Raising Local Leaders: Our Mission in Church Planting Training in South Asia

In the vibrant colors and intricate tapestry of South Asia lies a compelling call to share the Gospel with so many who have never heard it. From bustling cities to the tranquil, rural farmlands, our organization strives to respond to this call by nurturing and training local leaders dedicated to spreading the Gospel. We deeply appreciate our donors' incredible commitment and belief in our mission, and today, we would like to offer a closer look into the work we do, especially with regard to our training programs.

Academy for Church Planting and Leadership

At the heart of our operations is the Academy for Church Planting and Leadership (ACPL). This renowned training institute nurtures individuals, both men and women, who aspire to plant churches and take up leadership roles within the church planting community. ACPL doesn't just teach the Bible; it integrates special revelation with science, commerce, and arts (general revelation) to foster a comprehensive understanding of God’s purpose for humankind.

Our graduates primarily engage in church planting and mission leadership, armed with knowledge and skills to navigate the myriad of cultural, social, and political challenges they encounter. Their holistic training is fortified with sound empirical research methodologies, a unique facet of our program that allows them to engage more profoundly with the communities they serve.

Accredited by the Indian Institute of Missiology (IIM) and a proud member of the Asian Theological Association (ATA), ACPL is a beacon of faith, knowledge, and community building. For further details on these programs, please visit our website at www.a4cpl.org.

Grass Roots Engagement: Certified Programs

Alongside the work of ACPL, we're aware that the grassroots levels within the region house a vast number of unreached people. Our certified programs extend beyond the traditional classroom, reaching out to these grassroots church planters and leaders, who play a crucial role in expanding God's kingdom. By contextualizing training materials to resonate with regional dynamics, we ensure their relevance and efficacy.

Understanding the practical challenges our grass root leaders face, such as leaving their familiar culture and agricultural land, we've optimized our program structure. It now allows potential leaders to acquire vital training without disrupting their everyday lives significantly.

Indigenous Reproductive Church Planting

In alignment with our emphasis on “Indigenous Reproductive Church Planting,” we launched the 'Diploma in Church Planting' in February 2013. This program caters specifically to grass-roots level church planters and leaders, aiming to promote the planting of self-supporting, self-propagating, and self-governing churches in their native regions.

Training Needs and Costs

Training church planters is not a short-term task. We foresee at least a 36-month period for a successful indigenous reproductive church to be planted. Therefore, we've adapted our training model to distribute training over the same time frame. This approach has not only reduced the time taken to plant a church but also facilitated ongoing research and growth.

Implementing such a transformative strategy, however, requires financial resources. It costs us $1800 to train each person per batch, with each batch consisting of 6 training events spread over 36 months. A monthly support of $50 for a period of 36 months from generous donors like you can help us meet the training costs of one church planter.

Each year, we aim to train 150 church planters in South Asia, an endeavor that requires an annual budget of $90,000. Perhaps the Lord is leading you to support this mission. If you would like to know more about our training events or contribute towards this, please contact us at info@reapindia.church.

The work we do, with your invaluable support, is more than just training individuals. It's about empowering communities, nurturing faith, and cultivating a culture of Christ-likeness. Let's continue this journey together, planting churches and spreading the Gospel throughout South Asia. Together, we can make a lasting impact and sow seeds of faith for a brighter future.

Cultivating Leadership: Unveiling New Horizons of Faith with the Academy for Church Planting & Leadership

We are so excited to celebrate the 2023 graduating class of the Academy for Church Planting & Leadership.

Our mission at REAP is to make disciples, one way we do that is through the work of ACPL and church planting efforts throughout India. ACPL’s goal is to cultivate spiritual leadership and empower passionate individuals to sow the seeds of faith across the vast landscapes of India. Driven by a vision to strengthen the spiritual fabric of our society, ACPL is shaping new pastors and church planters, equipping them with the essential skills, theological training, and compassionate hearts to build, nourish, and replicate their own churches.

Graduation Day: A Testament of Achievement and Aspiration

We have just celebrated the graduation of our latest class, a group of dedicated and determined individuals who have shown tremendous commitment to their callings.

This group of men hail from various backgrounds but share a common, burning passion - to be messengers of the Gospel. They have spent countless hours immersing themselves in theological studies, leadership training, and community-building exercises. Their journey has been one of personal and collective growth, interspersed with moments of challenge, triumph, self-discovery, and a deepened relationship with God.

Their time at ACPL has prepared them not just with a rich theological understanding, but also with practical, hands-on experience to navigate the real-world challenges of church planting and leadership. Through our various outreach programs and training they have had the opportunity to engage with communities, understand their spiritual needs, and apply their learning in a meaningful way.

We wholeheartedly congratulate our graduates for their steadfast determination, their remarkable accomplishments, and most importantly, for the incredible journey that lies ahead of them. As they take their first steps into the world as trained pastors and church planters, we know they are equipped to make a lasting difference in the lives they touch and the communities they serve.

Onward with Faith: The Journey Continues

As our graduates venture forth to plant new churches and nourish existing ones, our mission continues. The ACPL will tirelessly strive to provide quality education and leadership training for future pastors and church planters. We are fueled by the success of our students, knowing that each new church founded and each community touched brings us one step closer to our vision.

To our graduates, we send you out with heartfelt prayers.

Let's together continue sowing the seeds of the Gospel, one leader at a time.

Stone Memorial Building Update

We have exciting progress to share this month on The John & Phyllis Stone Memorial building!

If you are unfamiliar with this project, we were blessed in 2021 with donations to The John & Phyllis Stone Memorial. We were able to raise over $200,000 to go towards this important project. All funds raised are being used for the work at our ministry’s main campus in Bangalore, India to build a new dormitory for church planters during their training as well as further training facilities. This is a key tool in our work to raise up church-planting disciple-makers.

Our need to build the dormitory is driven by our goal of educating 100 church planters every year, and we want to begin training their spouses, too. The current facility cannot house more than 20 people at a time and is severely inadequate. The new facility will include dormitories, bathroom facilities, food services, classrooms, and space for producing our online training modules.

New work is being completed and we are starting to see the bones of this project come together. Take a look at recent photos of the work being done below. We still need more funds to finish this project!

The second level of the structure is underway!

This is the first level where there will be parking.

Progress of the roofing work being completed.

We are so excited to see work being completed on this extremely important project. Stay tuned for more updates to come soon!

If you’d like to learn more about this project or give to the John & Phyllis Stone Memorial Project, click here, contact Steve Albright at reaptreasurer@gmail.com, or give us a call at 865-409-0371.

An Introduction to REAP Church Planters: Who They Are, What They Do, and the Impact They Create

At REAP, disciple making is our top priority. Because of this, our mission revolves around planting reproducing churches throughout India. We want to see a movement of church planting across India, with each church planter fully equipped to begin planting churches in their region on their own. Our ultimate goal is to establish sustainable and reproducible churches within a 5-year time period.

In order to do this, we must be have the right people in the right places to carry out this critical work. We wanted to walk you through what that process looks like to give you insight on how it all works, who our church planters are, the impact they make, and how your donations make it all happen.

Who Our Church Planters Are

Our church planters are men who are interested in being trained as pastors, want to have an impact on their community, and want to share the Gospel. These individuals are passionate about serving and helping others in their communities, and they have a deep desire to share the love of Christ with those around them.

How We Identify Them/How They Are Chosen

We invite local leaders and others to send their potential candidates for the next church planting project. The key leader and the leadership team then select likely candidates. These candidates receive initial training and are sent for a 6-month trial period to prove their commitment and capability. Proven candidates will be taken into the project for 3 years, with a contract to plant indigenous and reproductive churches. During the 3-year period, church planters will go through 16 weeks of training and receive financial support, supervision, and mentoring. We encourage pioneering and the formation of new disciples, rather than taking members from other churches.

Their Impact On Their Local Community

Our church planters have a tremendous impact on their local communities. They share the Gospel and bring people to Christ, rescue orphans and provide them a home at a Springbuds location, help those in poverty or in need in the local area, help people find jobs or ways to overcome their difficult situations and so much more. By planting churches, our pastors help build up the local community and provide a foundation for lasting change.

How Your Donations Impact Them

Your donations directly impact this work and allow it to happen. Donations directly go to church planters to help them provide for their families while ministering in the community. Generous giving allows more pastors to be trained and churches to be planted. Your support is essential in helping us achieve our mission of planting reproducing churches across India. We can’t thank our donors enough for their faithfulness!

Church Planting is Our Greatest Mission

We believe that planting churches is essential to building up local communities and spreading the Gospel in India. Our church planters are dedicated and passionate about serving their communities and sharing the love of Christ. With your support, we can continue to train and equip more pastors and plant more churches across India. If you’d like to give towards our mission, click here.

Picnic in the Grove 2023 Recap

Our third annual Picnic in the Grove event was a huge success! Keep reading to learn about all of the fun we had, the amazing turnout, and the final tally of the funds we were able to raise for REAP!

This year’s event included a corn hole tournament, a petting zoo, and a basketball game. Kids in attendance were able to create art pieces with their handprints and then were sold in a live auction! These pieces will be hung at the Springbud's homes in India.

We were also incredibly blessed to have the premier fundraising group in Austin, Cowboy Auctioneers, donate their time to help put on the live auction. Thank you SO much to the Cowboy Auctioneers for all of your help!

We had 225 attendees this year and our very own Dr. Jayakumar was in attendance too! He joined in on the fun and shared the history of REAP.  It was amazing to see so many new families at this year’s event and to be able to share what God is doing in India.

In all, we were able to raise $255,000 dollars! Truly incredible. We could not be more grateful to every single person who made this possible. These donations will help to deploy 25 church planters over the next year as well as the ongoing needs of the Springbud Children's Homes. 

We already can’t wait for next year!