Christians in America have a multitude of choices when it comes to attending church. In some areas of the country, such as the Bible Belt, there seems to be a church on almost every corner.
But what if you had no place to meet with your brothers and sisters in Christ?
For years, that was the problem for Christians in one village in India — they had no safe place to worship together. Members of other religions often discriminate against believers in India. But despite the danger, these Christ-followers would gather under a tree or at someone’s house to sing, worship, and pray for their community.
They also prayed that one day, God would provide a place for their church to meet — and to grow.
Vijay, whose name we’ve changed for his safety, is the pastor of this small body of believers. He lives in the village with his wife and their two young sons and they work hard to serve their community. Vijay loves his ministry work, but every day he would passionately pray for a church building. He wanted his congregation to have a safe place to gather and to minister to others.
“It will be a great blessing to have a building for us to sit and worship the Lord,” Vijay said. “I personally believe that many more people would be benefited through this church building.”
The simple addition of a church building can have an incredible impact on a group of persecuted believers and their community. In a world where it is sometimes difficult to feel safe, the building provides a place of security and stability.
Eventually, the prayers of Vijay and his church members were answered. Today, thanks to generous donors, their village has its first church building. And the best news is the church is starting to grow.
Vijay is overwhelmed with joy that the Lord answered his prayers:
“God has heard our prayer, and at the right time He provided a suitable place where we all can meet and worship Him. He knows our needs because He is our provider.”
Because of the new building, 60 Indian believers can now assemble to worship God without fear. But the space also has provided a way for the congregation to reach the community.
One church member, whom we’ll call Faria, has lived in this village her entire life. She is a social worker and spends her time investing in the lives of children. Her favorite thing to do is teach them devotional songs and Bible stories, but without a church building, she had no safe place to gather the children.
But then, compassionate donors stepped in and helped.
“We are very blessed by this building where we can worship God freely,” Faria said. “By His grace and prayer, God has provided a wonderful place where we all can meet together and worship Him.”
The church building has become a beacon of hope to the community and Vijay, Faria, and many others are thankful to God — and the donors — who made this blessing possible.
“We also thank you for the donors who have raised their hand toward this building and helped us to construct this church,” Vijay said. “Our hearts are so thankful toward them. We will be praying for [them].”
By building a church, you help transform lives around the world.
Give toward a church building and be an answer to prayer for someone like Vijay and Faria. You can help change the world, leaving an impact that will outlive you and last for eternity.