Sunday, 24 August 1997, Grace Bible Church had its inaugural worship service. At first services and Sunday School classes were held in the conference room of the Operation Mobilisation, at Wazir Hasan Road.


Various leaders lay hands on Kuru
 setting him apart as pastor of
Grace Bible Church.

A portion of the inaugural gathering.  

 

Dr Cyril Shipstone,the first chairperson
of the board of elders, leading Kuru
in a litany of dedication.

March 4, 2001, the services and Sunday School shifted to the home of Manji, Nalin, Bunny and Fizza Phillips. The Phillips family were very gracious and generous. They allowed the invasion of their home on Saturday nights, when three rooms were arranged for church and on Sundays three more rooms were taken over by the Sunday School.



 

May 18, 2003, seminary grad Paras Tayade was appointed Associate Pastor, even though the church had only 80 members and had no place of its own. The priority was that the church should continue beyond the time of the founding pastor.
 


Pastor Kuru leads Paras in a litany of dedication 


Members of the church join Pastor Kuru in ordaining Paras 
to the pastoral ministry of Grace Bible Church.
 

June 2004, Ashish Khan became the first person to join seminary in preparation for Christian ministry. In December 2005 he married Cindy, a girl who joined the church while at  college in Lucknow.

 

February 27, 2005, the church dedicated its first sanctuary, a flat in an apartment building.
 


Children lead members in a procession from the
Phillips's home to the new sanctuary next door.


Pastor Paras leads in a litany


Brother Sarvanand Lal, Lucknow's  senior-most pastor ,
was at the inaugural service to pray
for God's blessing on Grace Bible Church.


Instead of a big shot, a little girl named Grace,
did the inauguration by cutting the ribbon.
The children then invited the adults to
enter. "A little child shall lead them...
the Kingdom of God belongs to children."


Children's choir sings a special number


There was a fellowship lunch afterwards


In May 2008,
after finishing seminary, Ashish joined the church's staff for three months  to start Hindi services. After trying his hand at "church planting", he left because he said he was not suited for the task. Cindy and Ashish will join the Strong Farm in Banbasa, where he had done his internship. We send them on with the blessing of the Lord our God.

After five years here, Paras has decided to relocate to Poona where Vani't mother lives already, and Paras's parents are due to retire to that city. May the Lord guide them  and the Spirit empower them for the life and work lying ahead of them.

For current events at Grace Bible Church please visit: http://gbcdaytoday.blogspot.com/