1. Training Programs

RAN offers short and long term training programs which are designed for young missionaries, pastors, Christian leaders, and church youth who do not have access to or cannot afford expensive seminary training, but are interested in evangelism work. These training programs are designed to train and equip them with information on the unreached people groups in the 10/40 Window countries, as well as with the necessary tools for evangelism to be effective bearers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in order to reach the unreached and to bring change in this broken world. One of the main concerns of this training is to strengthen nationals to reach out to their own people.

The purpose of these trainings is to fulfill the great commission of our Lord Jesus through training Christian leaders, pastors, youth, lay people, and seminarians with the highest spiritual and academic excellence by providing them with practical ministry opportunities with which to bring spiritual, physical, psychological, and social changes in the broken human society and spread the Gospel of Jesus among all nations, especially in the 10/40 Window countries, through word and deed. Our desire is to be a channel of God’s blessings to all people so that will they know and come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Objectives:

1. To equip men and women to serve the Lord in various capacities in several areas of the Christian ministry; and to develop leaders for the church by providing the highest academic knowledge in the word of God and in practical ministry.
2. To create a place for a deep study of the Word of God, which can bring spiritual growth and transformation in life.
3. To instill vision and passion for the unreached world.
4. To develop leadership in the church in the area of Muslim evangelism, through a thorough grounding in the religion of Islam, Islam’s meaning and practice, and ways of minister to Muslims.
5. To teach sound doctrine through the meaningful interpretation of the Scriptures, in a manner that is consistent with the apostolic teaching.
6. To prepare men and women to have an informed appreciation of socio-economical issues, religious-political issues, and human cultural heritage around us, and to become responsible citizens who make positive contributions to the society.
7. To provide the best free theological education possible in the context where education has become expensive and out of reach for the poor.

A. One-day Workshop on Muslim Evangelism:

With the growth of Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism and increasing number of Muslims in to the West and European countries, it has become vital for the Christians to understand Islam.

Most of the times the Christians are stuck with the questions like how do I approach my Muslim neighbors with the Gospel? What are the basic principles one need to know when witnessing to Muslims friends? Is there any effective way of presenting Gospel to Muslims? How do I answer to the questions and objections Muslims raise against Jesus and the Gospel?

If you are some one struggling with these questions here is the answer to your questions. Our one day training program is designed to address the basic questions about the faith of Islam, its beliefs, practices, brief overview of the history and development and what are the ways through which we can witness to Muslims. This training is designed to help equip believers to effectively reach to their Muslim friends, co-workers, and neighbors to be able to gain knowledge of Islam and basic skills in reaching out Muslims with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Objectives:

1. To Inform: This training provides basic information of the origin and development of Islam, beliefs and practices and brief over view of the history of Islam.
2. To Equip: This training is designed to equip the believes with necessary tools and information on how to witness to Muslims and reach them out with the Gospel.
3. To Inspire: more and more Christians to respond to the call of God to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Muslims nations of 10/40 window.

General Course Work for the Training Programs:

This course is flexible with regards to the time period of training deepening on the availability of people. One day training typically starts at 9am and ends at 5:30 pm with a small lunch break.

Major Themes of the Training:

1. Introduction to Islam: Origins and Development and divisions in Islam
2. Islam 101-Beliefs and Practices of Islam
3. Jesus in the eyes of Islam and Various reactions to Islam in the West.
4. Various approaches to Muslim Evangelism
5. Basic Principles on Muslim Evangelism (Do’s and Don’ts)
6. Testimonies
7. Muslim Objections to Christian Faith and Q&A session
8. 10/40 window/needs/A call to response/Mission Challenge

We offer these one-day training sessions on Muslim Evangelism for the Indian nationals who are called to and are interested in the work among “our neighbors.” These trainings are done in partnership with the national seminaries and churches. We believe that working with churches and seminaries is most effective. These are the places we find people to challenge and motivate as they are directly in the mission field and meet and interact with people on daily basis. One of our main goals is to motivate and challenge seminaries and churches in India to make conscious efforts towards reaching “Our Neighbors.” You can request for a Training Program at your Church or Seminary.

For more details, please contact us.

B. Summer Course on Introduction to Muslim Evangelism:

The Summer Training on Muslim Evangelism, an annual program, is an intensive one- week residential course which is held in May in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India

This program is designed to train local, national, and international missionaries, church leaders, pastors, church youth, lay people, and seminarians to equip them with necessary evangelism skills to serve among the Muslims in various countries in the 10/40 Window.

Such training is very important and needed for those who are called to serve the Lord in the 10/40 Window countries where there is a great need for the Gospel to be proclaimed. The course gives participants an understanding of Islam, its practices, history, philosophy, and theology. It also provides a time to examine various approaches of evangelism and provides knowledge in apologetic approach to Muslim evangelism. This program also trains missionaries, pastors, and seminary students in discipling converts, contextualization, biblical worldview, and church planting.

Highlights of the Training:

1. Introduction to Islam

2. The History of Islam

3. Jesus in Islam.

4. Various approaches of Evangelism among Muslims

5. How to present the Jesus to the Muslim faith?

6. Need for Evangelism in 10/40 window countries

7. Mission Challenge.

8. Discipling Converts

9. Contextualization and Biblical Worldview

10. Church Planting in the Muslim world.

11. Conflict management in the mission field.

12. And more…..

Participants, usually numbering around 35, include men and women from different Christian denominations and backgrounds (missionaries, pastors, students, lay people, and seminary students).

For more details, please contact us.

C. RAN Bible Training Center:

RAN’s Training Center was founded in 2006. This training center is mission oriented and is established to train godly, faithful, and God-glorifying leaders for the church at large. This training center has been established in the city of Gudivada in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. At present the training center is open to Telugu speaking students from Andhra Pradesh. But we envision opening this training center in an English medium for national and international inclusion. The training center offers short term mission training programs, but we also envisage offering graduate and post-graduate degrees in the near future. Apart from the training, importance is given to character building and personal prayer. The faculty members, with years of experience, serve as role models for the students. Since the training center is located right in the mission field, student do get opportunities to plant churches and practically involve themselves in the ministry during their training period itself.

For admissions and more details, please contact us.

D. Conflict Management in Missions:

We offer workshops and Seminars on Conflict Transformation in Missions for church leaders, pastors, and seminary students who are directly involved in Christian missions work. The intent is to give an understanding of the nature of conflicts in mission work situations, how to effectively mediate in the conflicting situations, and how to counsel the victims of conflicts.

Peace is not merely the absence of war but rather a process of developing ways of contributing to the transformation of several other internal conflicts and disputes. In doing so we are seeking just and lasting settlements through peaceful means, while recognizing that non-violent conflicts can be a constructive force for change. We work towards empowering people to make peace by helping to develop and strengthen local capacities. Building peace means creating an environment in which peace, respect for human rights, and participative democracy can take root, and where differences and disputes can be settled non-violently.

Missionaries, Christian leaders, and pastors are faced with numerous problems and issue everyday. The Conflict Transformation in Missions course offers biblical skills to mediate and negotiate in situations of conflict. The course can be offered in an organization setting, or set up for individuals or churches. This course also provides counseling skills for the victims of family, societal, psychological, spiritual, and other kinds of conflict.

Course Work:

A wide range of pedagogical methods are used, including lectures, library study, role-plays, workshops, discussions, and outings, in order to achieve the objectives of the course. Much importance is given to the use of interactive modes of learning.

For a workshop on Conflict Management, please contact us.