out givers that are most valuable in the on-going work of Christ for India. Please won’t you make this a matter of prayer? Could you join the ranks of regular monthly givers who are the real backbone of this ministry? I have every confidence the Lord will bless you for this act of faithfulness on your part! Thank you for becoming a regular part of Christ for India’s ministry! In Jesus’ love
A Normal Christian Life
I think we are on fairly safe ground if we can understand “normal” to be that which is most typically seen or that which is to be expected most of the time. This leaves open the possibility that God could lead someone to live in a manner quite differently than most people; owing to a specialized calling, in a particular location, among a specific group of people… but it would be a pretty rare thing. For the vast majority of us, there are things that Jesus expects of us (not to earn His favor, or merit salvation, mind you!) – and it is legitimate to say that these expectations are what should typically mark the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, what should typically mark a Christian’s life is not what is found in the life of the average Christian. Think for a moment about this quote: “Most Christians live such subnormal Christian lives that when someone comes along leading a normal Christian life, he seems abnormal.” Sumner Wemp Jesus was not as interested in obtaining “decisions”, or gaining “members” as He was in training disciples. “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt.4:19), Jesus said. He never called anyone to anything less than total commitment. Following anyone (especially following Jesus) requires effort, training, and discipline. Godliness is not a matter of simply trying harder, but of training better (1 Tim. 4:7), seizing upon the proper, effective tools for spiritual growth. I am delighted to report that this is exactly the sort of training that goes on at the C.O.T.R. Seminary. Abundant prayer is normal. Rigorous scholarship is normal. Frequency of worship is normal. Witnessing to the lost is normal. Extreme personal sacrifice is normal. Whole-hearted commitment to Jesus is normal. Aren’t these the kind of pastors and Christian workers you would want to see produced from a seminary? If so, won’t you please give generously to see that this sort of normal Christian life is carried on in India! For more on what makes CFI’s ministry so essential, read the blog One Billion Reasons. More information on the most urgent projects can be seen here: Key Projects In 2014. To visit the Christ for India Campus, please contact us so that we can assist in making the arrangements. If this blog inspired you, please consider sharing.
One Billion Reasons
It’s been nearly 2,000 years since Christ’s resurrection. From then until now, there has been one simple focus for disciples of Christ: reach each and every soul with the gospel. Simple- yes, but not easy. It requires blood, sweat, and tears to see this work accomplished. For centuries, that blood, sweat, and tears has been shed to see the Good News about Christ’s rescuing love shared with desperate people in desperate circumstances. As a pastor, it has been my aim to take up this task. I have taken my strategy directly from the ministry of Jesus Christ: find people in need, then do my best to meet the need. Whether it be financial needs, emotional needs, medical attention, food to the hungry, clothes for the naked, education, or simply being a friend – needs such as these are ever-present. Just take a few steps outside of your door, and they can be found. Early in my ministry, I was made aware of the desperate need in India. As the second most populous country in the world, it is home to over 1 billon people (1, 237,000,000 + since 2012). Of those 1 billion + people, there are over 100 million Christians! Although that is an incredible number worth celebrating, it indicates that still over 1 billion people are unreached. Of those 1 billion unreached people, over 80% live on less than $3.00 per day, and over 30% are considered impoverished. Nearly half of the 1 billion are children, and of those children, 40% are of the impoverished. Here’s the breakdown again: 1.2 billion people in India 100 million Christians… THANK YOU JESUS! 1.1 billion unreached for Christ 900 million live on less than $3 per day 400 million live on less than $1.25 per day 440 million children 200 million of those children are impoverished… HELP US JESUS! When I reflect on data like that, I think of the words of Paul in Ephesians 3… For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit (Ephesians 3:14-16 ESV) At first look, it may seem impossible, but imagine the power of mobilizing some of those 100 million Christians to reach those 1.1 Billion unreached people. At Christ For India, the infrastructure is there. A ministry with a large campus located in India providing education for children, ministry training for believers, medical care for those in need, and many humanitarian efforts to meet some of the most deeply felt needs in India. There are currently over 250 pastors that have been sent from CFI. There are hundreds of children being educated right now, and dozens of seminary students are being equipped to multiply the efforts. With over 1 billion unreached souls still in need of Christ’s redemptive love in India, we have 1 billion reasons to add our blood, sweat, and tears to the work. Please pray, please give, and please join our hands in an effort to give Christ to India. For more information on the most urgent projects, read Key Projects In 2014… To visit the Christ for India Campus, please contact us so that we can assist in making the arrangements…
Key Projects in 2014
Although there are many needs of the ministry of Christ For India (CFI), I would like to highlight these 5 for 2014: 1) New dining hall and kitchen for the children attending school on their campus 2) Sheet metal roofing for Worship Center and Junior College 3) Romans 12:12 project – Support at $100 per month for 144 new pastors and evangelists taking Christ’s message to the villages. 4) Acquiring a small rubber tree plantation for self support. 5) Solar power for campus. Of these, the Romans 12:12 project specifically takes the CFI ministry to another dimension of impact as it is equipping and supporting CFI seminary graduates and pastors who are fulfilling the most important role of the Lord’s Army. They are the “foot soldiers” that have “one-on-one” contact with the people living in the territory (villages) assigned to them by God. They face the forces of evil, often alone, and are on the front lines of salvation. The 12th chapter of Romans provides excellent guidelines for our graduates. More succinctly, Ro. 12:12 – “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continually instant in prayer” is a great foundation. Likewise, 144 pastors and evangelists sponsored at $100 per month equals $14,400. And 12X12 =144 which is the number needed to be sponsored. They begin their journey “rejoicing” that God has chosen them to go forth, and they go rejoicing in the victories they encounter. As they experience trials, turmoil, and tribulation, they are steadfast and do not falter. They are patient in what they are doing for God. Prayer is their constant partner. They are continually in prayer in every situation they encounter. Like any army, supplies come from behind the front lines – from the base camps, the central support and Headquarters. Foot soldiers depend on their supply lines to keep them in the field and effective for as long as they are on the front lines. Every aspect of CFI’s ministry is important and appreciates your support. If you determine you would like to support this project, mark your contributions “Ro 12:12”
Christmas Update
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Christ for India! Johnson, Helen, Mary and and all of the family send their love and greetings to each of you and your families. I would like to give a special thanks to all those who hosted me and Mary as we traveled throughout the year. I also appreciate, so much, the Christ for India Board Members who serve the ministry in giving of their time, talents, and treasures. I thank God for our many prayer and financial partners over the years that have made this ministry possible. This year our focus was (1) To train young men and women to become pastors and evangelists. (2) To plant churches in unreached areas and build places of worship. (3) To alleviate pain and suffering through humanitarian outreaches at our hospital on campus, village medical camps and eye clinics. (4) To give children an opportunity to be educated and become the future leaders of India. This is all made possible by your continued prayers and giving. We are praying and believing that God will challenge 500 new prayer and financial partners to commit to praying for our family and ministry as well as financially supporting Christ for India each month with a gift of $100 or more. In these challenging times, several of our new partners are reaching the $100 monthly goal by joining with friends and pledging smaller amounts together. If you are currently not partnering monthly with Christ for India, please prayerfully consider being one of the “India 500”. What a fantastic opportunity this is to be an instrument of God in bringing the Gospel to lost and needy souls! On campus, over 1,000 people are being ministered to daily. Together we are providing pastors and their families with financial support each month which allows them to be in the mission field. Currently we have 144 Pastors that are in need of a sponsor. Would you consider sponsoring a Pastor monthly? $100 per month will sponsor a Pastor and family with rice and rent. This year the children’s home and school has taken in 950 children off the streets. We have given them love, hope and Jesus. Many of these children are now young adults serving in ministry and becoming productive citizens of India. Currently we have over 300 children still in need of sponsorship. Would you consider sponsoring a child at $40 per month? Through the medical camps and the hospital on campus, we are ministering to many young people and elderly who would not receive healthcare otherwise. Please consider planting a seed by making a year-end donation. Your gift can be in honor of a beloved friend or family member. There are many ways to give to Christ for India. We accept stocks/shares and gifts in kind. For more information please contact us at cfimin@christforindia.org or visit our website at christforindia.com.au. Thank you for being part of this miracle ministry in India. We pray that you are richly blessed this holiday season. Blessings for the New Year, Jameson Titus and Family
Thanksgiving Praise Report
I am grateful to all the partners who have hosted my mother, Mary, and me during our travels in the USA. Thank you so much for your continued prayer and support! We are on campus now and have been catching up here. Our school and all buses are back up and running. All of the children are able to attend school at the present time. The problems with the state division are still ongoing, but thank God the strike in our area is over for now. Thank you for praying and standing with us during this difficult time. The cyclone that passed through here did very little damage to our immediate area, but please continue to pray for those effected as they rebuild what was lost. Since we’ve returned to India, we have hosted teams, visited churches and new church sites. We also attended conferences and finished our Annual Pastors conference just today. For all of you who have been praying for the pastors conference – thank you! We had over 150 pastors from all over India gather for 3 days of meetings on our campus. The conference is a time of praying for one another and hearing reports from each area of ministry from our pastors. Our Delhi pastor, Pastor Joseph, shared information on persecution involving civil cases that are brought against pastors there. Hyderabad Pastor, Pastor Sonny, spoke about problems that arose from the state split as Hyderabad is our state capital at present. Pastor Isaac updated us on the new church, how it is growing and the construction that is almost completed. This is also a time of encouraging one another, teaching and “housekeeping” before sending them all back into the harvest field. The last session ended this morning and the pastors are leaving to return to their respective areas of ministry. Please continue to keep all the pastors and evangelists in your prayers as they work in preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ! During this season, we are especially reminded of all our prayer and financial partners. We are Thankful to God for each one of you! Thank you for allowing us to do what we do here in India in fulfilling Christ Great Commission! Training thousands to reach the millions, Jameson
Praise Report on the Cyclonic Storm!
Dear Partners, Thank you for all your prayers! Here is a Praise Report from Johnson Titus on Campus: “Now we see after the morning that it all mostly the Cyclone went to Odisa and Srikakulam where our Pastor Karun Kumar is. They got heavy rains, winds, but no major damage. The major storm went north of us. There is damage and flooding, but nothing like ‘The Indian Katrina’ as they were calling it. It is reported that over 1,000,000 people were evacuated, so no loss of life in our area, although there were 14 deaths from the storm in the region. We don’t know the full details yet on the lives lost; more property damage than anything. Praise God! Let all know we are safe, with no major problems. Thanks for their prayers.” – Johnson Titus We ask that you will keep covering our campus and the people in the region with prayer for the rebuilding and as people return to their homes. Thank you for your faithful prayers and support. Blessings, Jameson Titus, President
A Brief Word from Campus about the Coming Storm
Dear Partners , We need your prayers, as a weather storm approaches our campus, in the next few hours we are facing a Cyclone on our coast and all along the shoreline of Andhra and Odisha, eastern India. I just received this from Johnson, my brother, direct from the campus: “[I] Don’t know if you have seen news. Coastal Andhra from Visak up to Odisha, West Bengal are in the path of a cyclone, “Indian Katrina”, coming to land fall by Saturday night. We are praying that it doesn’t come to close to us, but we are going to get the heavy rains and some winds all in our area. We may be out of communications for a while: no electricity, cells, etc. I have no way of knowing what this means or where it is going. We are preparing to keep all things tied down. Let all our friends know to keep us in prayer.“ -Johnson Titus Thank you again for all your prayers. Read this article for more information on the storm Blessings, Jameson
