Training from Nepal

This week I have had the incredible opportunity to spend time with a modern day Apostle Paul. Below you will find a few of the notes that I took during our meeting, as well as insight into the nation of Nepal.

Bishwa grew up in the caste system found in Nepal. His father was a Brahman  A Brahman is a member of the the highest caste in their traditional caste society. In fact, a Brahman is a priest in the Hindu religion. Hinduism has been the major religion in Nepal for many years. Bishwa tells many stories of  his "upper-class" upbringing, and the privileges that come with his status  He says that people would bow down and kiss his hand as a 14 year old boy. Can you imagine the power and influence a person like this has in their home land? For Bishwa, this is no dream, it was real life.

After coming to know Christ, he began leading his family and friends to Jesus. He then served as a youth pastor at one of the largest churches in Nepal. He left youth ministry and began planting new churches throughout the country. He now trains church planters and sends them back to their area of Nepal to start new churches.

Bishwa's salvation experience
Bishwa's mother came to know Christ through a miraculous event. She did not have the ability to have children. In Nepal's caste system, the inability to have children brings disgrace on the woman and the family. Bishwa's mother tried everything she could to get pregnant. Every religious work, every prayer, every doctor. Then one day, someone told her about Jesus, and that Jesus had healed people in the past. At this point, Bishwa's father was considering marrying another woman. His mother prayed to Jesus, and Jesus healed her. Bishwa is 1 of 4 children.
Bishwa's mother never told anyone that she prayed to Jesus, but understood that Jesus is the "only true God." Years later, his mother hung a picture of Jesus on the wall in their home. Bishwa began to ask her about the picture. She answered by saying that Jesus is the one true God. She told him her story. Her story and a period of investigating ultimately led Bishwa to Jesus.

Notes from our time together:
 There are 10 things that Bishwa teaches his church planters:

1. Vision - He helps each planter form the vision for their future church for both the short term and the long term. 
2. Goals - He helps the planters develop goals. He makes sure that their goals are written in SMART language. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time bound)
3. Activities - After creating goals, they create activities that will help accomplish the goals. It is at this phase the the planter researches their community using the SWOT acronym - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. The planters then spend time praying about the people and the strategy.
4. Effective Evangelism - Bishwa prepares the planters to share the Gospel well. They focus on sharing in different ways, so that they can share in any environment, or on any time schedule. They train their people to share the Gospel in the following ways: Testimony, Bible in 3 Minutes, Roman Road, and Evangelism Cube. 
5. Discipleship - They then model and train the planters to make disciples who will make disciples. They use the MAWL acronym - Model in every area of life, Assist the believer by showing them how to select a disciplemaker, and then train them. Then, they teach the planters to Watch. Watch consists of the following formula (Practice= Knowledge+Opportunity.) Bishwa models this during the church planting training, then teaches and expects his planters to equip believers to make disciples by doing the same thing. Many church leaders give knowledge, but don't give opportunity to do something with that knowledge. Many churches are filled with people who are educated beyond their obedience. They do not want to educate people beyond their obedience.
6. Platform - Every planter that comes through the training must have "another reason" to live in the community in which they are planting. This typically means a job. Every planter has to figure out a way to provide for their family. The planters are not typically funded by outside sources. This can work as a blessing for the planters because they have the opportunity to be a part of business in their area. This allows the planters to connect with many people. It also keeps them from relying on funding from other places. American church planters typically pack up and go home if their funding runs out and they have not established a church that is self supporting. The planters Bishwa trains and sends are indigenous to the area in which they are planting. They are already home. 
7. Partnership - If a planter gets to this stage in the training, they talk about the continued coaching structure that Bishwa provides. 
8. Training & Development - If, throughout the course of the training, it is seen that a planter needs more bible knowledge, they will begin a classroom-type seminary class. In this class, they cover systematic theology, Old Testament, and New Testament. 
9. House Fellowship - During the training, Bishwa teaches the planters how to start and lead house fellowships. 
10. Healthy Church - At the end of the training they focus on what it looks like to be a healthy church. Bishwa trains his people by talking about the "5 signs of a healthy church".

1. One objective - To Glorify God

2. Two Authorities - The Holy Spirit, Bible

3. Three Offices in the church - Bishop/Elder/Pastor(used synonymously), Deacon/Servant, Treasurer. They are very careful that the pastor does not handle the money, nor get caught up in "serving tables"(See Acts 6)

4. Four "Self's" - Self supporting, Self governing, Self Control, Self Propagating

5. Five purposes of the church - Fellowship, Worship, Ministry, Discipleship, Evangelism

Blessings friends! I hope this content blesses you.

Josh Lilly