The Church that Ended the Gossip

Could a church without a building really be trusted? People were talking. Not just any people: fellow Christians. They saw the place where Naisha, Sahaj and other believers met to worship the Lord and they started to gossip.

“[They have] no church building to worship the Lord and no cemetery to bury the dead,” they ridiculed.

The opposing words alarmed Naisha and Sahaj. They had just started attending worship services, and they wanted to know about Jesus for themselves. When they heard the suspicions from some of these Christian circles, they wondered…maybe they were right?

“[They have] no church building to worship the Lord and no cemetery to bury the dead,” the villagers ridiculed.

Struggling Without a Church Building

GFA-supported Pastor Dayaram and his congregation would cram together inside a small house to worship the Lord. During the rainy season, water would drip down from the tile ceiling above the worshipping saints. In the summer, the house which was used for a church building trapped heat within its walls as the bright sun shone through. Everyone was crowded, hot and sweaty. This house was small, and there was not much space available for the believers to sit and seek the face of God earnestly.

Pastor Dayaram’s congregation, like this one, struggled to worship the Lord in such cramped spaces. Worst of all, rumours about his congregation started to spread. Because they lacked a church building many began to wonder if they could be trusted.

Not only did the condition of their little building, a home of one of the believers, discourage their hearts, but they, too, heard the slander against their little fellowship.

In Asia, a church building is viewed as a sign of respect to God. When Christians meet in a common place, like a house or under a tree, it is difficult for others to receive or respect their faith in Jesus, especially when they worship their many gods and goddesses in elaborate temples. Because this mindset is ingrained within the culture, having a holy place set apart to worship and seek the Lord is vital to a growing congregation. The lack of a church building can cause a lot of controversy and questions. Those on the outside looking in wonder if Christians are irreverent to their God.

Nevertheless, Pastor Dayaram and the faithful body of believers he nurtured sought the Lord together for wisdom. Though they struggled, they continued to serve the Lord and display the love of Jesus to those around them.

Prayer Heals Relative, Draws Curiosity

When Pastor Dayaram (not pictured) prayed for Jivin, the Lord healed him.

One day, Pastor Dayaram felt the Lord leading Him to a village nearby to pray for and minister to the villagers. While in the village, he learned about a man named Jivin, who had been battling sickness for a long time. Jivin had received numerous treatments but never got cured.

Pastor Dayaram was invited to pray for Jivin, and by God’s grace, Jivin experienced complete healing! When Jivin’s relative, Naisha, and her husband, Sahaj, heard about this miracle, they became curious and started attending Pastor Dayaram’s worship services.

But after a month’s time something happened: Naisha and Sahaj heard the rumours. Concerns arose about the church’s credibility because it didn’t have a building. New in their faith, Naisha and Sahaj heeded their voices and stopped going to church.

Believers Help Church Construction

The fellowship struggled on until Pastor Dayaram sent in a request to his leaders, asking for help to construct a church building. Soon, resources and materials arrived on the site for their new church!

The believers worked together to get the church building completed. Some of them even stood watch through the night over the materials, like shown in this picture, at the construction site.

All hands belonging to Pastor Dayaram’s congregation participated in the much-awaited project. Some of them endured sleepless nights, keeping watch over the jobsite to protect the materials, while others faithfully did what they could to help the construction. Everyone prayed earnestly for the construction to go by quickly. Because the believers helped see the church construction to completion, their faith was built up block by block!

Building Squelches Rumours, Grows Family

After the church building was completed, God blessed Pastor Dayaram and his congregation with more brothers and sisters in Christ—including Niasha and Sahaj. When they saw the new building, they decided they wanted to attend again. As a result, Niasha and Sahaj soon grew strong in their love for Jesus.

Today, the church thrives as the rumours have faded out. Now they have a roof over their heads, space to worship and seek God, and open doors to others in their community.

Church buildings are a huge blessing to our brothers and sisters in Asia. Today you can make an impact in their lives and in the villages surrounding them through your prayers and support!