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Gospel Resources for India
A special welcome to all visitors of Indian heritage! This page contains links to Bibles, stories and web sites written in the languages of India which tell about Jesus and His love for the Indian people.Many followers of Jesus are praying that God will bless the people of India, and some of the links on this page have information to help them learn more about Indian languages and culture.
Thank you for visiting. May the grace and peace of God be yours today!
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Publications About Jesus
The Four Spiritual Laws explains God's plan of salvation in Bengali, Guharathi, Hindi, Punjabi, Malayalam and Assamese.
God's Simple Plan of Salvation presents a simple one-page, Bible-based salvation tract in Hindi and Bengali.
Tamilnews.org has the most joyful welcome I've heard at any Internet site.
GotQuestions.org answers basic questions about Christianity in many languages including Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi, Tamil and Urdu. Messages of God's Love - Multilingual distributes gospel literature and music in Arabic, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi, Tamil and Urdu. Their site also offers free gospel tracts and brochures to assist your ministry to Indians.
Strangers in a Foreign Land, offered by Indiagospel.net looks at various issues within the Indian Pentecostal community in the United States.
The Tamil Christian Prayer Church of Ontario offers a site written in Tamil.
You can hear a Real Audio gospel message in Bangla, Bhojpuri (Northern), Haryanvi, Hindi, Kannada, Maghi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, or Urdu at I-AM.org.
Thru the Bible, the classic five-year radio Bible study with Dr. J. Vernon McGee, is broadcast daily on the internet in Hindi.
"The True Story of a Brahim" tells how a man who was born an orthodox Hindu came to accept Jesus as his savior and Lord.
Bibles for India
Find online, audio and print Bibles in the languages of India at Bibles in Your Language, including:
Ao Naga Assamese Awadhi Bengali Gujarathi Hindi Kannada Lambadi Malayalam Marathi Nepali Oriya Sanskrit Tamil Telugu Urdu
Click here for links to Arabic Bibles.
Background Info on the People of India
India is the most linguistically varied country in the world, with hundreds of languages spoken. Hindi and English are the official languages. Other predominant languages are: Assamese, Kashmiri, Rajasthani, Bengali, Malayalam, Sanskrit, Bhili, Marathi, Sindhi, Bihari, Nepali, Tamil, Gujarati, Oriya, Telugu, Kanarese, Punjabi, Urdi, Kafiri, Shina, and Khowan.The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 815,447 Asian Indians lived in the United States in 1990. Five languages from India are on the "List of 50 Most Common Languages in the U.S."
Hindi (Urdu) - (number 14 with 333,000 speakers in the U.S.),
Gujarathi - (number 26 with 102,418 speakers),
Panjabi - (number 39 with 50,000 speakers)
Bengali - (number 44 with 38,000 speakers) and
Malayalam - (number 48 with 34,000 speakers).For more on Indian languages in the U.S., read "The Indian Tower of Babel" from the August 1995 issue of American Demographics.
Languages and Scripts of India is a rich site for links and research on the many languages of India.
The SIL Ethnologue has detailed information on the languages of India.
Indian Resources 777 lists over 700 Christian resources for outreach to the people of India.
Information for Churches
Perhaps you've noticed that several families from India have moved into your community. Your church would like to get acquainted with them and find ways to serve your new neighbors. But how can you begin?Begin by cultivating a loving heart, a listening ear, and the habit of prayer. Look for opportunities to learn about other cultures and develop skills for cross-cultural communication. There are lots of resources on this site, including the article "How to Start a Cross-Cultural Ministry," that can help you prepare to move forward in faith.
The Jesus Film is a great way to share the gospel in the "heart language" of your Indian neighbors. Campus Crusade for Christ has produced this beautiful film of the gospel of Luke and translated it into over 600 languages, including Hindi, Gujarathi, Panjabi, Urdu, two variations of Bengali, Malayalam, Assamese, and Kashmiri. Your church can buy a video for less than $20 and sponsor a "Welcome to India Night" to show the film and begin a dialogue. Ask Indian leaders in the community if they would like to see the film and if they'll help you invite other families.
To order the Jesus Film, visit Jesusfilm.org. Or order by phone from Campus Crusade at 1-800-432-1997.
God's Story is an 80-minute video which presents the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. The video (and an audio version) are available in Hindi.
The International School of Ministry offers affordable bible training in Bengali, Hindi, Malayalam, Nepali, Oriya, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu . Their course in structured, taught by interdenominational Christian leaders, and available on audio tapes so your church can become a training center.The Indian Gospel Network, has Christian links, a Church Directory, and these interesting facts:
India contains the largest block of unreached people in the world. While the Christian Church in India is estimated to be growing by 5,000 people per day, the nation grows by 55,000 per day. There are more people in India than in North and South America combined.
Learn the Language
If you want to honor your Indian friends, learn a few phrases in their language.These are the most popular books at Amazon.com for learning the languages of India:
- Teach Yourself Hindi: Complete Course
- The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary
- Teach Yourself Beginner's Hindi Script
- Lonely Planet Hindi & Urdu Phrasebook
- Bengali : A Complete Course for Beginners (Book and 2 cassettes)
- Lonely Planet Bengali Phrasebook
- Colloquial Gujarati: A Complete Language Course (Book and 2 cassettes)
- Universal English-Gujarati Dictionary
- Panjabi (Teach Yourself)
- Panjabi: A Complete Course (Book and cassette)
Missions
The Native Missionary Movement of India has information on missions, church planting, and Hindi Christian hymns online.
The Hindustan Bible Institute, located in the city of Madras, maintains this web site to connect with North American Churches.Inter Collegiate Prayer Fellowship is India's second largest indigenous mission agency working among university students. They also have chapters in the USA.
An indigenous church, Christian Faith Assembly, is planting churches in Tamil Nadu, where "the fragrance of the gospel of Jesus Christ had not already penetrated."
Recommended Reading
From Head-Hunters to Church Planters:
An Amazing Spiritual Awakening in Nagaland
by Paul Hattaway
Authentic, 2006
An inspirational example of how God transformed the Nagaland region of India, beginning with a powerful revival at the Baptist church.
Sharing Your Faith With a Hindu
by Madasamy Thirumalai
Bethany House, 2002The Hindu population in North America is growing steadily, now numbering over one million people. Madasamy Thirumalai was raised a Hindu and became a believer in Jesus more than twenty years ago.
Following Jesus in the Hindu Context:
The Intriguing Implications of N.V. Tilak's Life and Thought
by Herbert L. Christ-Bhakti Richard
William Carey Library Pub, 1998Lonely Planet India
by Sarina Singh
Lonely Planet, 2001Culture Shock: India
by Gitanjal Kolanad
Graphic Arts Center Publishing Co., 2001Curried Favors:
Family Recipes for South India
by Maya Kaimal MacMillan
Abbeville Press, Inc., 2000Indian Regional Classics:
Fast, Fresh, and Healthy Home Cooking
by Julie Sahni
Ten Speed Press, 2001In the Circle of the Dance:
Notes of an Outsider in Nepal
by Katharine Bjork Guneratne
Cornell Univ Press, 1999This secular book is a fascinating account by the wife of an anthropoligist about the year she spent in a Tharu village in Nepal.
India Business:
Finding Opportunities in this Big Emerging Market
by Aurna Chandra, Pradeep Rau, and John K. Ryans Jr.
Paramount Market Publishing, 2002This secular book with lots of practical information about India's politics, culture, and people.
Irrigating India:
My Five Years as a USAID Advisor
by Sol Resnick
Elaine Minow Resnick, Editor
Printstar Books, 2001
This engaging, secular book tells the story of an American working in community development in India in the late 1950s.
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