Reflections on Last Year’s Graduation

On Sunday evening, March 22, 2009, Grace Bible College, Central India, graduated 10 students.  The ceremony was a great joy to see and participate in.  IMI sponsored the event and several from the US were there. 

Center back in left picture, IMI’s Executive Director, John Cook, gave the challenge to the graduates.  Left of John is Dan Iles, Pastor of Mountain Range Church, Fort Collins, Colorado, who gave the graduation address.  Principal Pramod Tantarpale is to John’s right - both he and Grace (to Pramod’s right) and the other GBC staff members, labored to see this evening wonderfully celebrated with style and a beautiful tribute to the Lord above all!  Also present from the US were Jim Campbell, Grand Lake, Colorado, who was asked to share a prayer for the graduating class, Dee Cook, Linda Iles and Elizabeth Anglea.

The faculty and guests were honored to give a dedicatory prayer for these young people, top right picture, as most of them will be going into full-time ministyr.  Others will be pursuing further studies. 

It took many people working hard for an entire year to see this, GBC’s 5th annual graduation, happen.  Indigenous Ministries International is the major funding organization for GBC - and we praise the Lord for a faithful prayer team and financial supporting IMI family.  Without each and every one of you, this would all quietly shut down. 

These young people are dedicated to the Lord and are serious about serving Him - will you please pray for them as they now move into ministry, or for some, further studies. 

Please help us continue this vital work at GBC - support a student monthly for $75.  You can now donate online.  But above everything else, please remember to pray for GBC and IMI.  You ARE impacting young men and women to change the world!

This is accomplished through various programs, including lending funds for goats, wood-working tools, small food production projects and handicraft projects. 

If you would like to help with funding one of these projects, please email Resty Enguerra, IMI’s Indonesia Project Manager at renguerra@imiglobal.org.

What makes a strong church?  What takes a church from its struggling beginnings to a fruitful and mature Body of Believers?  Spiritual training, wise mentoring and carefully directed resources are some of the key elements to take a church from vision to an engaged group of Believers.

Can resources, however, cause more problems then the burdens they alleviate?  Many come from the West with good intentions into third world countries bringing massive amounts of money and end up overwhelming those who serve with a small salary and a large heart of faith. This can cause a vast scope of issues from destroying faith in the Lord to securing faith in the West, to greed and encouraging issues of power and control.

Only a few indigenous nationals are able to handle this, and the vast majority lose ambition and purpose. Unless there is a system of knowing how to inject resources wisely and at proper economic levels, we can destroy what and how the Lord intended to build.

To help with this, imagine the mental image of a butterfly struggling so hard to get free of its cocoon.  It seems the merciful thing to do to free it from its bonds, yet this is a death-sentence to the butterfly.

No matter where the church is planted she must go through struggles and trials to be able to earn the right to stand upon her own. Knowing this, IMI has had the vision to carefully and prayerfully assist to manage resources to gain the maximum advantage within a culture and community, with being sensitive to this core issue.

IMI is involved partnering with the indigenous church to provide scholarships (”Child Sponshorship Program” or, CSP) to children of impoverished families.  The number of children enrolled in the CSP program in one village has doubled from 12 to 24.  There are dozens on the waiting list to be sponsored.

The Lord has brought a seminary student who will work as an intern for a year in one of the villages. He will establish new contacts, follow-up and disciple new believers. They meet every Sunday evening.  As the parents are discipled, the CSP tutorial staff works with the CSP children on their homework. The students are also taught English using the Gideon Bible that has Bahasa Indonesian on one side and English on the other side.  They then lead the children in singing and games after the studies.  Pray that when he graduates from seminary the Lord will burden him to stay in this village and possibly become the Pastor of this village church.

How you can help:  Pray for these Believers in this predominately Muslim country who are boldly evangelizing during this open window of opportunity. 

Support a CSP child @ $25/month:  This will enable a child to receive education, a uniform, tutoring and an opportunity for him or her and the family to learn about the Gospel. A packet will be mailed to you with information on your child.  You can donate online on this website or mail your check to IMI.