WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN TAMIL CONGREGATION INDIANS FOR CHRIST
Who We Are
Washington Metropolitan Tamil Congregation Indians for Christ,
34 years and growing….
A small dream, immense dedication, and diligence was what led three individuals to plant a small seed like Indians For Christ (IFC) Tamil Church in November of 1987, which has now grown to be a robust Tamil church. The first baby steps taken, where through caroling around the Washington Metropolitan area with the intention of reaching out to Indian Tamil Christians and inspiring the older and younger generation in worshiping and glorifying God in our Tamil language, irrespective of their denominational differences.
What began as a small congregation who came together to celebrate the Birth of Christ and to welcome the New Year, laid the foundation to the beginning of Indians for Christ. The Indians For Christ Tamil Church grew colossally under several leadership and dedicated members of the church. As IFC grew stronger with more families joining and participating in church services, many ministries emerged in the Indians For Christ Tamil Church to glorify the Lord.
Individuals and families volunteered and worked diligently in maturing these ministries. To name a few ministries that have grown over the years includes Sunday School Ministry, Youth Ministry, Choir Ministry, Fasting Prayer, Women’s fellowship, Bible Study, Missions Prayer, Intercessory Prayer, IFC Monthly Church Newsletter -Thiruchabai Thoothan and many more. Indians For Christ Tamil Church began the tradition of Thanksgiving/Harvest festival, Annual Retreats and Summer Picnics, Christmas concerts and Carol Rounds bringing many families together in the goodness of Christian love.
Over a period of 37 years since its onset, Indians For Christ Tamil Church continues to grow to be a mission-oriented congregation serving the Tamil-speaking Christians and non-Christian immigrant communities from India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore and other parts of the world.
God in His faithfulness has fulfilled the long felt desire of the congregation by blessing IFC to purchase its own church building at 8300 Adelphi Road, Hyattsville, MD 20783 USA. We will enthusiastically endeavor to know and to fulfill God’s will for us, so that God might use us as His agents to propagate his Kingdom values.
OUR STATEMENT OF FAITH
We adopted the following Doctrinal Statements based on the personal salvation experience and the word of God “the Bible”
A. THE SCRIPTURES:
The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is the complete recorded revelation of God to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, therefore it is infallible. It contains the message of salvation, principles by which God judges us and has the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. The criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ.
Ref: Exodus 24:4; Psalms 19: 7-10; Isaiah 34:16; Luke 24: 44-46; John 5:39, Acts 2:16; Romans 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21.
B. GOD:
There is only one living and true God. He is an omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient God. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence and obedience. The eternal God reveals himself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes but without division of nature, essence or being.
i. GOD THE FATHER:
God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creation, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Ref: Genesis 1:1; Exodus 3:14; Psalms 19:1-3; Jeremiah 10:10-14; Matthew 6:9; John 4:24; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 4:6.
ii. GOD THE SON:
Christ is the eternal son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ, He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God. He took upon the nature of man, identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored and fulfilled the divine law by taking upon Himself the sins of the world, died on the cross, through His precious sinless blood, made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead on the third day according to the scriptures. He resurrected with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God. He is the one mediator, partaking of the nature of God and of man, and in whose person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever-present Lord.
Ref: Psalms 2:7; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; John 10:25-30; Acts 2:22-24; Romans 1:3-6; I Corinthians 15:1-8; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Philippians 2:5-11; Revelation 5:9-14, 19:16
iii. GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT:
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He inspired holy men of old to write the scriptures, through illumination. He enables men to understand the truth; He exalts Jesus Christ and convicts men of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. He calls men to the cross and effects regeneration through Jesus Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer, enlightens and empowers in worship, evangelism and service.
Ref: Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13; Isaiah 61:1-3; Matthew 1:18; 3:16; Luke 1:35; John 4:24; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:9-14; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 1 John 4:13.
OUR VISION & MISSION STATEMENT
MISSION
To proclaim, communicate the love and life-changing power of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to the South Asian Community in the Washington DC metropolitan area. We desire to equip believers through discipleship, enabling them to evangelize to the nations of the world, support missionaries, help them be a part of God’s family and magnify His name.
VISION
The Church would become an effective instrument of God’s mission to accomplish peace, fellowship and fuller life in the Church and community, with a renewed commitment to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ through word and deed.
About Us
A small dream, immense dedication, and diligence was what that led three individuals to plant a small seed like Indians For Christ (IFC) Tamil Church in November of 1987, which has now grown to be a robust Tamil church.