The “Samaritan Strategy” (SamS) program helps churches demonstrate God’s intentions in every area of life. It uses step-by-step exercises called “disciplines of love” and “seed projects” that serve to disciple people to grow according to the biblical model seen in Jesus’ life. A SamS project has four phases: (1) network, (2) training, (3) coaching, and (4) commissioning. Harvest has coordinated over seventy SamS projects around the world, and, in the first semester of 2017, 381 churches participated in the program. In Mumbai, India, Harvest associate Rev. Sanjay Thul coordinated one of these projects and here is his story.
NETWORK
January, 2016 – Contact
We praise God for the opportunity to explore Navi-Mumbai –New Bombay– as a new area for team building. In this environment of multiple languages and cultures, churches are growing, but it was challenging to reach locals and migrants, people from cities, towns, and countryside and offer them the SamS program. I contacted ten pastors and leaders by phone and emails, and, at first, their response was both inquisitive and suspicious of what Harvest Foundation and SamS would have to offer.
February and March, 2016 – Vision casting meetings
From my initial contacts, I shared the vision and mission of Harvest with four pastors, Rev. Daniel Patole (Hindustani Covenant Church – HCC), Rev. Ebenezer Dharmendra (Messiah Assembly of God – MAoG), Rev. Vishwas Ingle (Church of North India, Panvel), and Rev. Alexander (Pastor of Christian & Missionary Alliance, Vashi). We had four meetings to cast the vision for this program, and in two of them I spoke to larger groups. On Sunday, February 21st, I shared “God’s Present Intentions – The Church as Window” to approximately fifty people. On Monday, March 17, I talked to fifteen pastors and leaders in their monthly gathering. Equipping the churches and their leaders were experiences of immense joy.
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