The OM in India
“When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.” —Acts 11:23
The two OM training pastors had never met until they arrived in India. Neither training pastor had ever met any of the film crew until they arrived in India. None of those five team-members had ever met the host team until they arrived in India. But they all had the faith to board those planes, believing that God is up to something special in Tamil-Nadu. For seven days in October, they had a front-row seat to what it is. We look forward to a full report and the film itself at year’s end, but here are some initial reflections from the two pastors.
(From Ricky Hemme, the Lead Pastor of South Valley Community Church in Lemore, CA) “Although I was very excited to go, I’ll admit there was some uncertainty about traveling halfway around the world to meet a group of people I had never met in person. But from the moment we arrived, it was clear that Pastor Joshua and his team were the real deal. They were incredibly hospitable, deeply devoted to the Lord, and passionate about serving the church in India. Their organization and care as we traveled from place to place to teach and preach made the experience both effective and meaningful.
What stood out most was the hunger of the local pastors. They have a genuine longing to know God and to see their churches gain traction in reaching their communities. Many of the hundreds of pastors we worked with seemed to be searching for answers—practical and biblical strategies to help them navigate the challenges of ministry in their context. When we introduced the Oikos Principle, it clicked. They quickly recognized that it was both a viable and affordable approach to evangelism and discipleship.
By the end of our sessions, there was a noticeable shift in their spirits. Many who began the day feeling tired and discouraged left renewed, hopeful, and eager to empower their people to be world changers within their own spheres of influence.
My biggest takeaway is this: Pastor Joshua, his family, and his team are more than capable of taking oikos to the next level in India. They are faithful, wise, and strategic leaders who understand both the heart and the mechanics of this movement.
It was a phenomenal trip and well worth the investment. I truly believe this may be the beginning of something very special—perhaps even a movement that will change the landscape of the Indian church in years to come.”
(From Scott Mercer, the Spiritual Formation Pastor at Hamilton Hills Church in Fishers, IN) “The vast number of people, the strange smells, the indescribable traffic, the food…all these are worth mentioning, but I will start with Joshua, Sneha, and Clement. Joshua was the host pastor for our trip and the trusted liaison for The Oikos Movement in India. He is a dark, short, stocky Indian man with a heart of gold. He met us at the airport with a dozen roses (obviously an Indian tradition) and from the minute we met until we said goodbye, we enjoyed every minute with him. Sneha is Joshua’s wife. She runs five children’s groups in her city where the Bible is taught and the needs of the mothers are served. Sneha was one of the most gracious humans I’ve ever met. Before we returned to the States, she wrote and then spoke a blessing over each one of us. It brought tears to our eyes. And then there is Clement. Clement is Joshua and Sneha’s three-year old son and possibly the cutest kid in Asia. Clement spent the week hanging out with his dad and the Americans. When Clement found out he could not travel along with us to the airport, instead he had to go to pre-school, he broke into tears.
What we witnessed in Joshua and Sneha’s family, church, and community was incredible. A family who has set everything aside for the mission of Jesus. A family who sold their car, to raise money that their church needed to stay open. And a family who loves the people around them like Jesus. We quickly realized as well, that God had given Joshua great favor with several networks of pastors in southern India. Each place we went Joshua was highly respected and looked to for leadership, even if he is just 34 years old. His initiative and vision have made him a formative leader of leaders. Joshua’s ability to train other pastors makes him the ideal partner for The Oikos Movement.
Sharing the Oikos Principle with the Indian pastors through our translator, Joshua, was one of the highlights of my ministry. To see pastors so hungry to learn Jesus’ strategy for both evangelism and restoring the world made the trip worth every second we spent away from home. Joshua started each seminar by sharing the essence of the Oikos Principle. Then Ricky Hemme shared how the Oikos Principle works to grow the church. I closed out each seminar by bringing us back to Genesis, showing that oikos was God’s plan from the beginning to cover the earth with His glory and expand Eden to fill the earth. At the end of each seminar the pastors were overjoyed to express their gratitude to us for coming and sharing the Oikos Principle. The camera crew (three incredible men from the West Coast) did a fantastic job of not just capturing the week, but drawing out of the pastors how they were benefitting from the teaching. Pastor after pastor talked about how they believed the Oikos Principle was the missing piece they had been searching for. They couldn't wait to get home and put it into practice. What a treasure this week was! I came home inspired to reach my own oikos.”