Partnering with India’s Gospel Servants

Richard Samuel

“I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.” (John 15:16-17)

CCM Overview 2004

Richard Samuel's vision for Christ Community Ministries is two-fold: First, to reach out with the hope and love of Jesus to the forgotten and discarded in Indian society, and second, to use business models to sustain ministry. Richard has compassion for people in India who are hurting because of the broken relationships inherent in this world. But healing also comes through relationships – those established in communities built on the Lord Jesus.

Through Christ Community Ministries, Richard seeks to build such healing communities where the Gospel is central and needs are met. Christ Community Ministries seeks to build economic engines into its ministries to make them self sustaining whenever possible. Through healing communities touching every aspect of life, it is Richard’s prayer that the world will know that the Kingdom of God is at hand.

UPDATES FROM THE FIELD

His Rest Retreat Center

by Kim Turkington on September 14th

God is working on our behalf in order to provide a place of discipleship, rest and renewal for believers in south India.  We are thankful as we look back at what He has already done and also as we look forward and press on to take hold of that for which He has taken hold of us.

The Vision

In the late 1990’s Richard Samuel and other leaders at Christ Community Ministries realized the need believers in India have for spiritual rejuvenation and physical rest. The tasks the Lord has called His people in India to do are especially challenging in a culture that is mostly hostile to the Gospel. More »

A Decent Place to Live

by Kim Turkington on August 30th

The need for decent housing is vast in India. To have a roof that doesn’t leak and walls that are not steadily crumbling away is a dream many millions will never realize.

I often cite statistics when I am trying to convey the profound needs in India.  But I realize that often real people and their real problems are blurred by the very statistics that seek to define the problem.

So when I say that 70% of India’s population lives on less than $2 a day, you may wonder what that looks like.  Well, as you would guess, that amount of money is barely enough to survive on.  So a family at this level can barely buy food and may or may not be able to keep their children in school.  And the places where they live are often in worse shape than the buildings we would keep animals in.

Please allow me to share the story of an elderly couple my family and I visited in India this year. More »