SALT India

India

A nation of 1.2 billion people. Immense poverty, but a beautiful country with a lovely and proud people. The poverty of Pipe Village and the splendor of the Taj Mahal.

It is a nation of dozens of languages and hundreds of dialects, yet almost entirely (80%) Hindu. The Christian minority is often subjected to violent attacks, yet the church has been growing tremendously, with estimates ranging from 6% to 20% of the population, depending on the level of “underground” Christians.

HPBC’s Partnership for Leadership Training

HPBC’s commitment to share the Good News of God’s love with all people, led to initiating a 3 year partnership with our local Indian partner organization in 2007. Our Indian partners began work in India in 1964, and they are staffed and run by local believers. They combine social concerns and meeting peoples physical needs with proclamation, church planting, and discipleship.

HPBC comes alongside to give expertise, personnel, and finances to help our Indian partners reach “the least of these” and establish strong biblical worshiping bodies. Named “SALT” (Strategic Alliance for Leadership Training), the program focused on providing financial support and a teaching team for a yearly 5-day senior leaders training seminar and a 3 day training seminar for senior leaders’ wives and women leaders in believers’ fellowships.

Good Shepherd School in Bangalore

In addition, in the fall of 2008 HPBC raised a separate fund to build a Good Shepherd School in Bangalore to be run by our Indian partner. The school will primarily serve Dalit children. Dalit is the self-designated name of a group of people traditionally regarded as “untouchable” outside the caste system. While the caste system has been abolished under the Indian constitution, there is still discrimination and prejudice against Dalits in India.

New Five Year Commitment

Beginning in 2010, HPBC committed to partnering for another five years, through 2014. We will:

• Continue supporting training conferences
• Develop discipleship training for senior leaders, and develop women’s curriculum
• Encourage SCS to work with developing and enhancing the school in Bangalore
• Develop a forum for HPBC and SCS to sponsor students to the school in Bangalore

Teams for 2010
We are currently forming and preparing teams for the training seminars in the Fall of 2010. The men’s seminar is scheduled for September 18-27, 2010. A team of 8 men who have a solid Biblical background and sufficient teaching experience are needed for this trip. Part of the curriculum has been designed by our Indian partners and features basic Biblical training. HPBC is currently developing a discipleship training curriculum.

The women’s team will be going to India October 7-15, 2010, and will consist of HPBC women who have ministry experience at HPBC. Topics will include: personal discipleship (prayer, bible study), Christian living (marriage, parenting), and church ministry (counseling, women & children’s ministry).

We ask for your prayers for the team, the trip, for our Indian partners, and for India. Might God be calling you to serve his people in India? Or to support the HPBC team as they serve there? If you are ready to step out of your comfort zone, and have a willingness to work and serve God’s people in India, please let us know! For more information on this trip or on our Indian partners and the specifics of this partnership, please contact Faye Thomas at fthomas@highlandparkbaptist.com or 248-357-5464 ext. 221.