HISTORY

Beginning : The Full Gospel of India, New Delhi began as a small house group in the Badli, Rohini area of North West Delhi. Today, it is a registered trust, recognized as a Charity by the Govt of India with many social and spiritual projects. It all began with the vision of one man.

Testimony :

Abraham Sahu was born and grew up in a Christian family in the steel city of Jamshedpur (near Calcutta), located in the state of Bihar, North India. He accepted Jesus as His Lord and Saviour in 1973 and pursued his studies in Science and in Personnel Management until he received a call from the Lord through a vision to work in North India. At that point in time, he was poised to join a large organisation as a Manager. However, obedient to the Lord, he joined World Vision of India in 1980 and worked among the poor and needy in North India till 1994. This was a time of training and challenges. It was also a time when the call and vision to North India were strengthened. Actively involved as a leader with Delhi Bible Fellowship, the Lord used him,especially among the poor, the youth and in church planting.

In 1994, he stepped out from a leadership position to a position of faith. The Lord gave him a very specific vision - to work in places where there is no Church and no Christian presence.

Growth : A handful of like minded persons with a burden for North India joined in prayer and got involved in the ministry through faith. The initial target area was the North West district of Delhi, a huge area largely neglected by the Church. It has more than its fair share of slums - a large concentration of urban poor. The house group in Badli, Rohini grew into a Church while other house groups began emerging in different locations.

These Churches are named "PHILADELPHIA CHURCH". In 1995 the mission was registered as "THE FULL GOSPEL TRUST OF INDIA". The ministry has since then expanded to the unreached regions of North India such as Orissa, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. In Delhi, there are now 6 churches and more than 25 cell groups. There are many projects such as:

Free Medical Clinics :

• Children Education
• Adult Education
• Handicap Rehabilitation Program 

THE MORE WE GET INVOLVED, THE GREATER THE NEED WE SEE

Officially, there are 1600 slums in Delhi. There are plans to reach out to these - the urban poor in partnership with others. There are millions of unreached people in North India - without a Church or the Gospel. Our future goals are to reach out to the poor and unreached with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Philadelphia Church

" I know thy works; behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it; for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and has not denied my name." (Rev 3:7)

Origin :

 In 1993 October, a small house Bible Study group started meeting at the Badli slum, in the Rohini area of North-West Delhi. The strength of this group continued to grow in number and Spiritual truth. After on year of continuous prayer and seeking of God's will, this group formed itself into a Cell-Church. There was no Church in this part of Delhi. The believers started meeting as a Church for the first time in the house of a believer on the 13th November, 1994. This humble beginning has gone a long way and has led to establishment of a chain of Churches called the "Philadelphia Church" in North Indian states in India. The mother Church continues to meet and care for Gods people from the Sector 8 in Rohini, Delhi, India.

Present position and ministry :

By the beginning of the year 2000, the Philadelphia Church has been able establish 5 Churches in Delhi's North West District and 24 other Cell Churches. It has also established churches in the state of Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The following are the present ministry of the Church, apart from adding souls to the Kingdom of God.

• SIGN (Standing In the Gap for North India) Prayer Initiative - It aims at raising prayer warriors who would commit to intercede for North India and North West Delhi while aiming at pulling down the strongholds of Satan. We coordinate supply of prayer points to them each month. 
• Outreach - The Church has regular outreach programmes which are culturally appropriate. The strategy adopted are; friendship (one to one) evangelism, door-to-door evangelism and mass evangelism.·
• Cell Groups - Those who show interest in the life and teachings of Jesus are invited into an existing cell and if there is no cell in the locality a new cell is formed with the supervision of a Cell leader. 
• Youth Ministry - This is one of the vital ministry of the Church where youth are trained in leadership and also encouraged to be ideal citizens of India who can be models for others·
• Children Ministry - Children being the future of the society and the country are given due attention. Their wholesome growth in the areas of education, health, hygiene and proper spiritual care is ensured. 
• Women Ministry - Women are trained to be good mothers, wives and caretakers of home and Church. It is ensured that they are participating in the income generation, maintaining of health, hygiene and education of children and the whole household. Young female adults and school drop outs are encouraged to join adult literacy groups to learn to read and write. 
• Training Indigenous Leaders - From among the new converts and the existing ones, potential male leaders are identified by the Church and short term evangelism and outreach training programme is offered to them so that they go out to witness to their own community in the existing situation. 
• Counseling - Regular counseling is provided to members of the Church and their family, friends and others who seek it from the Pastoral staff.
• Music - The Church ensures that Music has its proper place in worship and praising. People and specially youth are trained to lead in Music and are encouraged to adopt Indian music which is rich. 
• People With Special Needs - The church provides support and care to people with special needs such as the Handicap, Street children, Children of AIDS patients along with Girl Child and Women in distress.

Future Challenges :

The Philadelphia Church looks forward to the coming of our Lord Jesus and aims at keeping herself spotless for Him. If our Lord tarries, the Church would aim at planting Churches in all the places where there is no Church and especially in each of the 6000 slums of Delhi and other metros and cities in North India. Wherever necessary, this will be done in partnership with other like minded churches and mission agencies . Our Vision statement best describes the challenges we aim to accept and Goals we have set.