I had the privilege to travel to Chennai India & meet again with my church planting friend & apostolic leader Ps Kalyan Kumar. We have known each other for 20 years. It was fun to be with him & see what God is doing through him as he plants new churches. By 2025 he is aiming for 1000 churches!!! The way things are going it will happen!

We were talking about a person Dr R (Bobby) Gupta. Kalyan happened to know him well and I was able to meet with him. I was so excited!

25 years ago I first met Bobby Gupta at a church planting forum in London. I remember that day well. He spoke about His "Hindustan Bible Institute" (HBI), training leaders to begin new churches. (HBI began in 1952). The students fully graduate when they have planted a church, (or been part of the team). I thought that was so exciting when I first heard it & have kept it in my heart ever since. My dream is to see a Bible College in Europe do the same!!

So now,  fast forward 25 years to February 2013 in Chennai & I meet him again at the HBI.

We end up talking non stop for a few hours...You guessed it, church planting, movements... it was so inspiring to hear what has happened. In the last 28 years over 7000 churches have been planted! Now I'm not discrediting this number, but even if it is half of this it's absolutely amazing!! Included in this are new movements, that are self sustaining and multiplying. Of course as we were speaking I was imagining a few 'Church Planting Training Centres for Western Europe', (CPTC for WE). Then I begin to dream ... what would it feel like to see whole new movements / networks begin in Europe. Some would have 30-50 churches, some would have 100's of new churches...I must admit I began to feel somewhat emotional. It was a wonderful God moment...

Paul R Gupta & Sherwood G Lingenfelter have written a very inspiring book which records the journey.

"Breaking Tradition to accomplish VISION...
Training leaders for a Church planting movement". 
www.bmhbooks.com 

A chapter describes how 'formal education gradually cripples & derails a school originally founded to produce church planters. The books states, few Reformation leaders imagined the essential questions of modern mission - evangelism, making new disciples of new believers, & planting new churches.' (pge 11). Very challenging! 

It is a very clear call to the church; 'Unless the church focuses on the task of making disciples & planting churches, we will not fulfill the mission of God for our generation'. (pge 4). He begins his introduction, 'God's mission for the church is to make disciples of the nations, & God insists on accomplishing that mission through us'.  

To say I was inspired, challenged & fired up is an understatement! I left noticing again the huge board in the foyer which reads, I quote: 

"To give every Indian an opportunity to hear, understand & respond to the Gospel and be discipled into communities of believers, so that we will see a dynamic transformational church in every village, colony, town and city of India & beyond. 

Building Transformational Leaders to disciple the Nations." 

Now that's one Heaven of a mission statement...and it's happening!! Western Europe...awaits such vision...