Indonesian Church Growth Network
Indonesia is the fourth largest country in the world, with more Muslims than in the entire Middle East. Many Muslims live in superstition and fear that is rooted in ancient animistic and cultural beliefs. Their religious practice is often a syncretistic mix of animism and Islam.
Indonesia is the fourth largest country in the world, with more Muslims than in the entire Middle East. Many Muslims live in superstition and fear that is rooted in ancient animistic and cultural beliefs. Their religious practice is often a syncretistic mix of animism and Islam.
Since the mid-1960’s, the Indonesia Church Growth Network (ICGN) has worked with Indonesian national churches to reach several of Indonesia’s major unreached people groups. Ministries of ICGN include youth ministries bringing renewal to Indonesian churches, youth ministries for Muslim-background believers, lay training for evangelists and church planters, and multimedia outreach.
One of the major challenges in reaching Indonesia’s Muslims is not theological, but sociological. Believers are viewed as leaving their local culture, and thus often suffer painful ostracism from family, friends, and cultural traditions. Also, church planters’ past experience with Christianity is influenced by the West, including a worship style far removed from their local context. Thus, it is critical to share the Gospel in a way that is both biblical and relevant to their culture.
Although there has been an upsurge in Muslim fundamentalism, local Christian leaders believe that now is the time to reach Indonesia’s unreached people groups.
LEADERSHIP
Surdi
Art Center Festival
January 15, 2019
We hosted a Christian Cultural Arts Festival in a local Art Center. There was an Islamic leader, an ustad, who attended and competed in the Festival with his family. I…
Visions and Unlikely Evangelism
December 15, 2018
Today I took a trainee Greg* to two different towns to do some evangelism. We shared with two men, one in each town. One interesting thing about the man in…
Lay Leaders Transforming Communities
July 26, 2018
Earlier this month, thirty nine men and women graduated from our lay leader training program. The graduates were all ages, from four different training locations. It was heartwarming to hear…
Secret Viewers Come Forth
June 20, 2018
Our Cultural Arts Center creates, records, and performs Sundanese art forms (music, drama, dance, and comedy), all with the goal of contextualized evangelism and worship. Current programs include evangelistic television…
Suspicion may keep elder from Bible training
April 17, 2018
Dimas* is an elder from a church in Central Java who has been studying in our Bible training program. He initially came to one of our preaching seminars after his…
Uber Ride Proves Uplifting
March 28, 2018
Last Saturday, Dottie*, one of our staff members at our media productions, arranged a ride home with an Uber driver on motorcycle. These phone-based ride services have become very popular…
Christian television used to transform three generations
December 12, 2017
Mrs. Ani* had been watching our TV show regularly and decided on her own to believe! She eventually began asking questions to her boss who is a believer. Her boss…
Muslim Teacher Has Change of Heart
November 9, 2017
Indonesians have a rich heritage of performing arts, which plays an important role in their daily lives. Over the years, Indonesian Church Growth Network (ICGN) has learned that what has…
No Compromise for Samantha
October 26, 2017
Samantha, an Indonesian university student, found it pays off to stand your ground in your Christian walk. Eddy, a smart, nice “cousin” young man, was seriously interested in Samantha, one…
Pastors shocked at youth response!
July 6, 2017
“If you died tonight, are you sure you would go to Heaven? If you say, yes, what do you base your certainty on?” These questions were posed to 218 Indonesian…
