| An Open Door |
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Ralph reads an article in a Delhi Airport about the persecution of Christians in Orissa. Bihar could be next. This is why it is important for Meridian University to assist zealous leaders like Biju Thomas to penetrate the darkness of Bihar with the Light of Jesus Christ. |
| Biju Thomas |
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Biju is the president of Transformation India Movement with offices in Patna, Bihar. He is from south India with a burden for the unreached in Bihar. I heard him say, "Every person deserves to hear the Gospel at least once."
Read about his wife, Margaret, and children in the bottom right column.
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| Upcoming Events |
Johnny Norwood (pictured above with his wife, Diana) and Ralph Speas will be going to
Bangalore, Karnataka in India
to train 60 selected pastors to train 1,440 other pastors with the Storying for Evangelism and Church Planting and The Growing Disciple courses.
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| If You Want to Give |
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The trip to Bangalore to train 1,500 pastors will cost Meridian nearly $15,000.
This will cover the expenses of advance work, the faculty, and the pastors including their lodging, food, seminar materials, and 3,000 textbooks to be used in their extended training. Otherwise, we wil be able to train 1,500 pastors for $10.00 per pastor.
5 Pastors for $50,
10 Pastors for $100,
20 Pastors for $200
50 Pastors for $500
100 Pastors $1,000
200 Pastors for $2,000
1,000 Pastors for $10,000
We believe that 1,500 pastors will be trained in six months, 200 churches will be planted in a year, and over 40,000 will hear the Gospel in seeker groups in villages throughout Karnataka.
As you know, all Meridian mission projects through the School of Practical MInistries are made possible with the gifts of friends who share the same burden and vision that compel us to GO! Thank you for joining hands with us as we train others. |
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Check Out Our Website
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| Meridian University of Biblical Training Newsletter |
Greetings!
 Bihar is called the "graveyard of missionaries." Despite the efforts of evangelism in Bihar over the years, many who sacrificed everything they had, spent life-long ministries with little or no results.
But, things have changed and there is a mighty move of God's Spirit on the people there and thousands are coming to Christ every year.
According to Dr. David Garrison, IMB South Asia Regional Leader and author the Church Planting Movement, thousands of churches were established over a fifteen year period and in 2007, the millionth convert was baptized.
Meridian University stands ready to provide evangelism, church planting, church leadership, and church ministry training to the churches and leaders in Bihar.
 In September, 2008, Meridian trained over 200 Indian trainers to take what they had learned to lead others to Christ and plant new churches.
We are trusting God to bless this training. Pray that these efforts will bear fruit. The fruit for which we are looking are converts to Christ and the planting of churches throughout Bihar. Special thanks is expressed to those who sacrificed from their resources to make it possible for us to take this training to relatively new believers. |
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Preparing the Way 
Just as Jesus "went about doing good," the philosophy of TIM is to care for the orphans, and provide health care, literacy training, vocational training, and clean water in the villages they want to reach for Christ.
Over 70 water wells have been drilled in villages of Bihar where the Gospel will be shared and churches will be planted. The cost of each well is only $700. In the picture above is clean, bacteria-free water coming from a new well.
 I had the opportunity to help dedicate about four of these wells and speak about the "living water" for which their hearts thirsted, only to be found in Jesus Christ. They have the same longings to be guilt-free, forgiven of their sins, and know the assurance that they will go to heaven some day when they die.
The North Carolina Men's Ministry is channeling funds for these new wells and other humanitarian projects to Transformation India Movement.
Meridian University as a training institution endorses these projects but does not sponsor them.
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Storying the Gospel  It was a marvelous sight to see church leaders tell the stories taught by Don Yonce, Tulsa businessman, and me in our training at Patna, Bihar.
First, we told them the stories and then they broke up into groups and repeated them as they heard them. There was much enthusiasm, joy, and animation as they simulated telling the stories just as they would in a village unreached with the Gospel.
 This same approach will be taken to the persecuted state of Karnataka January 26-30 where 60 pastors will be trained to become trainers and subsequently train 1,440 more pastors within six months. |
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 The Thomas Family His parents arranged a marriage for him but the bride "not-to-be" asked to be released from any commitments because she had no desire to go to Bihar. Nine other ladies also declined when they knew they would live in Bihar. But, Margaret said, "Yes!" Biju did not know it but God had previously called her to Bihar also, and while he was praying He was preparing for him a wonderful help-mate.
They now live in Patna, Bihar and have two beautiful children, Kristina and Nathan. Their families live in south India.
 It is amazing what God has done through this couple. They started an orphanage (see picture on left) and provide literacy training for more than a thousand students, drilled over 70 wells for clean drinking water, established two tailoring schools for women, set up medical clinics, founded the Great Commission discipleship and leadership training school, began a film project for thousands of village viewers, organized flood and disaster relief efforts, and started the adopt-a-village project for humanitarian efforts and church planting. They are also undertaking a large project to buy property and build a center for their ministry. |
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