ServLife has created several organizations around the world to sustain and grow the work we are engaged in. One of these organizations in Nepal created just recently is ServLife Himalaya Development. It is led and governed by indigenous leaders and under the leadership of Lazarus Thulung.
The Vision of ServLife Himalaya Development in Nepal: By Lazarus Thulung: Kathmandu, Nepal- June 2010
Our Vision
To transform the society with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the Church Planting movement among unreached 3000 VDC of the remotest parts of Nepal, empower the poor, and children.
Our Goal
Our goal is to work in partnership with the whole body of Christ to train and send faithful Church-planting laborers to saturate by the Gospel, planting Churches and building Church-planting movement everywhere to reach every unreached people group of Nepal by 2017.
Our strategies
1. Train and Send to win people to Christ. Therefore, we started the ServLife training center in Kathmandu, where 42 Church planters have completed their training and working in the field now to plan new Churches.
2. Our vision is to send those trained Church planters in the new area where there is no Church yet (Romans 15:20).
3. To make it as a movement who can do the same to others (Multiplication according to 2 Timothy 2:2).
4. After planting a new Church, they will move to another area after developing local leaders. To fulfill this vision, we also conduct the Church planting seminar time to time in the different areas.
5. We also planned to train local leaders whom Church planters led to Christ. We have one month training called “How to help the pastor?” We bring them in Kathmandu ServLife training center for a month where they can learn, how to lead a Church?.
6. We also, help society to develop their economic status through the Hope Fund We started this project since 2009 in the area where Church planters are working. We are also concern about education in the village. We encourage our Church planters to conduct adult literacy classes in their villages if necessary. To transform the society, we are working water project for who do not have privilege to drink water.
7. Our ultimate goal is to preach Christ and transform society. We do believe that only true Gospel can truly change lives. But, we are also thinking holistic mission without compromising our faith in Christ.
8. To produce Gospel tracks and materials.
History of Nepal and Church Growth
Nepal is a Hindu Dominant nation in the world located between two big countries China in north and India in south, where 86 percent populations are Hindu. Many people know Nepal by the Mt. Everest, top of the world.
Catholics missionaries came to Nepal in 17th century to develop medical mission. They lived in Kathmandu valley during the Malla kings. History shows that more then 80 Newari people came to Christ after many years of missionary efforts. But, in 1979, Shaha King Prithvi Narayan Shah took over the power and unified Nepal as a one nation from different small nations. After the unification of Nepal, King Prithvi Narayan Shah made a law which caused missionaries to flee away from the country. All the missionaries and those 80 Newari Christian fled away from the land and went to Bihar, North India. From that moment Nepal became a close country for any other religion. Almost 300 years, Nepal was remained silence for Christian mission activities. We called it Dark Age in the Church history of Nepal.
In 1951, slowly door was opened for many Nepali missionaries who went to India and other nations to work. They came to Christ while they were in foreign land. Majority mission were waiting for the opportunity to enter into Nepal and preach the Gospel. Our Church History says that there were no protestant missionary who came to Nepal early 1951.
According to Norman Keharberg, in his book “Cross in the land of Khukuri”, there were 100 Christian in 1966 in Nepal. In 1980, there were 7 thousand Christian in Nepal. In 1990, there were 50 thousand Christian in Nepal. In 1999 there were around 400 thousand Christian in Nepal. Now, it is growing rapidly. Most Nepali Christian leaders believe that there are more a million born again protestant Christian in Nepal now. It’s almost 3 to 4 percent of total population of Nepal.
Social Structure
There are more then 92 major languages speaking people group lives in Nepal. According to Hindu scripture, they are divided into four groups: Brahmin (Higher Caste), Chhetri (Little lower class), Baisya (Most Mongolian faces), and Chhudra (Lower caste). Because of this caste system, there are vast differences within Nepali people. Higher caste people do not touch and eat with lower caste people. Millions are untouchable. People are under the bondage of Satan.
Belief
Most people in Nepal are Hindu though Buddha was born in Nepal. Hinduism has attached with the culture and ritual. Majority people are animist who worship different kinds of dead spirits of their forefathers. There are more then 330 millions gods and goddess were worshipping in Nepal. Every home has a worship alter for different gods and spirits. People are very religious and strong in their faith.
Most of them are suffering from evil spirits. More then 75% Nepali Christian came to Christ through healing. Most of them were posses by the demon spirits.
Christian Research
According to Nepal Government, there are more then 3912 villages called VDC (VDC: means Village Development Committee. One VDC contains six thousand to nine thousand populations). According to research, there are now around nine hundred villages are reached by the Gospel (There are at Church and at least on going fellowship). But, there are still more then three thousand villages are unreached, where there is no any Church and on going fellowship yet. Probably, some may have chance to hear the Gospel but still never had chance to go to Christian fellowship near by. There are at least some kind of small fellowships are started in the city and town where there are good roads, transportation and communication. But, remotest parts of Nepal are still left out. Nepal is still agriculture nation and majority lives are lived in the rural. We have great challenges in front of us. We can’t live without preaching Christ in those villages that are very receptive towards the Gospel. Paul says “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believe in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?” (Roman 10:14-15).
We realized that the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ (Mathew 28:19) is urgency. We are called to obey before it will be too late. This is the time of harvest (Psalms 126:5-6). Due to the 12 years of Maoist insurgency, people are hopeless and frustrated with political leaders. God has opened the door for us to show His love and mercy to the lost. There is only hope in Christ. People need to hear the message of Hope. We never had this kind of opportunity in the history of Nepal and it may not be in the future. This is the time of harvest.