Today’s Graduation
April 30, 2022
Here in the States we are experiencing the beginnings of the graduation season. Students are graduating from high school, college, graduate school, or other programs, and many of them will have families come to the ceremony to watch them walk across the stage and receive a piece of paper. It is not because there is anything significant about the transference of the piece of paper from some administrator to the student, In fact, most of the time the piece of paper is not even the student’s diploma. Rather, families gather and loved ones cheer because that short walk across the stage is a moment that commemorates and consummates years of discipline, hard-work, self-denial, tears, and doubt. That moment is the moment in which the student is no longer just a student, but a professional, deemed fit for the task at hand by a board of experts. It is no small thing.
Today, one Acts Training Center in India is hosting their graduation ceremony for 11 students. They will not have families present to celebrate with, nor will their ceremony be something broadly broadcasted. Nevertheless, after months of diligent work, these 11 students have been deemed worthy ministers of the gospel of Christ, equipped to take the gospel to the unreached and plant churches to see the name of Christ lifted high.
Many of these graduates come from low social casts and extreme poverty. Merely attending an Acts Training Center to be prepared for ministry is a huge step of faith. One of these students, whom we will call V, grew up in this context. In 2019, one of his friends became a believer in Jesus, and not long after, his mother became a believer as well. Eventually, he started attending the local gathering of believer’s with his friend. This gave way to prayer and Bible reading as he was being influenced by these Christians. After some time, he too came to faith in Jesus. V is now 19 years old and is graduating the Acts Training Institute with the goal of being a church planter among the unreached.
Today is a gradation day in India far different than one you might picture occurring in America. Thousands are not being graduated with secular degrees that will allow them to become indispensable workers with high salaries. Rather, 11 faithful disciples of Jesus are being sent out into the harvest seeking to bring the Lamb the just reward of His suffering. Pray with us that the Lord would give them endurance and keep them faithful to His calling.