A) Location and Background :

The area is located at the foot of Eastern Ghats (Row of hills in the eastern part of the South India, adjacent to the River Godavari on the East coast of the Bay of Bengal. These Churches are around Rajahmundry in East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh State in INDIA. The Area is covering 50% of Rural and 50% hill tribes with nearly 125 habitations (small villages) having a population of 5,80,000. In the Total Population 70% people are living below the poverty line and in Christian population, 95% of the Christians are poor.

B) Brief History:

During Nineteen Seventies Bro. J.C. Bailey, Canada; Bro. Marshall L. Matlock USA. Bro. Charles F. Scott USA. Bro. Royce Fredrick USA visited several times to East Godavari District. Later Bro. Frank Fair Cloth; Bro. Winfield Skinner USA visited and strengthened Congregations in our area. They trained and awakened some faithful servants to the Lord. Bro. K. Cornelius, Preacher Church of Christ Korukonda is one of them. Thousands of people were believed and turned to New Testament Christianity through Bro. K. Cornelius. He had trained a lot of youth to serve in the Lord's ministry. Some of them are spreading the Gospel of HIS Kingdom and planted new congregations. In the year 1996 Bro. Randolph Gonce visited our place.

During the year 2002, we had a good opportunity to have fellowship with Bro. Pedro Gilabert. Brother Pedro encouraged us a lot. He sent Brother Joe Hornyak to visit us. Bro. Joe visited us, and in his second trip he visited us with Bro. Parveen and Sister Dianna. Bro. Parveen and Sister Dianna are helping us in the Pre Schoolwork.

C) NEED OF EVANGELISM IN INDIA:

1.Harvest is Plentiful but the workers are few:

India is a country, which has the second largest population in the world next to china. Though big in population the Christians in our country are less, which is around 3%. Even today there are so many places where the massage of Jesus Christ not yet known.

2. The Lord has commanded:

" Go in to all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. " (Mark 16:15). So we have the responsibility to bring the Gospel to every corner of India. The Christians here are very poor and seeking their livelihood by doing labor work. The main religion in this country is Hinduism, where in people worship trees, animals and idols. There are many places in our country the name of Lord Jesus Christ is yet to be heard.

3. THREATENING ON CHRISTIANS BY HINDU MILITANTS:

During the recent days the Christians in India are facing some troubles from the Hindu militancy, which is on the raise now. So hard work shall be done to overcome the problems and for the expansion of HIS Kingdom.

4. TO STOP THE FLOW OF FALSE DOCTRINE:

"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine, and fellowship, in breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:42)
Due to the denominations the false doctrine is spreading out very fast in India. They are confusing the people and turning away from God. So everybody has entrusted the responsibility by Jesus Christ to preach the sound doctrine i.e. the New Testament Christianity.

5. HIS SECOND COMING IS SOON:
We are all in the end days and it is the need of the day to spread the Gospel to welcome His Second Coming. For this the Christian brethren throughout the universe should be unite and work together.

D) DATA OF THE CONGREGATIONS
The following is the information of the congregations and the preachers working for the Lord's ministry.

E. Krupa Bible Patashala:

Bro. Randolph Gonce and his teammates, Bro. Lyle Starnes, Roger Weimers, Ken Shoop, etc, are started a semi correspondence and semi contact program namely "Institute of Biblical Studies" in the year 1998. Bro. P. V. Ratnam worked as Area Instructor in this IBS and trained 10 students from Korukonda Congregation. These students got their Diplomas on 18-1-2000. These 10 trained students and another 10 members from Korukonda Congregation, under the co-ordination and guidance of Bro. P.V. Ratnam, taken task to preach the Gospel where there are no congregations in this area. The Ministry is growing well by planting new congregations and this team of young preachers conducted several spiritual as well as charity works for strengthening of the congregations. In the year 2003, Bro. P. V. Ratnam selected another 10 young people (2nd Batch) including 4 women for training in IBS. They were trained and got Diplomas in February 2004. In the meanwhile, Bro. P.V.Ratnam, started another correspondence school at Rajahmundry with the same curriculum of IBS upon the suggestion of Bro. Randolph Gonce. Brother Gonce suggested to running this school purely on self-supporting basis. So "Krupa Bible Patashala" was started on 1st November 2003 with 10 Area Instructors and 50 students. Krupa Bible Patashala is Telugu word, means "Grace Bible School". The school is running good. We would have to conduct the first batch Graduation function in the month of January 2005.

F. MINISTRY WORKS:

A good work is established and it is highlighted in this area. The following are the woks taken up by us.

1. Planting New Congregations where there are no congregations in this area, and where there are congregations spreading the false doctrine.

2. Running Sunday Schools in all the congregations

3. Conducting Preachers Fellowship Meetings on every 2nd Friday of the month.

4. Conducting Out Reach Programs with Rallies with Slogans, Banners, Play Cards and distribution of pamphlets in Rural and urban slums.

5. Running of Christian Bookstall with Bibles, Pamphlets, and hymnbooks by displaying Banners with Bible quotations etc, in Hindu festivals, where a huge number of people gathered. We are Distributed Holy Bibles, several New Testaments, Pamphlets, and Tracts etc.

6. Conducting One-Day Gospel Meetings at 20 different places, preferably in new places in and around Rajahmundry every year.

7. "Krupa Bible Patashala ", a semi correspondence and semi contact program
where 50 students are being graduated every year.

8. Spreading of Gospel through "Audiotape Ministry". Bro. P.V. Ratnam and his wife Sujnana Kumari are song composers and they wrote nearly 100 songs basing on the word of truth. Two audiocassettes were recorded and released with 12 songs named "Sajeeva Satyalu" (Living Truth), "Na Intilo Yesu" (Jesus in my Home), in Telugu language our mother tongue which is spoken by 7 crore population.

9. Saving many Souls by Baptizing after Preaching the Gospel of Christ.

10. Encouraging Youth : The Bible says in Psalm 119:9 that by living according to the word of the Lord, that the youth keep their life pure. Rajahmundry Church of Christ always encourages the Youth, leading them to live according to the word of God to be examples to as many as they come across in life.

11. We had a Team of good Singers and they sing songs, which were written according to the truth, very well in all our meetings.

G. Charity works:

1. Conducting Free Health /Medical Camps by checkup, tests and medicines all are free of cost.
2. Conducting Free Eye Camps, providing Intra Ocular Lens (IOL) for free of cost.
3. Conducting Vocational Training’s in Sewing, Lace making, Adda Leaf Manufacturing for Unemployed women of the congregations.
4. Running Grace Pre School Education Centers in Rajiv Nagar, Korukonda, Rayudupakalu and Purushothampatnam. In these schools children learn education, sharp their talents etc. We are providing free education, food (Day Care), Uniform, Shoe etc.

5. Rehabilitation works : Both natural and man-made calamities make people lose both their family members and also property. They become shelter less and orphans. It is God’s grace that we could attend such incidents and helps them something. During the fire accident for two times at Rajiv Nagar we could provide them rehabilitation, visiting the victims and their left over family members and comforting the orphans etc.

6. Distributing new Clothes i.e. Blankets, Sarees, and Blouse pieces to the poor and needy women in the Congregations.

7. Day Care for Widows at Rayudupakala congregation.


H. FUTURE PLANS :

1. Planting new Congregations as many as possible.
2. Training 50 students every year regularly.
3. Purchase of Gospel Van.
4. Christian Library.
5. Construction of permanent Church buildings in all the congregations.
6. Women Bible Camps every year.
7. Children Retreats.
8. Residential Orphan Schools.
9. Full pledged Pre Schools at all the congregations.
10. Day Care Centers for destitute women and children.
11. Vocational Training Centers at all the congregations.
12. Development of AudioTape Ministry.
13. Conducting of Free Health/Medical Camps and Eye Camps effectively and regularly.


I. PRAYER REQUESTS :

We would like to put the following requests before you to help regarding the ministry going on here in Rajahmundry areas.

1. Pray for this ministry regularly as it is a most important way in which you can help this ministry.

2. Pray for the protection of our brethren who are working for Him in difficult and remote Hill Tribe areas.

3. Strengthen us by sending Biblical printed material such as Bibles, Books, Magazines, Audiotapes monthlies etc.,

4. We request missionaries in you congregations to visit our place in India to see the work going on here and to strengthen us by sharing the word of Truth.

5. Pray for the 20 Native preachers for their livelihood, as they are very poor.

6. Pray for the construction of permanent church buildings for the above congregations for conduction worship and meetings. Because 70% of congregations are not having own buildings and the remaining 30% congregations are having "thatched sheds" covered with palm leaves.

7. Pray for the Charity works to be continued by the Churches of Christ.

8. Please tell others about this Lord's ministry.

9. Please sent any useful information if you have which is helpful to this ministry.

J. CONCLUSION: