First Steps—The Official Launch of the Alliance of Indian Ministries

More than 50 leaders turned up for the inaugural Alliance of Indian Ministries (AIM) Leadership Conference in early 2018 at the Bible House. This was held in conjunction with its official launch as a ministry under The Bible Society of Singapore (BSS). To reflect its commitment, AIM invited acclaimed speakers Krish Dhanam and Jose Philip from Ravi Zacharias International Ministries to, over the course of the conference, conduct impactful lessons on servant leadership and what it takes to be a good leader for God. The much-awaited launch came at the end of the conference, which was officiated by our General Secretary, together with AIM's Chairman, Rev Samuel Gift Stephen, and core members of AIM.

Although the ministry is only in its infancy, AIM's structure is well thought out. Its core members are leaders from various churches and organisations who represent the different Indian communities in Singapore.

Under its collective leadership, AIM is also able to share more resources with fellow Indian churches, such as the annual Lent Devotion and the WISE 40-day devotional reading plan, both of which are available in Tamil. This translates to stronger outreach efforts to the people it serves, especially needy and vulnerable families. Additionally, with an already strong support network, AIM can now further advance their work—both locally and regionally—with BSS as its platform.

Evident from the two-day conference, AIM's pledge to empower its leaders has already begun on a positive note. Better equipped through those lessons, they are able to serve their communities more effectively, and that is just one of the many services that the ministry hopes to regularly offer in the future. On that same note, AIM also expressed the need for support. One of AIM's core members, Rev Dr Steven Francis, highlighted the ministry's need for prayer, for pastors and church leaders to promote their visions, and for financial support. It was also announced at the launch that AIM has a past balance of about $3,800, and BSS has matched that amount and donated it to the ministry, bringing its initial fund to about $7,600.

As word of AIM spreads, we pray that support will grow in tandem, and that God will use this ministry to touch the Indian communities at large.