Minds renewed. A family restored. A church reunited. Lives changed for eternity. That’s what a church in Chandigarh, India recently experienced—and the impact is spreading.
When a pastor’s son eloped with a young girl from the church, what may have seemed like a joyful celebration turned to anger and division. In India, marriage is seen as a union not just of two people, but also of their families and communities. So elopements often carry strong social and sometimes even legal penalties for young couples starting their new lives together.
For this young couple, the choice to elope brought pain to their families and their church. The pastor, angered by his son’s betrayal of family trust and tradition, disowned his son. As the news spread, the people of the church began turning against one another. Some church members lost respect for the pastor, questioning his son’s upbringing. Others responded with anger, seeing the young groom’s behavior as disrespectful of the bride and her family. Still others felt sorry for the pastor, whom they saw as a victim of his son’s choices.
After learning how to trust God in all circumstances at a Living on the Edge pastor training, the pastor’s mindset was changed. He began to look at this painful challenge not as a situation to control but as a situation to entrust to God. As he was reminded to be the person he was teaching others to become, he forgave his son, and the family was restored. As he taught his church to live out their faith as authentic disciples whose minds are renewed by the Holy Spirit through their relationship with Jesus, his church members began to change their perspectives. They let go of anger and bitterness and forgave one another. Seeing the pastor’s love for his son and new daughter-in-law, they welcomed the young couple back into their church. And soon they started spreading this teaching not just in their church, but throughout their community.
“Thank you for this beautiful training that we all participated in. It changed our thinking from where we are today to what we can be with a renewed mindset….God bless you all!
– Reverend Randeep, Pastor, Chandigarh, India
Training just one pastor to trust God and choose love over anger and pain brought a family back together. As he shared what he learned and lived it out in his life, the hearts of hundreds in the congregation were healed and unity was restored. And as the congregation continues to reach out in love to their community, hundreds and even thousands more will see the light of Jesus in these authentic disciples whose words and actions reflect deep faith and profound love. That’s how faith multiplies—and your gifts to Living on the Edge help to make it possible.
TOGETHER WE CAN