World AG Congress Offers Additional Experiences
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The
sixth triennial World Assemblies of God Congress, to be held February 6-9,
2011, in Chennai, India, is designed to offer AG adherents a rare opportunity
to interact with thousands of fellow AG believers from around the world.
Attendees will experience praise and worship of Christ in the truest definition
of a multi-ethnic setting at New Life Assembly of God in Chennai — a church of
more than 45,000.
However,
recognizing that traveling to India is possibly a once-in-a-lifetime event for
many, organizers have arranged eight different tours to help travelers more
fully experience the country, culture and need for Christ. The tours pinpoint
key sight-seeing locations as well as effective — and impacting — AG ministries
around India, such as:
New Delhi (Taj Mahal), Agra and Jaipur tour (northern India)
Jaipur and Jodhpur tour (northwest)
Goa tour (south central west coast)
Alleppey, Kumarakom and Kovalam tour (southern west coast)
Mamallapuram and Pondicherry tour (southern east coast)
Mumbai Teen Challenge tour (north central west coast)
Kolkatta Missions tour (far east)
Bengaluru and Mysore
tour (central southern)
The
tours range from two nights and three days to four nights and five days and
$351 to $557 per person.
Although
each tour offers its own unique benefits, wonders and experiences, Omar Beiler,
AG World Missions regional director for Eurasia, admits that of all the places
he’s been, none have impacted him as much as the Saturday evening service of the
Mumbai Teen Challenge.
“It
challenged my theology,” Beiler says with emotion. “I’d estimate that nearly 60
percent of the people at the service are working prostitutes from the brothels
of Mumbai. They come and worship and rejoice in Jesus, but after the service,
they are herded back by their guards to the brothels. They are not prostitutes
by choice, but slaves of the sex industry. Many girls are sold into
prostitution as children, with no way out. What do you do?”
Tim
Pipkin, who works with AGWM’s Project Rescue — a mission that helps rescue
children from prostitution and get them into loving, Christian homes — concurs
with Beiler. He says the Teen Challenge experience is life changing. However,
he says a new Project Rescue effort has recently opened to aid children caught
in these desperate situations.
“Currently,
with our new facilities, we are limited to eight children — and we are full,”
Pipkin says. “But we also have two more children just waiting for us to have
room so we can get them out of the brothels.”
For more information about the World AG
Congress, including registration, hotels and the additional tour possibilities,
see the official website at http://wagf2011.com.
Dan Van Veen, AG News
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