intouchlogo1India, after China, is the second most populated country in the world. India is the country with by far the largest number of people groups, especially people groups among whom the gospel is largely unknown. India is the largest Hindu country on earth but also one of the countries with the most Muslims. More than 50% of all cases of leprosy worldwide are found in India. Aids is widespread. Although the economy shows a huge rate of growth, the development bypasses the vast majority of people in India. More than 50% of Indians are living on or below the poverty line. The caste system, which has officially been abolished, but in reality lives on, is a significant factor here. IN.touch wants to contribute to providing integrated help to unreached people groups in India (see our vision for more information). In people groups with Christian witness we trust that the existing church is doing this.

Just as the poor and the people on the margins of society were important to Jesus, so they are also important to us and we want to help them. Children are the future of a country. This is why we have started running kindergartens in rural areas in which children are given a good foundation for success at school later on, as well as being provided with nutritious meals and having Jesus Christ introduced to them. A children’s home high in the mountains of the Himalayas takes care of children who have lost one or both parents and those from broken families.

But we also have confidence that people are capable of making good decisions when we ask them: “How can we help you?” In this way we have already been able to help in the area of health and hygiene, e.g. public health counselling, Aids counselling, a mobile clinic, and with self-help projects, e.g. allocating small loans in order to establish income opportunities.

When people come to faith in Jesus Christ, we help with establishing churches, leading people in discipleship, and finding, training and sending out leaders, e.g. by means of a Christian training centre (Bible school).

In this we work with local Christians, but we also send out people from Europe for short or long-term projects.

IN.touch is currently running six nurseries, a children’s home and a training centre. Directly or indirectly (through the many new house churches) we are working among around 25 unreached people groups (status: Sept. ’08).

intouchlogo1For more detailed information, please visit our website.