Nepal Campus Church

Introduction
In August 2011 six students at Tribhuwan University, Kathmandu, met for prayer and Bible teaching with their lecturer Uma Kanta campuschurch2016Sharma. From such small beginnings the Lord has so blessed Nepal Campus Church that today their church family numbers over 100, with an outreach ministry to children, students and those who continue to be affected by the massive 2015 earthquake.

Uma Kanta Sharma, originally from a high-caste Hindu background, was effectively disowned by his family when he became a Christian. He experienced persecution in his workplace and the community. The Lord blessed him with a scholarship to receive theological and pastoral training in the UK after which, although some suggested he might seek to remain in the UK, he returned to share the gospel in the university and colleges in the Kathmandu valley. Since this fellowship of believers started at the university they named it Nepal Campus Church. Responding to needs around them they began reaching out to local families with a pre-school and day care centre.

In the massive earth quakes in April and May 2015 nearly 10,000 people lost their lives and more than 20,000 were injured. More than 600 schools and 200,000 houses were damaged.

With few resources available to them the church distributed small relief packages (rice, tents and a little money to buy medicine and water). They were also involved in rescue teams.
Now they have the opportunity to serve families in great need through the day care centre, currently providing for 40 children, whilst sharing the gospel with their parents.

Pastor Kanta Sharma writes: “It gives us a great joy when we see a big smile in these children’s face. Many single-mothers, very poor families and some widows are sending their small children and we are serving them with joyful heart. We are singing and praying with these children and we are providing two times meals in a day and children are feeling as a home in our preschoolcentre16Day Care Centre.”

Christians meet for worship in Nepal on Saturdays, as this is the day when most people do not go out to work. The Campus Church meets in rented accommodation and has faced many difficulties from house owners, local administration and the police. Hindu house owners don’t want their house to be used by Christians, and those that are willing charge a very high price. Since 2011 the church has rented from 4 Hindu owners, who have used various excuses to increase rental without notice – such as “you made too much noise” and “your number is so many.”

Pastor Kanta Sharma writes: “Many times we are getting some problems and disturbance from our church house owner and some neighbours who really don’t want to see God’s work in community’ and ‘When the number is increasing,
we started to pray for long term solution for church building. If we buy a piece of land, we can build
earthquake-proof small building and we will praise and worship of our mighty Lord Jesus.”

Over the past 5 years the Lord has blessed Uma’s ministry as young and old have become Christians. Pastor Kanta Sharma writes “It is an amazing blessing from our mighty Lord Jesus that on Saturday a mother and three daughters accepted Lord Jesus as their Saviour. They stood in front of congregation and gave testimony about God’s love and accepted Lord Jesus as their Saviour.”

The Story
Growth

Ten months ago Pastor Kanta Sharma met two third-year students at their college. He was able to share the gospel with them and they began attending Campus Church. students16Last December, during a whole night of prayer, God spoke in their hearts and they accepted the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. Then in February they were baptised, along with another two students. In August as the church celebrated its fifth anniversary, three sisters and their brother were baptised. Among 142 people in the service were 38 who had never been to church. Before the evening service the JESUS movie in the Nepali language was shown to many who had never heard the bap-august16story of our Lord. Let us rejoice with these believers in Kathmandu, thank the Lord that He has blessed this work, and pray especially for those who have recently become Christians and been baptised.

Pastor Kanta Sharma writes: “It is really difficult to come in church to Hindu people but our mighty Lord spoke in their heart so that they accepted our invitation. We are in one week fasting prayer in our church. We are rejoicing in Christ and mediating Lord’s word in these days. We believe that our mighty Lord hears our prayers and answers our prayers in His time.”

Speaking of their hope to have their own building he says: “God has given us a long term vision to serve small children in our pre-school and Day Care Centre and show the God’s love. We will worship our mighty God on Saturday, Bible study on Wednesday and there will be prayer every morning in that building. We also use this building from Sunday to Friday as a pre-school and day care centre.”

Their desire is to purchase land and build an earth-quake-proof church building within the next year – humanly speaking an almost impossible task for a small church where most are (financially) very poor. These believers have a big vision for the Lord’s work in Nepal and BAM is currently seeking how best we might support them. If you have been inspired by this glimpse into the growth of Nepal Campus Church please consider making a gift to BAM specifically to help in the purchase of land.

You can made a donation to this work using our secure dedicated CAF Donate Page (Nepal)