Body

Case Studies on Urban Poor Ministries

Bombay Consultation on Ministry Among the Urban Poor, August 1993

In Bombay I spent a week training urban poor churchplanters. 80 arrived from 7 different cities in India. The following are some of half-edited notes from the case studies. The interaction was dynamic, as this was the first time many had had opportunity to talk through urban poor church planting processes they had developed. I taught each morning and some evening sessions integrating the case studies into the pattern of training. Significant release of the work of the Spirit and healing occurred towards the latter part of the seminar.

One of the results was the setting up of two urban consultations in February for 10 cities each (5 leaders from each city), to develop the cities processes.

Dr. Alex Zachariah, ELIM, Principal of Ludhiana Hospital
First saw slums in Hong Kong when on sabbatical. In India there are 300 million in cities, 100 million in slums.
Ludhiana produces 60% of wheat and 40% of rice. Why then 1/2 million of slum dwellers in Ludhiana? Answer: none of the slum dwellers are Punjabis. Ludhiana, 2 million with 250 slums of 2-300,000
Started with economic project analysis based on Government grant from USAID.
This January reversed this approach by starting a slum worship and preaching the gospel. Now that section of the slum is called Hallelujah. Hanuman God section. Every hut in the Hanuman section saved. When you put worship first, and the preaching of the word, signs , wonders and miracles happen. Luke 9:1,2. Empowered for three things. To drive out demons, heal sicknesses. Impossible to establish anything in the slums. Man went into fit, Evangelist commanded demon to go. The demon returned to the man. The new converts began singing. Then one of them got up in the name of Jesus commanded the demons to go. Now the believers. Every evening they have worship.
Mrs. Zach identified 22 women and trained them as health care workers. (dais, midwives).
On July 4, had 8 baptisms. 4 men and 4 dais. Now these dais (midwifes) have been joined by 10 more waiting to be baptized.
94% of the women are illiterate. Elim emphasizes mother and the girl children. Total literacy campaign. Full time workers in the morning do the teaching. The Bible is the basis of the program.
1. Questions:
  - With the focus on women and children, can't you be accused of manipulating them since they are the most vulnerable?
    - The men are away anyway. The ministry is done by women - women ministering to women; the men focus on men. There are many workers from the slums who have gone back to work in the slums - when this happens, there is greater credibility and great joy.
  - This is really a theoretical question - this objection does not come up. You are much more likely to be accused of manipulating people when you hand out food, for instance.
    - Take the responsibility to disciple people until they make other disciples - don't just stop at baptizing them. Discipling is extremely important. None of us should be in so much of a hurry to have many converts, that we don't have time to disciple.
    - In the slums, the Jesus film was shown three times. Showing the Jesus film to all sections of the slum is an important strategy.
  - How is it that, as an NGO, you are able to utilize government programs?
    - Programs like USAID are very particular - they only work with secular agencies. There is in all of our written goals etc. not one word of Christ. When I talk to the government agencies I waste no time to tell them I am a servant of Jesus, and that is OK with them as long as it is not down on paper. "Be as wise as serpents . ." So we don't put it on paper anywhere, but I want to tell you that all we do is for the glory of Jesus.
    - There was a couple that was converted who took people's idols and broke them. None of us or the evangelists were around. You don't want to lose people. They have as much right to believe what they believe as we do. It must be the Holy Spirit that shows people the truth. Therefore, we told them "no more dramatics."
Ivan Ruscino, Valley of Praise, Reaching Prostitutes and Drug Addicts
The Lord told him to leave his job. A friend lead him to a group of drug addicts. Found himself preaching to drug addicts.
Case 1: A.B. was 38 years at that time. 23 years a drug addict. His mother was a prostitute. His father was an alcoholic. He was staying with a girl prostitute and living off her earnings. One day he asked me to pray for him. When I began to pray the presence of God was all over the room. It was so strong that a little boy came and joined us and also came to the Lord. I did not even know that he was a drug addict.
We used to have a small Sunday worship. He came, and told me what took place. After you prayed, i went straight to get my drugs. Heard a voice saying "This is not for you" He gave up drugs. He became one of our first members. He was our new convert and I had to disciple him. He gave me a run. He was very abusive and extremely violent. You see his youth was blown up in drugs.
We got him a job, as a cook. His mind became paradise. He turned out to be a very intelligent man. He learned a computer. He married his girl who had been a prostitute. She chased him all over Bombay. All their friends came to the church, all the girls and boys of the trade. Many of them have turned to the Lord. 7-8 of them.
They are very active in evangelism, but discipling took 5 years. Their reactions are very different to many of us. They abuse. They are an embarrassment to a middle class church. they stay in a slum and their they have started their own church.
Case 2: A drug addict. I didn't know I had preached. His wife was also an alcoholic. Lost his Rs. 600 a day from dealing. Got a job
Case 3: We would have coffee parties to reach the prostitutes.
Case 4: Street People. No breakthrough. Spirit of lawlessness on them. Spirit of homelessness. there has not been a breakthrough in this area. The street people cannot count. We tried to get them away from begging. We got them to sell bananas, but because they could not count, they did not succeed.
Debt
Most slum-dwellers are in debt. To get them out of debt, first we lead them to Christ, and then, with the Holy Spirit, we try to point out their mistakes in how they handle their money. Handling money and time are two major areas of discipline we take for granted in the middle class and rich society, but it is virtually non-existent among the very poor, especially the destitute poor, so they need to grow in this area of managing their time and money. This takes a lot of time and discipling.
Anger
They can also be very angry, but they are still Christians, and they will worship the Lord and ask forgiveness for their temper. If they fall back into prostitution, they will come back quickly. You have to wait and see the fruit of their discipleship.
Dealing with the owners of the prostitutes
The pimps have paid 17-20,000 Rupees to purchase girls from the country. To get them out of prostitution, we pay the full price for them. There are well-wishers who will pay this.
- So far, none of them are HIV positive. What would you do if you found an HIV positive girl?
  - By the grace of God, there are other people in the city of Bombay who have been trained to deal with this. I would take community help.
    Viju: About 20 years ago, even to say the word "prostitute" in a Christian gathering was taboo. This was because no one thought that a girl from the red light district should know God - that they were doomed to live in darkness all their lives. I thank God that two ministries started in Bombay. A group of us went in vans to the garbage dump, then to the pavement dwellers, then to Falkland Road - the red light district. We prayed, and then we got out to walk around. Someone said, "Suppose one of our congregation sees us here." It was one of the most changing experiences. We saw these prostitutes as young teenagers. The last place we went was All Saints Church, an upper class church, and reflected. It touched our hearts.
Report by O.M. on new direction towards Slum Churches
Change in direction of O.M. to focus onto Muslims, Hindus and Urban poor.
Two huts for rent where we conduct Sunday services. People come from 10:30. They sing with us, and we pray for the sick. Some baptisms.
Ministries to rickshaw wallahs of Canpur, Hyderabad, two slums in Calcutta, two slums in Bombay.
Children's clubs have given entrance. This has included a literacy program. A few hundred children. Through these we have 3 or 4 contacts. Started 3 house groups. Invite them to Sunday evening service.
Pastor Vaiju David from St. Mary's, a C N I Church
Regular CNI Pastor in church ministries, preaching, teaching, matchmaking, pride of heritage in contribution to India - but I was not doing anything.
Realized I believed an evangelical gospel but was not practicing. From studying the book of James we realized we should be doing something.
- Opened church compound.
- Morning prayers help us to prepare ourselves. It started a church moving.
- Started healing ministry. Clinic started by prayer. Started by prayer. Used to go and pray in their homes.
- Muslims on pavement area. All kinds of people are there
- We have a lot of literature.
- Finance should come from the people. When people give they are involved.
- Started ministry to blind people. Some are now full time workers.
  Cities belong to God, not any other god.
  During the riots, the whole room was full of Muslims. What a testimony.
Apna Ghar
In 1987 on the 31st of December, I was seeking the Lord and asking him directions from him for my life. He spoke to me from Micah 6:47. I was puzzled. Helping the poor, the destitute, the motherless, and the strangers stood out. I prayed. God has his ways of performing things. I got a trust made to do what he said. It took some time and for some time everything was at a standstill. He gave me a vision for children. Last year, in May, someone gave me a paper on street children in Eficor work. We found it very useful. Our first work was to pick up runaway kids.
Shamane my friend came to work with me. She is a nurse. At Borivili station we started, taking them to our home. After two months we found no more kids. Worried, we asked the Lord. He directed us to Khandiviili station.. We found 24 kids, some runaway, others with one parent, others orphans. We sat down, prayed, dressed some wounds and as we kept doing this, we were watched by others on the station. Now we have one nonformal school. Shameane gives medical care. We give the children food, there is a doctor near the station whose help we are also getting now.
Our short term goal is for a day care centre for these children, just giving the kids a bath and food. Our long term goal is to have a home for these children - good Christian homes. We believe that God will fulfill this vision.
We pray naturally with these children. Last week we asked a boy, Taraju, abandoned by his family, an alcoholic father. He had been begging. Now the father has come to the Lord and is looking forward to becoming a rickshaw driver. He is already a believer. We recently asked him what the man wanted to do and he said, the work that you do, for who is going to tell these little children not to do bad things which the devil tells them to do, not to watch movies, etc.
We want to start a church for these kids too, because they don't feel at home with people better dressed. The boys have wonderful testimonies and their mothers join them at church. We have started a church just for them. In keeping with Luke 14, we had a banquet for the children in July. The kids were so excited and we had a really good time, eating the best food - chicken, pulao, etc., having had a good bath and being dressed especially with new clothes for the occasion. Our smallest child is about 2 years old, the oldest is about 19. Both boys and girls.
Questions:
Since the background is a deprived/abused one, how do you deal with them?
- We find that the answer is Jesus. We find the joy that they show when we meet them. Through meeting Jesus in us, they gain hope. This makes them change in little and important ways - bathing, etc. daily which they never did before.
  Since these are only children, are we fair is giving them the story of Jesus, since they are impressionable? I'm a social worker myself.
- We have not so far faced problems with the other older boys, by god's grace.
- In the initial period, you cannot impose your thought patterns. Through our stories and the way we talk, we influence them. Earlier we wanted to be heroes, they say, now we want to be heroes for Jesus. Some times they did not come to school (non-formal), not a single one; but when we said, we are going anyway, they saw we were serious.
- Not one of the kids use bad language in front of us or in the school.
  Do you have a support group?
- Yes.
  What is your capacity in Kandivili?
- 30-40 children. Shameane and I go there on Sundays only because of lack of workers. But we have seen the children growing. They are consistent. Their testimonies are so interesting. The father of one of them was suffering from hiccups nonstop. So I said, when he came up with the prayer request, go home and pray for your father when you see him, and the Lord will heal.
- Most of the boys are already engaged selling some kind of beads. But before I can say stop, I have to provide an alternative.
- The Government has a good programme already. But we are not working with them right now because I don't have enough time to liaise with them. Yet the Lord is doing a tremendous thing despite this.
  CCBC is already working with them giving them license cards, etc.
- I know, but I don't have the time right now.
- We need people with commitment - both spiritual and social, do pray for us.
India Every Home crusade
Interdenominational. Main literature distribution agencies since 1974. All accessible homes in India have been reached twice already. The third distribution is different (on now) from the previous two: reaching every person is the motto, not only every home. It's called final thrust 5000. In this we are partners with FMPB, IEM (50, 80 workers), etc.
There is a lack of awareness re the cities, except for the Delhi area, generally, among groups that are working. In and around Jaipur, too, nothing much has been done. The churches have to be stirred up. The villages within the cities, i.e. the slums, have to be reached.
When I think about the different cities, I find there is more of a power encounter. This happens when we visit with and talk to the families. Something crops up in the conversation - complaints regarding health, which lead to demon confrontation. One of our brothers went to visit only to run away again.
We fellowship with a family. Worship is something which greatly disturbs the evil spirits. For instance, when everyone is clapping, there is one who claps differently. The same things happen with sounds made by the "odd" man. Frequently, when we cast out demons from one person, they get into another, and another....
I try to survey situations myself, before asking others to follow, although by virtue of my post I am supposed to sit behind a desk in an office. And I find this repeating. Often I happen to invite interested inquirers into the fellowship, and the problem recurs. People are also healed, all who have severe sicknesses - leprosy, dropping fingers, etc.
So the Lord is doing wonders. Each convert we see (last year there were more than 8000 baptized, this year we have already baptized more than 350 people, like this it keeps on moving...) we see the same basic pattern. I am against moving ahead before time, so I wish to go into social work only after I have established churches in the various places, not before, so I have request EFICOR and other organizations to stay away for the time being, and they have agreed.
When we see the needs of the people, and after they share them with us, we move forward to help them.
We minister to these people through intercession, in the IEHC office itself, and not in the filed. It isn't easy. Opposition has to come, does come. There is constant fear (has been threatened) to be cut into pieces if he proceeds doing Gospel work and causing conversions. Homelessness, joblessness, loneliness are some of the problems. We want them to meet the Lord on the way. We try to see that the power of Jesus Christ is bestowed on every worker. The Lord has blessed us with a visionary spirit - the Lord shows us situations even while we lay hands on the letters we get talking of them. Witchdoctors are opposed; our target people are threatened. But we go from this road if they don't open that road.
After you plant churches, what do you do with those churches.
- We are interdenominational, so we see the willingness of any local churches close by, and we hand over our converts to such churches.
  We do have social ministry - but not exactly immediately, so we are confident that there will be no accusations of us converting people so as to give them benefits later (no, sorry, typist's error - it's the other way around!!!). Ours is basically an evangelistic ministry.
  Our ministry is among the low, very low strata of society.
  Rajasthan people are very strongly self respecting, unless they are really poor, they don't consider themselves poor.
  The response to the Gospel is very poor. They want neither themselves nor others around them to be educated. Specially north Rajasthan, the area adjacent to Haryana. They are tough. Sometimes we have to shift our centers from there.
  This third thrust involves giving tracts last. Before that we have given them the total gospel. When our missionaries go to the families, they read faces and judge what to say. They meet a group of families and form a cell, which forms the seed for a church gathering. As the missionary is leaving the home, he gives out a tract, saying that this is to only help them to learn more about Jesus (since the man has already listened to - "learnt" - so much about Jesus already). After that correspondence course starts, follow up, etc.
  Prayer concerns:
  Final thrust 5000 programme. A good number who will be working as urban missionaries. One out of 10 will be an urban mission secretary. Urban missions will be formed to cover the urban poor. There are several interested to help out in this. Pray that these will come forward.
  My personal target is the high castes - doctors, professors, others. Pray for several of my friends, colleagues that their interest, already quite significant, will be brought to a saving knowledge of Christ.
  For the next 7 years, 44 villages every year will, we hope and pray, be reached, with 22 of them being brought into a nucleus to work with.
Delhi Brotherhood Fellowship
I don't come from an organization that is particularly evangelical. Delhi Brotherhood Society. In the CNI, there are only 2 religious communities - the Cambridge and the Oxford brotherhoods. Since 1877. From early days, we had concern for the poor and underprivileged. CF Andrews the stalwart. (Reading parts of brochure.)
Basic principle: we work in community with the people. Homogenous group. Go to the particular community, no ulterior motive. We start with Muslims, we start on their terms. We help them pinpoint their real needs. The DB recognizes that the responsibility for the social action rests with the people themselves.
Our oldest project, leprosy colony, Anand Vihar. There was already a small church, so we don't take the credit for it. Hind Ukush Nivaran Sangh used to run the social programme, but 75 percent was used for admin., 25% used to go to the people. But ultimately not even 25 % went to them, actually. Father Rajamony, when he came on the scene, discovered that these were living practically as slaves. The beneficiaries were Tamil people. Fr. R encouraged them to get the funds directly, not through HNS. So they elected Anandgram Kusht Nivaran Samiti (?). But because the money was channeled anew, there was a riot in the colony. The Christians too were half on this side, half on the other. Early on Easter morning, the church there (?) was burnt.
This was a difficult situation. Either let them go or take everything into your hands. Today they don't get any money from the government. the DBS helped them to set up a handloom. and a poultry business which is purchased by the Embassies in Delhi. The handloom products are marketed by Casa . Both provide good margins.
The children of leprosy patients needed to be taken care of , however. These were put into Christian hostel and now, after 15 years, they have emerged with Christian values, as Christians. Hereafter, these students are to decide what they want to do with their lives. We give them guidance. They are as normal as anyone but the only problem is that the boys do not get married to girls outside their community.
However, the larger society needs to be educated so that these children of leprosy patients receive acceptance from society at large. To get housing in Delhi is difficult, so a few have moved out and started life in the mainstream of society. However, they are still embarrassed about their "leprosy heritage."
Churches have come up but without my doing anything outwardly evangelistic. It seems to me that somehow one family comes to the Lord, and they bring others to the Lord until a congregation is formed and a church is subsequently built. I feel it is my duty to administer Christian teaching to any who express interest in Christ because I have been trained to be a pastor. I have not been given a gift of healing although I believe in it myself; there was once a paralytic (from another colony) who, upon going to Bro. Dinakaran's healing meetings, came back walking!
Case Study 4: Inter-Mission
Work started ten years ago in Bombay. A Scotsman settled in Bombay. He walked in lchaupatty area and wanted to help the poor who were sick and did not have anyone to help them into hospital.
I was a prodigal son in my home. I pretended to be saved and even went to Bible College like that. By and by I came to Bombay, planning to go to the Gulf. I was involved in communist activities and, in fact, was encouraged by my comrades to do so that I could help them in turn. However, the Lord touched my life and everything changed.
Nevertheless, because of communist exposure, I am very sensitive to injustice, oppression, etc. and yearn to do something about them. I applied as a day laborer in a 5 star hostel. But there were many days with no job and I used to move around with tracts in my bag. I got to know several very poor families. One was where the wife dealt in illicit liquor but wanted her alcoholic husband to give up drinking. I talked to her and she seemed to be persuaded to change to selling idli. However, this pavement dweller changed back again to liquor selling because there was more money n it.
Later I joined Inter-Mission, helping the dying destitute like Mother Theresa. Addiction to alcohol and drugs brought these people to this condition. Beggary was encouraged among them by those better off so that the latter could relieve themselves of their own guilt.
I once met a man in Jan 88 sitting on the pavement. He has coins, some bread, biscuits, a cup of tea and a bottle of water, and money strewn around him. However, I noticed that he hadn't had even a morsel and didn't seem interested in picking up any of the money. And I noticed he was stinking. Thinking he was sitting on his own feces, I removed the blanket he was covered with. His nose was runny and I wiped it with it. I discovered that his arms were gangrenous till the shoulder, and his legs too till his thighs. We managed to take him to MT's home but he died the following day. But not before I talked to him about Jesus and heard him receiving Him into his life.
There are such cases of such neglect outside hospitals. We used to help them, bathe them, care for them. Many of them confessed Jesus is the only God with their dying breath. All these are pavement dwellers.
Our slum work involves balwadis where we share the Gospel, teach songs about Jesus. Two centers, Mahim, Pandivili Chako (?). the children are otherwise involved in criminal activities. We give them food, play games, too. Children of prostitutes are also there. Two homes, Pune and Thane.
Sam Raj, Open Door Ministries , Hyderabad
I was working in the income tax department. In 1986, I committed myself to the Lord, giving up everything, ceasing to accept tips and bribes etc.
A friend of ours took us to the slum. Until then I had never noticed what a slum was like. We did not want to disappoint her. We went and sang some songs. A man as we left asked us to come back. I did not want to disappoint him. So we went the next week. This kept going on. By the end of three months the Lord gave us the same burden.
By the end of the first year nearly 20 people accepted the Lord. There was one school nearby where we were able to start a worship centre. First we sent them to the big church, but they could not understood.
One church for each slum is not possible. New believers do not understand what is a church and what is a fellowship. Because the local leaders will put pressure on them, so it is difficult to start each church. Also we get two or three believers from one slum. So we started in the school. The school owner was very happy, but the landlord, a Brahmin was not happy, "You must find another place," he told me over coffee. So I went back and shared with the believers and they prayed "Lord we are like sheep that have gone astray but now you have got us together. We must find another place."
Sunday, they came to the church. Friday, they would come to our house, sit on our chairs , drink from our cups. Many organizations never allow the people inside their houses. If not, there is no mission. We shifted the church to our own house.
Then the property was sold. Another brother opened his house. There are two rooms.
Not only are we worshipping. We are also making disciples. The faithful people's behavior is different. They will stay back. They are interested to do some kind of work. Now we have 20 brothers and some sisters. Some are vegetable sellers, masons, but in the evening they go and preach the gospel in some slums.
They are having a retreat. They will bring the slum dwellers and slum youth. Some 200. Many gave their hearts. Also we are conducting family retreats. So they come. We hire bus. Locate a picnic spot. The whole day they will be with us in a different environment and we preach and start solving some problems.
When Rajiv Ghandi died, God spoke to me to leave my office in the tax department.
Next step is explaining to the mainline churches. Sometimes we are making the challenge to missions.
Sister Joyce, Intermission, working with children of prostitutes
The need for the midway home came up because we had taken a few children into our home and there was a problem, because the guardians....they came from a very different atmosphere.
The houseparents have two of their own children. These two children have seen things and heard things that even an adult has not heard in their lifetime. They have been the only source of comfort to their mothers and also have been a centre of violence. These children do not respond to punishment at all. They laugh at you. The only thing they respond to is love.
This is now the third batch. They are there for one year maximum, where they are taught even how to use the toilet, table manners.
They could not fit in at the church, so they started a church in the home. They sing. They pray for their parents. House parents are very receptive to the mothers. They are received as a guest in the house.
We are praying for more parents and families to take up more children. Because at maximum we can only take up to 20 children. there are difficulties because behavior patterns are different. They have to unlearn what they have learnt. We do not know what is inside.
The second problem is the children being taken back home, because the eunuchs didn't want them to be there at the home.
David de Palma, Methodist Church, Delhi.
4 pastors, with three services in different languages, and some bible study groups. Members come from 20 kilometers. We support missionaries. One third of our budget is sent to missionaries.
Last year we began reaching into neighboring slums. We have 30 doctors, 30 nurses. In September, we started a bible study. In another slum we have started with a prayer meeting and social work together. May Nepali people. In Delhi you must contact the padhan of the slum, because they are going to give you a big problem. I introduced myself to him and discussed why and how we would do this. I asked the paddhan to call the people to call the people to tell them what we would do and why we would do it. I explained that God loves them. I explained to them that i am a priest of the church. Made this survey.
First started a medical clinic. While the doctor is giving the medicines, i am talking with the young people. In that way i got in contact with the young people. Reserved 10% seats in the church school. in that way we are teaching the children also.
Two months ago we started a prayer meeting. They come and listen to the bible. Another camp we started a bible study, but only the Christians are attending.
Salvation Army
400 core in India with 20,000 members. We did a study of Marharashtra. Our main purpose is to save souls. We discovered most of our corps were in the villages, but the soldiers were decreasing. We discovered that the decrease was for two reasons:
1. the harijans get more benefits from the government than the Salvation Army
2. migration to the cities. Started looking for our people and found our people in the slums. Our officers moved their. Now we are working in five slums. In 7 years we opened ten new corps. Our officers stay there with the people.
3. Recently we have been dealing with aids issues.
Priscilla Gladstone, Indonesian Missionary in Bombay
In Indonesia we have the privilege that God raised people from the dead. Revival changed our church from being a receiving church to a sending the church. If God can do it with my church he could do it here.
My main problem is time as a wife, mother, evangelist is time. II Timothy 2:2. How do I find time to prepare. Found Bethel Bible Study
Y M C A street Children - Thomas
500-600 street children. About 100,000 street children and about 30 organizations working among them so still 90,000 still untouched.
Counseling them
What they are doing - rag collection. We have sought to upgrade quality of rags. And help them in other jobs.
Health and drug addiction. Most in prison -98% are street children. Most are illiterate. Recreation and games activities organized. Some had very good talents, so we organized singing. Then they went back to the street. now we have a night centre for the children. They go for their work and then come back for the night shelter.
One boy came with him off the street and described his life and how he has got into a business.
Some are here because of the family quarrels. All coming to Bombay speak Hindi, because all come from different areas.
Rajiv George, living in a Slum
Here to tell about some of my failures and some of my concerns. 23 years old. Grown up as a son of an evangelist, seeing the struggles of our family trying to witness in a dry place. As a result of all these years I was inclined to work among the poor. When i started I was not inclined to any Christian work but just to work among the poor. I started by writing the stories of the street children and I felt to go among them. There was a slum near the railway station and i wanted to go there. For a year however I did not have the courage to go there. So I prayed. And there was an opportunity. There was a club and they wanted to do something in that slum, so i volunteered. We started a kid's school and a health clinic. I studied social work. But I didn't like the way they worked from an office. I felt I should live in the slums. An industrialist gave us Rs500 to build a house.
My principle was that first you have to be very honest. You have to really love them. When i go into any hut i drink the water with them, whatever they offer, I eat. In this way it becomes very easy to get inside. Population is about 5000 mostly rag-pickers. There are two groups BJP and RSS people run the leprosy mission. The person who has given me the land is a BJP leader.
Within 8 days a reporter came, and he asked the people what I am doing, and he reported in the newspaper. If I preach the gospel with my words I will be kicked out within hours. I am living the life so they may come to me and ask about Jesus Christ. There are many people who come to me and ask about why I am working there.
This is a very effective approach. The people are very negative to the gospel. i am working there as a health worker. i also organized them..... the .... came to take down my hut. At that time the people intervened. The problems are not inside the community, but outside the community, are many who intervene.
I don't start by talking about Jesus but about their immediate needs. When they ask me I talk about him.
Cityreach and Ev Fell India Commission On Relief from Delhi, Pradeep Moses
Networking. By the year 2000 , 50% will live in the city. 45% of India will be in cities. Can the cities cope. No. CityReach is to train the church in holistic ministry to respond to urbanization and to evangelize Delhi. We gather people together for prayer every 3 months, to say we want to do this for the city and for Delhi. Cityreach also has training programs for the church.
A biblical basis for cities
Morals of Ministry
Strategies for ministries in the cities
Two month program for lay leaders in the city for 2 hours per week.
Networked to 7 cities - Nagpur, etc. By 2000 these cities will have more than 1 1/2 million.
Vanessa - Association of Christian Thoughtfulness
Questions and comments from session on Kingdom of God
After the riots in Bombay, did the church fulfill its Kingdom responsibility?
- Ivan: Yes - We were handing out food and medical supplies, and we found that the Hindu leaders said they could not handle their guilt from taking part in the riots. So very quietly we brought the Muslim and Hindu leaders together to confess their sins and forgive each other. They said later, "If it had not been for the Christians, we would not have been able to handle our lives."
  You mentioned in Calcutta the development work that began with starting worshipping groups in the bustees; how did they start that?
- A group of believers went into the bustee and asked "Could we have a worship service in your house?" Then they went in and worshipped with the Hindus, prayed for their sick, etc.
  You said "the center of the city is the prison;" what did you mean?
- The city of Bombay is in opposition to God. If you love the city, you will speak truth to the city & to its leaders. But the city does not want to hear it, so the city will throw you into the prison.
  Referring to Acts 2:42, where do you see this type of development work in this passage?
- Spiritual, social, signs & wonders, and economic aspects are all there. It says the believers "were enjoying the favor of all the people." so they maintained connections with the greater community. In the early Church, the Christians were primarily poor and had little opportunity to affect the larger structures of society, so there is not a lot of teaching about this. You will find similar differences in theology about changing the structures of society among different denominations, depending on the opportunities they had when their theology was developed. For example, the Anglicans and Presbyterians were formed where they had significant input into governmental structures of society, whereas Pentecostal churches have been formed in situations without such influence. It is important to accept our differences of emphasis, so that we will have a complete whole when we put them all together.
  Many of us in my city are of the opinion that it is not wise to give money to the poor.
- There is no exact answer. The issue is to not to close our hearts, yet to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
  To give money may not be wise because it keeps them dependent on you - is it not better to help them become independent?
- There will always be dependency by the destitute. Widows and orphans have no way to support themselves and the Church must continue to give to them.
  Sometimes we see that people are really in need, but we fear they are cheating - what about a woman who has rented a child so she can get more money begging?
- I've found that the middle class has many stories about why we should not give to the beggars. And one story becomes so big that nobody gives anything to the beggars any more. Sometimes there is truth in the story so let the Holy Spirit guide you, but do not close your hearts.

Summary of Lessons Learned

I. Entrance Strategies

Love is Foundational (Matt 9:37,38)
power Encounter
1. Preaching(Luke 4:18) is the power of God (Romans 1:16)
  - Signs and Wonders go with the preaching. Scriptures teach our primary task as preaching, teaching, healing and deliverance (usually come in triplets).
2. The Anointing of the Spirit is Prerequisite (Luke 4:18)
  - Extended Prayer Before Any New Ministry
  - All are called to the poor. Each one has a specific way of fulfilling this.
3. The Place of Worship in Penetration
  - Case study from Calcutta: use of harmonium
4. Preaching
  - The Jesus film is a key tool for getting out the word
Social Issues in Evangelism
1. Parties (Luke 14:12-14)
  - Ivan has tea parties for the girls in prostitution. During these they discuss the nature of making commitments.
  - Jesus was constantly attending parties
2. Tracking Migration of Village People
  - The Salvation Army did a survey of why they were losing people in Maharashtra, and discovered they had moved into the city. They found that they were moving to the city. So in the last five years they began 5 corps (churches) in the slums.
3. Children's' Clubs, Kindergartens (Balwadhi)
  - Children's' clubs give entrance to peoples hearts
  - they should not become too burdensome.
Relationship of Economic Development and Spiritual
1. Theological Basis
  - The Biblical Objective is Establishing the kingdom, bringing people under the King. The fight against poverty is a component of Kingdom living. When the king is acknowledged as ruler, poverty can be dealt with.
  - The power to break open a community comes from the Spirit and word. The commands are to preach, teach, heal and deliver as entry points.
  - These may come after a period of incarnation among the people or precede incarnation. Preaching by word must be accompanied by preaching by life.
  - The life of the Spirit and the word in the emerging believers is the life that brings economic transformation. To it may be added outside resources.
2. The Problem
  - Rarely do economic programs result in churches.
3. Reasons
  - Appropriate Balance in our Holism: First, this is because it is inappropriate to enter as an individual spiritually but with a giant-sized economic package. Holistic ministry involves entering with a holistic gospel, at first personally responding spiritually and to economic needs. As the laborers multiply then meeting a wider level of economic needs can occur.
  - Perceptions: Second, some economic programs hinder the spiritual ministry from having any effect such as feeding programs and handout programs. They create a class barrier, produce rice Christians, and expectations of economic reward become more important than the spiritual. They may be good responses to poverty but not for planting the church. On the other hand, some economic programs may assist the breakthrough of the word. When we are working with people in things such as building houses or making jam with them, relationships are established that create a good opportunity for the gospel.
  - Appropriateness to Level of Poverty:, for the destitute poor, and in emergency and relief situations the physical needs are paramount. For laboring poor, the spiritual becomes paramount. Out of spiritual life, economic transformation occurs. To the spiritual life outside inputs can be given.
4. Alternative: Appropriate Holism at Each Phase
  - The attached diagram shows a model of appropriate levels of response at each stage. A holism built from proclamation, but growing step by step with the emergence of diaconal leadership leading to increasing levels of programmed responses.

Discipling Strategies

discipling Damaged people
- Discipline is needed (e.g. for they were used to sleeping at 3 o'clock)
- They will give a lot of trouble.
- All done by the grace of God
Teaching to Preach
- Part of discipling is going with people out to preach
the Centrality of an Open Home
- Ministries among the poor require an open home.
Areas of Emotional Reaction/ Character Problems
1. Anger
  - They can also be very angry, but they are still Christians, and they will worship the Lord and ask forgiveness for their temper. If they fall back into prostitution, they will come back quickly. You have to wait and see the fruit of their discipleship.
2. An Oppressed Spirit
  - Isa. 42;3 Jesus heals the broken reed and fans the dimly burning wick
  - Noisy, emotional worship is needed.
  - Inner healing through both counseling, discipling and the power of the Holy Spirit is needed.
  - Providing roles for poor people to enter into leadership gives a sense of dignity and status
3. Envy, Bitterness
  - Poverty is very dark. It may take some years in the word, worship and prayer for the poor person to be healed. Meanwhile the pastor has to keep the people from destroying each other, exercising strong authority.
4. Demonic Activity
  - At conversion, prayer needs to be made to cast out any spirits and to renounce any past dealing with Satanic beings, idols, charms, curses etc.
Retreats, Outings, Feasts
- These provide an emotionally healing pattern of the church.
- They give a Christian way of culturally expressing the faith
- They give a rhythm to the year
How People Grow in Commitments
- Often people will go back to their sins and then after some major tragedy or event happens, return to the Lord with a full commitment.

Institutional Factors

Breaking the Property Barrier
- poor peoples' house churches are effective as one phase of development, but in the long-term they need a place to meet
  - some slum churches meet in nearby rented buildings
  - some buy first one shack,. then the next, then the next
  - sometimes people from several slums meet at a central place
Three Structures for Poor People's Churches
1. Multiplying poor people's churches independent of the middle class
2. a gang-structured discipling web
3. a central city mega-church with daughter churches

Economic Strategies

The rich also have Got Converted
- As the rich have got converted they have provided ways for the poor to find work (Ivan's Case Study).
As people come off Drugs they have to be Found Work
- Ivan trained one girl as a beautician. She now is in great demand. One was trained as a cook
- Had to support new converts until they could get jobs
Breaking the Debt Cycle
Most slum-dwellers are in debt. To get them out of debt, first we lead them to Christ, and then, with the Holy Spirit, we try to point out their mistakes in how they handle their money. Handling money and time are two major areas of discipline we take for granted in the middle class and rich society, but it is virtually non-existent among the very poor, especially the destitute poor, so they need to grow in this area of managing their time and money. This takes a lot of time and discipling.
Dealing with the owners of the prostitutes
The pimps have paid 17-20,000 Rupees to purchase girls from the country. To get them out of prostitution, we pay the full price for them. There are well-wishers who will pay this (Ivan).
Helping Street Children Find Work
We ask them what they would like to do to get out of poverty. None of our ideas will work for them. But their ideas they know how to make work. For example this boy wanted to sell these bags of food. he knew that if he had capital for a large bag and the plastic bags he could repackage it, and sell it at a profit. He did not ask us for a stapler. He himself saved and bought that. He bought this good bag to carry it all in. One of these boys has saved 2000 Rs. we opened a bank account with him.
Micro-Enterprise Development - Grameen Bank by Pradeep Moses of E F I C O R
My union of slum workers in New Delhi is under the main body of EFICOR although I'm not doing the work myself. We have a team of researchers who obtain firsthand information of the slum situation. They told us that the poor are enterprising and hardworking. The concept I'm going to tell you about is the Grameen bank.
From a Bangladeshi gentleman, one Professor Yunus (spelling?) who shared of this experiment at Lausanne II, we came to know of what I'll call the Grameen (meaning "rural") bank idea. He had summoned a group of village women to whom he had offered loans for small agricultural businesses at a fair interest rate. With these, the women had bought vegetables and repaid the money right on time. Now they were fully self-sufficient and moving forward in their economy.
So we transferred the idea to India. We told our slum folk we would lend them sums of money for which they would not need to proffer guarantee of land or other assets. "We trust you," we said. We would not charge usury but would expect repayment at 3 percent interest spread over 3 years merely to cover a nominal service charge. However, because this was an exercise in the stewardship of money, the people would need to repay the amounts in scheduled sums without fail.
- This worked so well to make the slum-dwellers economically self-sufficient that it has grown 110 percent already. Next month (?) the EFICOR team responsible for this scheme is coming to Bombay, so if you need money for your poor, just come and ask!

Questions About the Culture of Poverty

What do you mean by "unjust profit"?
Do people from the rural areas who come to the city ever go back to the rural areas? Should we be preparing a way for them to go back? Should we be working to develop industry in the rural areas?
- Practically, they will not go back. See story in "City of Joy."
- Biblically, since God is involved in the urbanization process there is not a biblical basis for making them return.
- But we need to bring justice at each level of the urbanization process and part of this is maintaining a just urban - rural differential. Cities to exist have higher standards of living than the rural areas. This is not unjust, but if the differential becomes too great, it becomes unjust. Korea for example as it has urbanized has been able to develop ways to balance this differential so that national economic growth has enabled the whole society to move forward economically. In India the gains of economic growth have still left the poor getting poorer. So to actively seek to upgrade rural towns by Christians creating rural industry is important., This is what happened when Northern Europe industrialized. It has not happened in the industrialization of the two thirds world this century. The result has been slums that will not go away, and the lack of sufficient agricultural base to sustain the urbanization.
As people are moving toward becoming Christians, should you tell them they need to legalize their marriages?
- The role of the outside change agent is to teach basic principles, such as repentance, and then let the people decide how to handle these other issues. they will know what is right to do.
- We need to teach the central issues such as repentance and faith and let them bring up the issues of application.
- In Manila's slums we would have ceremonies for five couples at a time. This reduces the cost of the marriage feast and ceremony.
Unity in the Slums
- You mentioned that people in the slums are suspicious of one another, and don't have a strong sense of unity. One thing we did was to set up a sports day in a bustee, which created a lot more harmony, especially among the youth.
Seminars on Family Relationships
- My church established a curriculum on family relationships from a Christian perspective for the local schools, and that was quite successful for imparting these values into the slums..
Festivals
- It is expensive for non-Christians to celebrate their Hindu festivals. One slum-dweller came to me once and said, "I'm very tired." I said, "Why?" He replied, "My god is with me at home and I'm exhausted." He went on to explain that the presence of his god in his hut had been financially draining because it had gone skewered his money and he had gotten into debt. The physical running around to organise elaborate rituals had also taken their toll. "Oh?" I said, "But my God doesn't take anything from me - He gives instead." And so began a conversation which naturally flowed into my sharing with him the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ!
1. Introduction of participants
  1. 3 churches in slums in Bombay
  2. Salvation Army. Aids program. 5 new corps in slums
  3. FMPB Madras - worshipping centers in the slums, 2 years working in the slums.
  4. Intermission - head office in Madras
    - drug addicts in Madras
    - project leader in Bombay
    - Joyce looking after children from the prostitutes
    - two centers in the slums - medical clinic
    - pavement ministry, mainly street children
    - ministry to dying - John Abraham
    - extension to Pune looking after children of prostitutes
    - Found ourselves moving into the slums, with great response
    - training up local people
  5. De Souza - New Life churches
    - concentrating on South Bombay
    - planting house churches in own languages
    - train them up and disciple them and help them get their own livelihood.
  6. Sathya Sahu - livelihood program connected to UBS
  7. Nagpur City survey for slum ministry
  8. Pradip Moses with EFICOR
    - Facilitating the urban church.
    - Training in urban mission
    - Church in Delhi connecting
    - Delhi Brotherhood Society - community development work among leprosy workers
  9. Rajiv George - Social work internship, living in slum
  10. Sunil Lawle, CNI - looking after 2 churches, lots of slum people. Recently started in Bawari.
    - Next project is literacy program.
    - Each member atached to poor
  11. Gujurat State - Ravikant Kant
    - CNI and others
    - Few projects in partnership with World Vision
    - Micro-enterprise project.
  12. Jaipur - Every Home Crusade
    - Power confrontation - spritual warfare, supreme and best among all your Gods.
    - Fellowships started
    - Social comes later on
    - 7 churches planted last year
  13. James Kumar, Methodist Church in Dharavi ( 300,000)
    - 23 years in slums. Moved in as a seminary student.
    - Started with spiritual issues and moved to community programs
    - Only 40 people and no income. 6 young poeple who had finished high school, and started tuition classes.
    - Bishop Joshe gave funds for projects in slums
    - Teaching sewing
    - Now a number of these under a community outreach projects
    - Now 1000 people in various parts of Bombay
    - 9 worship services.
  14. Street children
    - Began with a love for the children
    - participated with EFICOR
    - Ghandiji Station
    - accepted by them.
    - primarily with Parsi community
    - some are orphans, some have one parent
    - non-formal education, literacy
    - nutrition program
    - church in Gandavi slums, now government has paved streets
    - 60 children
    - stepped out in faith. For first 8 months no gifts, and he has provided for us.
  15. YWAM in Bombay
    - Mercy ministry in the slum, now disappeared
    - Concentrating on prayer
  16. Bangalore
    - Training and social care
    - work with prostitutes
    - formerly YFC, but read statistics on youth, and realised that the poor were key
  17. OM
    - Hyderabad - medical project and childrens education
    - Bombay - fellowship, house church
  18. Ivan Ruscinoof Valley of Praise Fellowship
    - Based on the story in the scriptures about the Israelits who defeated the enemy through worship
    - Reaching outcastes, and rich also
    - reaching prostitutes and homosexuals
    - those evangelized and discipled planted churches in sliums
    - through riots have met Muslims - rebuilt 380 houses.
  19. Sam Raj of Open Door ministries from Hyderabad
    - since 1987
    - first time ever in slum then, and resigned from job.
    - 200 people come
    - Youth retreats from 15 slums
    - self-supporting
    - discipleship training school
    - 800,000 in slums in Hyderabad
    - 20 converts now going to other slums to preach word of God
    - They are doing much better work
    - Challenging mainline churches to take responsibility
    - publishing intercession magazine
    - now four full time workers
  20. Joe Mendez, Kingdom of God church
    - pastoring a church in New Bombay
    - Planned city, so few slums
    - trained in social work
  21. Mehir
    - working with Urban Ministry Centre
    - Parsi family, Catholic renewal
    - then AOG
    - gifted in expounding word of God.
    - learning to give up pride and self.
    - keep on humbling self for God
    - Rs 8,000 drop to Rs 1,000
  22. Urban Ministry Centre
    - Church networking
    - Consultations
    - Moving into national network
  23. Summary: 4 denominations, 12 individual churches, 15 ministries, and 3 individuals seeking God and what he will do.

Growing Movements

(Delegates' opinions and concerns are given in inverted commas. Viv's responses are parenthetised.)

Principle of the Grain of Wheat (John 12:24-26)
1. The aim is movements (Matt 28:18,20)
2. 1 shall become a 1000
Leadership Diagram
Hierarchy of Needs
1. Jesus provision for his disciples
Poor People's Leadership
1. 6 competencies model
2. Let him who teaches and preaches well be worthy of double honor
3. Bible Schools are not the ideal way for developing leadership from among the poor.
4. Booth was the only one historically who was able to develop movements among the destitute. Perhaps the key was that he developed institutions that would employ destitute people and gave them long-term structures.
Movements of Workers
1. Apostolic Movements
2. Diaconal Movements
3. The Movements among Industrialists
Ephesians 4:11,12
Our movement
1. knowing Christ
2. Network oif communities
3. The lifestyle and Values
REFLECTIONS ON THE FILM ABOUT ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
What did you notice about the story of "Brother Sun, Sister Moon"?
- "Self-denial. Francis of Assisi gave up everything to obey God." (Yes, he gave up his wealth so that he could adopt a lifestyle of poverty.)
- "Servanthood. He served the leprosy patients, being a servant to the lowest categories of society."
- "Obedience." (Yes, it doesn't take a smart man for God to do a great work: it takes an obedient man!)
- "The clarity of his spiritual calling which gave him boldness."
- "A willingness to carve a pathway." (Indeed, many of you will be called to pioneer!)
INTERACTION
"Brother, I agree with your statement that we should become committed to ministry by being committed to working with the poor," said Priscilla Gladstone. "But God sent His son for the whole world - and this includes the rich. In your emphasis on working with the poor, do you do anything for witnessing to the rich?"
- Yes, Jesus was very committed to the rich. But rather than trying to minister to the rich, minister instead to the poor - and the rich will come to you...and keep coming! You can then minister to them. Otherwise you may get distracted from your true ministry.
Discussion On EPHESIANS 4:11,12.
Satyabrata Sahu: "How do I know what I am gifted for? And does one's gifting change with time?"
Bernadine Quinn: "Are the gifts of the Spirit concentrated only in the pastor or do they get distributed among the rest of the congregation as well?"
Priscilla Gladstone: "The gifts of the Spirit are given for the edification of the local congregation. In such a case, gifting may change over time according to the needs of the Body. How do we know - over the short and long term?"

The Poor Wise Man

Read Ecclesiastes 9:13-17
1. Introduction
  I want to tell you a story that is at the heart of wisdom literature. The story of a poor wise man. It is the story about Jesus our Lord and perhaps a story about you.
  I was sititng in the park with my team....
  Poor wise man of Calcutta
  Poor wise man of Bangkok
2. A Man (or woman).
  God's method is people! Do we not hear a call for laborers of a rugged cross, laborers whose delight is work, suffering and sacrifice, whose souls are filled with compassion and whose lifestyles are that of simple but non-destitute poverty
  One man. One woman. One grain of wheat and a movement of 1500, 15000. There are men and woman that have lived in the city in slums and not survived. But with two by two and then others as members of a team of 6 to 12 to help it is possible to reach those in the city slums. It is this Jesus that is the integrator of the city and He calls you to save the city. What does it mean to save the city? Think about this. What would it mean to Bombay? First comes the organisation, then the transformation and then the structure.
  What are you asking God for?
  When Saul returned to his home in Gibeah, a band of men whose hearts God had touched became his constant companions. John Wesley says "Give me 100 men who fear nothing but sin and love nothing but God, and I will change the world." I will give the nations as your inheritance. Is.43 is a passage for our lives. Wisdom is better than life. No one remembered that poor wise man .
  O/H's on discipling movements.
  We need communities of 6-12 in every one of these cities living two by tewwo among the poor, single folks giving extra years of their lives to singleness, coupoples and families wiling to pay the price at each step for themselves and their children.
  These teams to consist of a comics designer, an noccupational therapist, an evangelist, a carpenter, a theologian. You name it , God can use it.
  For each team there is a need for an outside mentor with a simple home where they can go for a retreat as Jesus did to Mary and Martha's home
  Or it could be a poor wise woman 2 Samuel 20:16-22. The wise woman of Tekoa. There are many roles for women but one special one, that of women's intercessory teams. For we cannot enter the strong man's territory till we have bound the strong man.
3. He (She) saved a City
  - Jesus is our model
  1. The great migration
    - Urban is the direction of history.
    - The migrant poor are the most responsive grouping in history
  2. God got there first
    - Family in slum in Calcutta. How he became a Christian. Come and start a Bible Study.
4. A Wise Man (Woman)
  What is wisdom? The bible tells us that wisdom is the fear of the lord.
  You don't work with the poor if you want to become famous. Ask Jesus what does it mean to follow you. Peter and John told the lame man that silver and gold they had none but in the name of Jesus rise up and walk. When Peter was in prison the angel of the Lord told him to arise and pick up his sandals. Peter was a middle class man but he had only a pair of poor wooden sandals. Paul tells us that he had nothing but was able to make many rich. To be poor for Jesus is not a dishonour.