Vibhat and Vaijayi were both bringing their families down through their alcohol addictions, while Atulya and his family lived in tension because of financial hardships.
Today, all three of these men and their families are learning more about Christ as they faithfully attend church services with the congregation led by Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Akshay.
How did this happen? Because God put it on the heart of the local church to sing Christmas carols to their neighbors.
Carols Bring Joy to Neighbors
Members of Pastor Akshay’s congregation have been Christmas caroling together since 2010, but for the first few years, they were able to carol only to believers. In 2013, they got permission from their neighbors to visit and sing carols, so they started caroling earlier in order to visit all the houses in their area.
People enjoyed the new experience and gladly received the carolers and the gifts they gave, which included New Testaments, Christian literature and candies.
In 2014, the carolers decided again to try something new. They printed cards with the church’s information, and as they visited homes, they invited people to attend the church’s Christmas program.
Through their invitation, 15 new families decided to attend the Christmas program on Christmas morning. Three of those families—Vibhat’s, Atulya’s and Vaijayi’s—invited Pastor Akshay to their homes to pray for them and their difficult situations.
Pastor’s Visits Encourage Families
When Pastor Akshay visited Atulya’s family, Atulya told him about the struggles his family was facing because of financial problems. Pastor Akshay prayed for them and shared more about Jesus. Filled with happiness and hope, the family decided to trust in Christ.
Pastor Akshay also had opportunities to visit Vibhat’s and Vaijayi’s families, who were desperate for God’s deliverance from all that alcoholism had done to their families. As their relationships developed and as Pastor Akshay continued spending time with Vibhat’s and Vaijayi’s families, they heard about true hope—hope found in the God who was born in a manger in Bethlehem. They longed to experience His transformation.
Vibhat’s family decided to walk with Jesus, and Vibhat began to overcome his drinking habit.
Vaijayi is still struggling to quit drinking, but he and his family have started seeking the Lord for help and attending church, and his older daughter joined the youth fellowship.
Now, one year later, all three families are attending church faithfully and growing closer to Jesus.
Carols Continue to Bless the Community
This last Christmas, God continued to lead people to church through the caroling outreach. More than 20 non-Christian families attended the church’s Christmas program, and five of those families invited Pastor Akshay to visit their homes for prayer.
Please pray for God to bless Pastor Akshay’s visits with these families and for Vibhat’s, Atulya’s and Vaijayi’s families to continue growing in Christ.
Read about another family impacted through Christmas carols.
