Seven days: seven deaths in my church
Iain Taylor
22million cases. Almost 250,000 deaths. Funeral pyres burning in car parks. And, most recently, the partially-burned bodies of 40 people or more washed up on the banks of the ‘sacred’ River Ganges. These are the terrifying numbers and distressing scenes we have seen on our TV screens as the Covid disaster in India has unfolded.
But how are churches in India responding to this epic disaster? Pastor Devender Verma is senior pastor of Delhi Bible Fellowship Church and director of the School of Biblical Teaching which trains pastors all over North India, in both rural and urban areas.
the ENd word
Have you grown in faith through the pandemic?
Elizabeth McQuoid
‘Haven’t they grown!’ seems to be a well-worn phrase as we emerge from lockdown and meet up with young people and children we haven’t seen for more than a year.
Women who weren’t pregnant last time we saw them now have babies in their arms, tweens have become fully-fledged teens.
Grace in the darkest moments: A response to suicide
Funeral services with no gospel and no hope are now the norm.
Having no service at all is now a popular option. Instead, people are encouraged to use the money saved for a celebratory memorial. It's an extremely successful idea, appealing to death-denying hearts.