God has blessed with a strong and successful outreach partnership for many years! Since 2006, G.O.S.P.E.L. has been working together in Christian ministry in Central and Western India, sharing God’s word, love and truth throughout unreached communities in these regions.
God has blessed CRFI ministry in 2017. Missionaries baptized 657 believers during the year and more than 250 believers were ready to be baptized but have postponed their baptism due to persecution and political tensions. The actual number of people who came to faith in 2017 was over 900. Though the persecution level has worsened, many continue to seek the good news of grace through Christ alone.
PREAMBLE
God has richly blessed us in the CRCA with a clear Gospel heritage and Biblical foundations. In recent years the CRCA has adopted the Fourfold Task, one of which is to multiply ministries locally and oversees to reach more people with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The G.O.S.P.E.L. subcommittee seeks to make a strong contribution to this. God has given us a wonderful opportunity to partner with Indian evangelists who are planting churches in Gujarat and surrounding regions in central India.
Christ’s mandate to go into the whole world is urgent. That mandate includes our own nation as well as those who live in Asia. India is still open to Gospel proclamation. India is in great spiritual darkness. India is densely populated. A large part of India’s population is very poor.
CONTEXT
The G.O.S.P.E.L. subcommittee is a part of the GROW Committee. It shares synergies with several other overseas committees focussed on Word and Deed outreach including Solomon Islands Mission, Bethesda Disability Support and the World Transform committee. What G.O.S.P.E.L. seeks to do overseas the Church Planting Taskforce seeks to do here in Australia, and it is good to be able to compare strategies and stories.
THE STRATEGY AND WORK
G.O.S.P.E.L. will identify, train and support gifted local, indigenous, Indian Christians to be missionaries to their own people. The acronym G.O.S.P.E.L. stands for Gujarat (and surrounds) Outreach Support; Planting churches; Economic development and Literacy training. As the acronym suggests, the preaching of the “Word” is foremost, but the work also involves the “Deed”. G.O.S.P.E.L. evaluates the training provided and continues to look at ways to improve this.
G.O.S.P.E.L. functions in the CRCA as a mission partnership organisation for local congregations.
The G.O.S.P.E.L. subcommittee will receive and administer the offerings and contributions from CRCA and non CRCA churches individuals and corporations.
G.O.S.P.E.L. will continue to investigate, evaluate and suggest projects where further partnerships can be fruitful.
G.O.S.P.E.L. is part of GROW and will seek to interact and learn from the other workgroups in GROW to ensure the work in enhanced.
THE FUNDS
G.O.S.P.E.L. is to keep clear records of all gifts and donations received and funds allocated. Administration costs are to be kept to a minimum. The financial records are to be audited annually.
THE COMMITTEE
Subcommittee members should be professing members in the CRCA. GROW is to authorize all members of the committee. There should be at least 3 members in the committee who fill the task of a chairman, a secretary and a treasurer.
G.O.S.P.E.L. shall meet at least four times per year. When necessary, additional meetings may be convened. A quorum at all meetings shall consist of a simple majority of the committee.
PROMOTION
G.O.S.P.E.L. promotes its projects and shares news of its field activities among the churches and members of the CRCA churches.
DISSOLUTION
In the event of the dissolution of G.O.S.P.E.L., whether voluntary, by force of circumstance, or by decree of law, the Synod of the CRCA on the advice of GROW, shall – after discharging all debts and obligations – distribute all available funds, assets and properties to organisations whose use thereof will be in conformity to the principles of operation of G.O.S.P.E.L.
Approved at the May 2015 Synod of the CRCA.
The MISSION STATEMENT of CRFI is that we seek that all persons will:
WE AFFIRM THIS STATEMENT OF FAITH (and adopt the following three ecumenical creeds: The Apostles’ Creed, the Athanasian Creed and the Nicene Creed.)
WE UPHOLD the system of doctrine taught in these four confessional standards: The Belgic Confession, the Canons of Dort, the Heidelberg Catechism and the Westminster Confession of Faith.
WE STAND BY the central truths of the Reformation summarised in the five Latin phrases:
WE UNDERSTAND that Christ has clearly commanded the practice of water baptism as a sign of washing away of the sins of a believer. As there are differences in how Christians view the timing and mode of baptism, we do not intend that the timing and mode of baptism should be barriers between fellowships and therefore allow for such different views to be held in CRFI.
CRFI Purpose, Aims and Objectives
The CRFI Board