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Update:

Thank you so much for your prayers for our Fall 2014 Bible Conferences in India. Our graduation services were such a blessing both for our team and the graduates, their families and guests. We will be adding photos and summaries about our trip soon – stay tuned!

Please join our prayer team!

We are excited to let you know about our upcoming Bible Conference in India. Very soon a team will be leaving for a three-week trip to facilitate Bible training conferences in two parts of India.

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We are particularly excited about this trip because this is our first graduating class!

btcpThis trip is the culmination of five years of Bible training with a group of 80 pastors from various parts of South and North India. Our team will teach through the tenth and final book in a series of instructional materials written by BTCP (www.bibletraining.com). These pastors have studied hard and put into practice what they have learned through our twice-a-year conferences over the past five years and they will be our first graduating class! Our team will teach through this last crucial book on Missions, Evangelism and Discipleship. We will have one five-day conference in Lucknow culminating with a graduation ceremony. Then we will travel to Hyderabad and hold a conference there for pastors in that area. About 40 pastors will be traveling to each city from the rural villages where they live and lead their churches.

The pastors will be bringing their wives to this conference and we will have special seminars designed just for these ladies. We will have the privilege to teach the Bible to these women who rarely have the opportunity to leave their villages or to gather as women to learn from one another.

In case you were wondering…

Yes, we are still raising funds for this trip! Each team member needs to raise $3,500 to fund this trip. Not only do we need to cover our own travel expenses, but we also need to fund the conferences themselves. The pastors that we minister to could not afford to get this training in any other way. Your tax-deductible donation will be helping to cover the cost of travel, meals and books for our team and these 80 pastors and their wives. Just use the donate button on this page to donate by credit card or paypal or send your check to:

Shepherding the Nations
18644 Sherman Way
Reseda, CA 91335

Prayer Requests August 2014

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  • Our Fall seminars in Hyderabad and Lucknow are the culmination of five years of teaching and study. Course #10 on missions, evangelism and discipleship is very important and all the participants are required to complete it promptly and successfully. Pray for us as we finalize the teaching schedule and for the teachers (Paul, Randy, Ryder and David). Pray for the effectiveness and fruitfulness of this last seminar.
  • Many of the wives of the pastors will attend the seminars with their husbands. Pray for Susan, Flory, Tammy, and Diane who will minister to these ladies. These pastors’ wives not only play a important role in families and church but also have significant influence in the community. Pray that the teaching received at the seminar could make a profound impact in these lives. Pray for their children who would be left behind in towns/villages while the mothers are at the seminar.
  • Graduation day to be a celebration in the cities of Lucknow and Hyderabad as many Christian leaders, and local churches will participate. Pray that many local believers will catch the vision to establish systematic Bible study in their churches. There is a great need for doctrine based study/preaching/teaching in the congregation due to assault of false prophets and false teachings that are rising in India.
  • Pray for those outside the teaching staff who are planning to join the team to have a profitable, mission-oriented and eye-opening trip to India. Also, please pray for Ryder to have God’s wisdom and direction in leading this team while in India. Pray for those who need passports/visas and travel preparation. Orientation begins in September 2014.
  • Pray for finances for the mission trip to India. There will be 10 team members traveling to this significant celebration. Pray for hotel booking, places to visit, travel arrangements etc.
  • There will be opportunities of extra preaching and teaching for Paul, Randy and Ryder during the trip. Travel and ministry of the word, serving people etc. is expected to be very tiring. Pray for good health and strength for the whole team.
  • Pray for Ryder and Flory as they look forward in relocating for the future ministry of STN India. There is a long list of things to be accomplished. Ask for God’s direction, wisdom, and power, along with financial provision through one-time and sponsorship giving.

An Evening with Shepherding the Nations by Pastor Ryder Kumar

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STN-Fundrasier-webIt has been my great honor to be associated with TBBF for several years. TBBF has a Christ-centered, mission-oriented and people-focused philosophy of ministry and has taken the driver’s seat to raise funds for Shepherding the Nations (STN).

On May 10, 2014, a fundraising event was held at TBBF. The estimated crowd of around 150 were spellbound by the beautiful music and gifted voices. Steve Lively and Diane Brown presented several songs that lifted our soul. Mike Vos, the event organizer, worked with his team for months of preparation. Their efforts included a wonderful silent auction with many items of interest. There were also many drawings where those in attendance could win a vacation, gift cards or tickets to attend various sporting events, etc. Tammy Werth, who handles the finances for STN, oversaw the collection of donations that night. Susan Leinen’s creative work on brochures and take-home packets helped people to have written material they could read to learn more about STN. During intermission, there was Hawaiian shaved ice and a coffee bar available, as well. Many, many volunteers helped to make this event a success!

Pastor Paul Brown, president of STN International, passionately presented STN’s ministry in India with personal examples from his own involvement overseas. India has 1.2 billion people! and STN’s involvement in this country for the past 10 years has borne fruit that is beyond comprehension. About 90 pastors have been equipped over the past ten years though a systematic teaching of the Scriptures and key Biblical principles and doctrines. They are ready to graduate in the Fall 2014. There is tremendous excitement as several thousand living in remote villages will be impacted by these very men. In addition to this, a multiplication method has already begun in India. Churches are being multiplied and STN ministry has spread to Nepal.

Paul Brown closed by inviting my wife, Flory, and me to come to the stage. Based on a unanimous decision of the STN Board, I will be assuming the position of STN National Director for India. This will involve a myriad of responsibilities and will require us to relocate in India. Flory and I were blessed and encouraged by the time of prayer over us and our future ministry as the evening closed.

Thank you to everyone who helped or participated in any way in this event. STN appreciates your support of its ministry and its mission – to resource national leaders to shepherd their nations, developing a global partnership which trains and supports indigenous pastors to shepherd their nations.

Spring Ministry at Bethel Church

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by Ryder Kumar, STN International Director

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Flory & I have been invited by Bethel Church in Lucknow, India to participate in a conference during Feb/March 2014. I (Ryder) will teach on Church administration, and Flory will teach at the ladies conference.

Over the years, STN International not only held Seminars at the Bethel church but also had many opportunities of ministering the Word and shepherding the believers. The local believers in the church were profoundly impacted by the ministry of STN.

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My previous relationship with Bethel (being in the pastoral role for 17 years) and the present involvement through STN brought a beautiful partnership with this ministry opportunity that would focus on:

  • Ladies conference for about 40 ladies. Please pray for Flory as she ministers.
  • Teaching on Church administration to the main leadership of the church.
  • Waiting on God for directions and implementing specific plans.
  • Meeting of the elders, deacons, deaconesses, management board and staff.

We do praise God for Bethel Church and the key role they have been playing in building up of His Church in India.

The main founding members of Bethel Church are Ken Getty and his wife Racille. Ken is the former India and Canada Director of Worldwide Evangelization Crusade. He is planning on supporting this trip with prayer, counsel and finances. Over the decades, the Getty’s have been actively involved in the ministry of Bethel Church and supportive of STN International ministry. Our partnership with Ken and Racille Getty is greatly encouraging.

Brief Report On the Fall 2013 Seminars

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by Ryder Kumar, International Director.

Hyderabad

As the participants gathered in South India the scenario was a clear display of the accomplishment of our purpose of equipping and training. Vara Prasad, who had been attending the seminars regularly and shown diligence in study, said, “I am so blessed by the training received during the seminars that whenever I minister the Word, there is a greater interest in the congregation and there are new people joining the church. The course on Church history has been a very helpful subject. We have studied about Roman Catholics which motivated me to teach in my village. As a result of this, some Roman Catholic people came to know truth and two families have started to attend the Church services. Please pray as they desire to witness in the waters of baptism.” It was an honor for me to co-teach this seminar with Casey Danley.

Casey Danley co-teaches in Hyderabad

Casey Danley co-teaches in Hyderabad

Vijayawada

Following the Hyderabad seminar, two special events took place in Vijayawada. The first was a dedication of the first baby (Ruhamah) of our first STN India pastor, Isaac, and his wife, Usha. The other event was the baptism of Stephy.

baptism-2013Vijayawada Baby-dedication

Lucknow

Our final seminar was in Lucknow where we had 31 participants gathered to study Church history. Here is what Jose Simon, the principal of village school said, “It was interesting to know how God brought the gospel through the ages. In history God has made known His manifold wisdom through His Church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly realms. God warned me to love the people of other faiths as we studied about the Crusades, which failed to demonstrate the love of Christ. I was challenged by Martin Luther who responded by being motivated by the Word Of God, to bring reformation ….” It was a blessing to co-teach this seminar with Kishore Mathews.

Kishore Mathews co-teaches in Lucknow

Kishore Mathews co-teaches in Lucknow

A Testimony of Being Equipped

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We were pleased to receive the following testimony from one of our Bible Conference pastors:

“The Lord worked in an amazing way when He led us to Rev. Kumar through my brother and Pastor Paul Brown.

As a result, both my brother and I were able to attend STN training seminars in Hyderabad that were of great help to me as I had no knowledge of preaching or teaching and a great need of being equipped as a pastor.

The course material of BTCP and the other tools like the Concordance, the Study Bible and Dictionary have been of great help to me in my studies and in preparing for my sermons with the interaction with the teachers influenced me and left an indelible impression on me to grow into a spirited pastor and preacher.

Due to such effective training, by the grace of God, two churches have been planted in Andhra Pradesh with one having 70 people in attendance, the other 50, all of whom regularly attend the worship every Sunday with their families.

Every Sunday, I teach the Bible and, as of now, have completed the Books of Malachi and Nahum. My brother and I also started the BTCP Training Centre for 35 pastors in Vijayawada, my home-town, where I am also teaching as a member of the faculty.

Thanks to the help of STN, I am now in a position to preach sound doctrine at my church. I profoundly believe that God Himself has given me this rare and wonderful opportunity to grow in Christ spiritually through STN.

I witness His blessing in every family that attends our church. The church attendees also often express their gratitude and gratefulness to the STN for being instrumental in thus fortifying their lives and families spiritually.

Presently, STN is supporting me financially since in each of my churches the monthly offerings are as low as 600 to 1000 rupees (USD $10 to $17). At times, one loses sleep thinking about making both ends meet as such scanty creature comforts often pose a threat even to one’s spiritual growth.

But, by God’s grace, manifest through STN financial aid, I am living a better life than in the past.

I wholeheartedly acknowledge with thankfulness that STN has changed my life’s destiny and helped mold me into an unworthy servant of Christ.

Please know that I am forever grateful to STN for enriching me through sound teaching and for giving me the enviable mission of bringing about a multi-dimensional transformation in our community.”

Pastor I. K.

Thank you for Filling the Truck

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by Jeff Forbes

There are hero’s who walk among us who quietly live their lives without fan fare or spectacle. Who are not desirous of the attention due them, for the mercies they bestow. They are vessels of honor, filled to the brim for the sole purpose of being poured out.

To some their actions may seem trivial, but their impact like the ripples of a stone once cast into the water, can reach nations with God’s love. Such are those who gave so abundantly during our recent clothes drive to benefit the homeless, while, at the same time, raising much-needed funds for “Saving the Nations.”

On behalf of all of those you have blessed and will never know your name or your face, but who will stand in awe at the miraculous way God has fulfilled their need, I say thank you.

Thank you for giving of yourself, and know that because of your generosity, a child could go to school not embarrassed for the first time because of what he or she was wearing or that a woman in her first new dress could look in the mirror and, as never before, see that she has value beyond her circumstance.

You have made it possible for pastors on the other side of the world to be trained and strengthened in God’s Word.

Imagine that a pair of pants or shoes, a shirt or a dress given by you, not only clothed the needy, but assisted in training a pastor and quite possibly helped to usher a lost soul into the arms of Christ.

Thank you for participating in God’s plan and economy and may our Lord and Savior richly bless you with the unshakable joy of serving Him!

Hyderabad Seminar

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From Ryder:

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This is our Hyderabad seminar on the first day. People were awake, diligent and in the spirit of learning. Thanks for praying.

Both Sean and I have poured out our hearts to reach the hearts of the pastors at the Hyderabad Seminar. We had wonderful time. It’s good to observe the diligence, desire and determination in these pastors to study and reach out to others.  The hall in which these pastors sat has air conditioning.

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unao-pastorK.B. and S. are a great source of encouragement with their consistent ministry over three decades that has brought several hundreds to the Lord. Many of them were under demonic oppression, possession and influence, but they turned away from their idol worship and turned to the Lord. Struggles and persecution have not disturbed their ministry and, as a result, many people have joined their congregation and the whole sanctuary at Unnao is filled on Sundays. They are dedicated to reaching their entire region for the Lord. “People having no room sit close to the pulpit,” says K.B. Persecution is a reality in the area as one of the churches that K.B. and S. planted has been attacked with the worship services halted by force. Please pray for the pastor of the church (above), his congregation, and both K.B. and S., who seek your support to spread the Gospel in India and Nepal.

Amazing Growth and Worship

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Ryder Kumar reports:

Sunday Worship

The Lord blessed our time of worship and ministry of the Word at Ravi’s assembly in Hyderabad.

hyderabad-worship

Over 50 were present with songs of worship inspiring all there to fall at the feet of Jesus Christ.

Lucknow Seminar Conclusion:

The seminar at Lucknow ended giving all of us a true blessing.

lucknow-conference

Unfortunately, only a few testimonies were allowed at the closing session because of time constraints. A pastor from the state of Jharkhand in the north of India told us with tears in his eyes that, “We are so grateful for the equipping ministry we have been receiving. The lessons learnt through these courses have been source of blessing and we were teaching our churches. As a result our church from 30 to 40 members grew to 120 members.”