Steve* and Marie* had been serving in Asia for 15 years when Steve’s brother passed away. It served as a wake-up call, reminding Steve that his days on earth, and in his place of service, are numbered. He had long been frustrated with the typical ministry approaches in his area, recognizing that while many invested in outreach, few invested in discipleship.
Additionally, he was troubled by a lack of concern for the physical needs of locals, which resulted in shallow, short-lived spiritual transformation. Many, instead of growing in Christ, were returning to their former ways of life.
So, he began to pray. “God, in the time I have left here, what do you want me to do?” After much prayer and several discussions with locals, Steve and Marie decided to start something new: a holistic discipleship program.
They began training village workers who selected three villages to invest in weekly over the course of five years. The goal? To meet both spiritual and physical needs. In addition to hosting worship and teaching Bible passages through music and interactive storytelling methods, they teach health and hygiene lessons and encourage villages to start self-help savings groups to help manage their own village development.
They also installed bio-sand water filters, proper toilets, and a solar panel in at least one home in each village, starting with the homes where they gather for worship. They hoped other families would recognize the usefulness of this sanitary equipment and express interest in these items themselves.
The impact of the program has been remarkable. In one village, a family was struggling to find clean drinking water. So, when they learned about the new water filter in their community, they decided to check it out. The family with the filter invited them to come back each day to get the clean water they needed. When the women from the family came to get water, they noticed that there were families gathering each week to worship Jesus. Although they come from a different faith background, they grew curious and have begun attending the gathering. along with their children.
Steve praises God for how the program has enabled their team to meet physical and spiritual needs alike, and he prays that God would continue to bless their efforts to make Christ known. “There’s a lot of pain and darkness around us, and it’s easy to grow discouraged – but God’s light is shining through our village workers into the darkness, bringing hope and new life.”
*Names changed.