Church Planting Movements

A Mother’s Prayer, A Son’s Healing

Aug 5, 2026 | South Asia, Stories

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Devika’s* heart was burdened with pain and fear for her young son, Dalip*. As a child, he suffered a fractured hand, which required hospitalization. He began to show signs of mental distress, and his condition worsened over time.

Desperate and anxious, Devika searched for hope but found none, until one day, everything changed. A Jesus Film screening was being held in her village, and Devika decided to attend. There, she heard a message of peace and hope: “Cast all your worries upon the Lord, for He cares for you.” The film portrayed Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount teaching and featured scenes of Jesus healing the sick and setting people free from evil spirits. Devika was deeply moved by what she saw.

After the screening, a group of disciples visited with Devika. They shared more about Jesus, about His call to make disciples, and how to walk in obedience to His Word. That encounter marked the beginning of a powerful transformation in Devika’s life. She put her trust in Jesus and began to follow Him.

Together with other disciples, Devika began praying earnestly for Dalip. She prayed that he would be healed in Jesus’ name. Miraculously, Dalip was physically healed! Her faith grew, and the family continued in fellowship, growing stronger in their walk with God. Over time, Dalip experienced mental healing as well.

Soon after Dalip’s healing the whole family was baptized. Their story of despair and hopelessness is now a testimony of God’s healing power and his redeeming love.

*pseudonym

Persecuted But Not Abandoned

Jul 22, 2026 | South Asia, Stories

RJ* was a kind and obedient disciple of Jesus, one of the most fruitful church planters in his disciple-making network in North India. He shared the gospel with a quiet but bold and authentic courage.

Between ministry activities and events, he worked his farm, providing for his family with his own hands, the way men in his village have always done. His life was simple, purposeful, and full.

Then all this was nearly taken from him.

RJ was out on a routine errand, riding his motorbike, when the ambush happened. Someone struck him across the head with a pipe or a heavy stick. The blow knocked him off the bike. When he hit the ground, his attackers did not stop. They beat him mercilessly where he lay.

The injuries were devastating. Broken bones. Three surgeries. Temporary paralysis along his entire left side. For weeks, he could not lift his arm.

Suddenly RJ, as a subsistence farmer, could not provide for his family. The news of RJ’s attack reached the team in North India and traveled all the way to us in the USA. We did not know what RJ’s road to recovery would be like. But we knew he would not walk it alone.

The body of Christ moved.

A group of national and local leaders from his movement network made the journey to visit RJ at home, after his release from the hospital. One of those leaders wrote: “Praise the Lord Jesus. Today was a very important day as we met with Brother RJ’s family. RJ and his wife were very emotional, touched by our visit and the funds that we took to pay for medical costs and provide for some of the family’s daily needs. RJ was humbled and so grateful for your generosity.”

Your giving made that moment possible. The funds that traveled to RJ’s family came from your hands. The prayers that have held him through surgeries and sleepless nights came from you.

There is one Body. One Church. One Kingdom. And we are called to bear one another’s burdens, not as a metaphor, but as a practice.

You did that. Thank you.

Please continue to pray for RJ and his family as he recovers and rebuilds. Pray for the disciples in his network, that fear would not silence them, and that they would keep following Jesus with the same faithfulness their brother has shown. Pray for India. Ask God to expand His Kingdom there and fill the nation with love, joy, hope, and peace.

Almost every day we receive reports about the escalating persecution, families are forced out of their homes and villages, beaten and arrested. The most heartbreaking part is that these disciples are poor and don’t have much to begin with. If God leads you, please give toward the emergency support needed during this difficult time.

*pseudonyms

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Bearing Fruit in a Radically Different Culture

Jul 15, 2026 | Stories

What is it like to be among people who don’t speak your language, whose beliefs and worldview are radically different from your own?

John*, one of our partners and a movement leader in India, visited a Muslim area in eastern India to see if anyone was open to hearing stories of Jesus.

John felt uncomfortable, though. The men had beards and wore traditional clothing – evidence of conservative Islam. They didn’t speak Hindi, and he didn’t speak their language.

But God led him to a man named Benju* who could speak Hindi. They agreed to meet the next day. Benju said he would bring friends to hear about Jesus. John prayed for people to come and have ears to hear.

The next day Benju arrived with about 12 people. They had heard of Jesus before, but they had no idea how to follow him. They asked many questions. John was amazed and excited.

Since that first visit, Benju and all of his friends are moving toward saving faith in Christ. They have received ongoing training and coaching, and are facilitating Discovery Bible studies in their homes. They have asked John for Bibles in their language and are growing in their understanding.

God is growing His kingdom through humble, sometimes even fearful, followers like John who follow God’s command to “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all the commands I have given you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

*pseudonym

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A Church Was Born

Jul 10, 2026 | Stories

In the Tibetan Himalayas, a church was born — the first church in its district. Its members began to share the gospel with others from their own people group. This brought much fruit, resulting in the formation of several churches in neighboring villages. The first church also expressed a desire to go to different, nearby people groups, including the Tazig* people. Joel*, BEYOND’s Affinity Strategy Leader for the Tibetan Himalayas, works among the Tazig people and has kept in touch with this church for mutual encouragement.

About three years ago, a man from the church was hired as a teacher in a Tazig school and began sharing the gospel in the surrounding area. Soon thereafter, God led Joel and his team to invite a couple of the church’s missionaries to join their trek into Tazig country. These men accompanied the team on three of their month-long trips. They were able to see how the team discipled people they encountered for the first time, as well as those with whom they had already built relationships. “I have learned so much from joining you on this trip,” one man said. “I have come to this village before by myself, but I didn’t know how to talk to these people, and I didn’t know how to start a church, but by watching you, I have so many good ideas.”

Joel learned that other men from the church were actively attempting to make disciples among different people groups, often walking long distances to reach them. Seeing their obedience to Matthew 28:19-20, Joel offered to lead a DMM (Disciple Making Movement) training for these earnest men. Seven men attended, including the church’s pastor and a young man who had traveled with one of the missionaries. They were thrilled with the training! One said, “I was already committed to doing this work, but now I know how to do it.”

Two of these men have been commissioned to the Tazig people, one to a different Tibetan Buddhist group, and two more to Hindu people groups. Please pray for them as they go make disciples in these people groups.

*pseudonym

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A Simple Act, An Eternal Impact

Jun 9, 2026 | South Asia, Stories

Joel* began serving a movement in India two years ago. Every month, his team receives reports from each state, filled with prayer requests and testimonies of how God is moving in various villages. This month, they received an inspiring story about how God’s Kingdom transformed an entire family through one woman.

A year ago, Aruna* heard about Discovery Bible Study (DBS) gatherings in her village. Encouraged by a friend, she decided to join. Aruna noticed that the group always prayed for various needs, and soon, people were praying for her as well. This made a huge impact on Aruna, as she was accustomed to a religion where individuals only prayed for themselves. Struck by the group’s compassion and sense of community, she shared her experiences with her husband and children, who then also joined the Bible study.

Despite facing significant persecution from other villagers, Aruna’s entire family chose to be baptized. Today, Aruna leads a women’s group in her village, sharing vision for the ministry and training others. Though just a year ago, she and her family did not follow Jesus, they now all not only follow Christ but also lead their own Bible studies. Aruna is dedicated to helping other women reach out to their families and neighbors with the message of Christ.

As Joel read this story, he was deeply moved by how something as simple as praying for one another—so common in the church—could have such a profound impact on someone unfamiliar with a Christian community. Aruna not only heard the Word of God in those meetings but also experienced the love and care of the community, which empowered her to bring the life-giving message of the Bible to her family.

Please pray for Aruna’s family and the many others in South Asia who are exploring who Christ is and what the Word says. May they all find a loving community of disciples that cares for their needs and helps them grow in their faith

*pseudonym