The past two Christmases have seen a surprising surge in a product used for an activity many Americans have put on the back burner. E-Readers have now become such a legitimate and significant competitor to print books that they are slowly changing the way publishers and writers are producing content. What does that say about our culture and society at large that we’ve had to invent a new way to read? Has the ability to read become so common place in American culture that we no longer appreciate it or recognize its importance?
Think about your day, how much do you use your understanding of the written word just to make it from point A to point B, or to accomplish projects at work or school? Do you send or receive email? How about instructions, bills or contracts? Without a basic functioning of literacy we can easily see how extraordinarily difficult it becomes to accomplish even the minutia of the day-to-day.
What comes as a shock to many Americans is the reality that much of the world is still illiterate. The gravity of this reality cannot be fully understood until we recognize how much of our world is centered on the expectation of being literate. How much of your day wouldn’t happen if you couldn’t read or write?
For Empart, teaching others to read and write has been a keystone to what we do and how we minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ. With much of the population in poor and remote villages in India falling into the category of illiterate, it is vital that we help in creating a culture of literacy alongside the teaching and proclamation of the Gospel message.
Much of our spiritual journey is centered on our ability to read and understand the authoritative word of God as found in the Bible. Think about your relationship with Jesus – where would it be without ever reading the Bible? Our goal at Empart is to encourage a sustainable method of evangelism that teaches, encourages and builds the foundation needed for personal and community growth in relationship with Christ.
Teaching people to read, write and know Jesus is just the start of what literacy helps to accomplish in and through the lives of villages and communities. These skills help impoverished peoples and families find jobs, move to larger communities and set in motion a new course in the family tree for generations.
We’re excited to see what God has in store for India, Nepal and the ministry of Empart through the expansion of our literacy programs. Pray with us as we ask the Holy Spirit to move mightily through this program. Pray that generations from now families would look back and see the change that was brought through the Gospel message and the literacy programs that were brought with it. Pray about your role in helping Empart accomplish this vision and how you can best help bring the Gospel of the Kingdom to the unreached people of India and Nepal.
To donate to Empart Church Planters workings to eliminate illiteracy in Indian and Nepal through the spreading of the Gospel message, please click here.
