About AlongSideAsia

Refocusing on India: Strengthening national leaders and the ministries they lead

The Mission: To come alongside strategic global ministries to express and extend Christ’s glory where it is currently least known in Asia, especially in India. This involves listening to, encouraging and assisting national mission leaders to enlarge ministry capacity and build the Asian Church.

The Challenge of India
South Asia transformed by the power of the gospel has been a central passion of our lives since 1967 when we drove overland from Europe to serve Christ in India.
• God is dramatically building his church in the world’s largest democracy and second most populous country
• With its recent emergence as a world power, it is a new day for India and her neighbors: Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. Their need is exceeded only by opportunity
• India’s population exceeds 1.1 billion people
• India is home to the greatest number of least-reached people groups in the world.
• India is the world’s second largest Islamic country, although the majority of Indians are Hindu.

Our Strategy
Alongside each other for 40 years with our lives interwoven with Asia and especially India, we are moving alongside national mission’s ministries by their invitation, to strengthen their capacity to see least reached peoples transformed by the power of the gospel.
Our involvement with the international alliance called GlobeServe and their birthing of 100 new missionary training schools is one huge and exciting priority. A second invitation has come from Freedom Firm, a ministry in India that rescues and restores children forced into prostitution. We are based near Dave’s elderly parents in Minneapolis with frequent trips to the field.

Our Accountability
The Great Commission Foundation Board of Trustees and an Advisory Group of representatives from supporting churches, organizations and individual supporters will provide accountability for AlongSideAsia. The Great Commission Foundation is a 501(c) (3) ministry established in 1959. The trustees are long term missionary and business colleagues, most of whom we have known for 30-40 years and who have offered to provide accountability as well as an avenue for tax deductible gifts contributed to AlongSideAsia.

Ministry Support
We are extremely grateful to the team of five churches and 20 individuals and couples who have stood with us (many for decades), as we have served with Operation Mobilization in India, on the Mission Ship Logos, in North America and, most recently, Bethany International. Now additional financial and prayer partners must be added to the support team to underwrite the ministry of AlongSideAsia. Tax deductible financial gifts towards the support of the Hicks and AlongSideAsia can be sent with a notation that the gift is for the Hicks’ ministry with AlongSideAsia to the

Key Result Areas: First 12 Months;Oct. 06-Sept. 07
1. Starting up AlongSideAsia
In the event of an emergency they tell you to make sure you put the oxygen mask on your own nose before you attempt to assist any one else. As we begin this new ministry we will
• Establish a home office
• Raise prayer and financial support for the AlongsideAsia ministry
• Select and prioritize which mission ministries to assist
• Establish effective rhythms of international travel and ministry from our base in America
• Identify the best ways to come alongside the Indian church and its vibrant mission’s movement to see India and her neighbors transformed by the power of the Gospel

We have already accepted invitations for assistance from GlobeServe and Freedom Firm. Some of the other ministries we are in dialogue with include: India Missions Association, Disciple Nations Association, T.O.P.I.C. and Transform India.

2. GlobeServe/ GO100 Mid Project Evaluation
We have been asked by leaders of GlobeServe to undertake a mid project assessment of the GO100 Project making recommendations for its completion by 2012. From our perspective the most significant result of our work at Bethany International over the past few years was initiating GO100.

This faith-stretching project provides assistance to national partners for starting 100 new missionary training schools worldwide. Although GO100 originated at Bethany it was quickly embraced and carried forward by GlobeServe, a global alliance of missions training and sending agencies.

This will include:
• Creating an evaluation tool
• Conducting on site evaluations of many of the new Asian missionary training schools established since 2002. Field visits will be carried out in close association with GlobeServe member, the Bethany International University in Singapore
• Preparing a written report with recommendations for greater kingdom impact

3. Freedom Firm Start Up
Mala and Greg Malstead, our daughter and son-in-law, have asked us to help them in launching their new ministry, Freedom Firm. Freedom Firm rescues underage Indian girls from prostitution, restores them in Christ and prosecutes the perpetrators.

Some of the areas we are coming alongside Freedom Firm include:
• Incorporating Freedom Firm in the U.S. as a 501 (c) (3)
• Building effective boards of trustees in the US, India and the UK
• Advising on the creation of an appropriate international organizational structure to optimally accomplish the Freedom Firm mission. WWW.Freedom.Firm.IN

Examples of coming alongside in Acts

After a long time with the Antioch Christians, Paul set off for Galatia and Phrygia retracing his old tracks one town after another putting fresh heart into the disciples…
Traveling through the country, passing from one gathering to another, he gave constant encouragement lifting their spirits & charging them with fresh hope.
Acts 18:23, 20:1-2 (The Message)

Hicks’ 40 Year Asia/India Connection

South Asia transformed by the power of the gospel has been a central passion of our lives since 1967 when we drove overland from Brussels through Europe, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan into India with young Operation Mobilization workers from 12 nations.

For six years we lived in New Delhi, Bombay and Calcutta involved in evangelism, discipleship and building foundations of a fledgling, Indian national missionary movement that today has grown to 2000 workers. Since the 70’s the overall number of Indian national missionaries has grown from less than a thousand to 40,000. During our time in India we worked alongside many who now lead India’s church and missions movement. Three of our four children were born in India.

• At Houghton College Dave was part of a weekly prayer group for India.

• Three of our four children were born in India

• LOGOS Ship Ministry: For six years in the ‘70s we directed the nautical ministry of the Operation Mobilization mission ship, Logos that was initially brought into being to serve India. Many of our ports of call during those years were in India and even when we sailed to the Far East, the Middle East, Africa and Europe, Indians were always a vital part of the crew.

• As US and North America director of Operation Mobilization in the 80s and 90s a significant part of our labors were on behalf of India.

• We have continued our involvement with the Indian Subcontinent through the years by repeated visits to India and supporting ministries of Indian friends.

• Our daughter and her husband with their four young children moved to India to rescue children caught in prostitution in 2000. They continue their work today having recently founded an organization called Freedom Firm. www.freedom.firm.in

• Our oldest son and his wife volunteered with them for six
months.

• Our next son imports Indian manufactured products into the
US.

• Our youngest son is a member of a Christian band called Aradhna (Hindi for worship). Aradhna specializes in using traditional Indian music with an east/west fusion as a vehicle for worship and evangelism among Indians in India and around the world. www.aradhnamusic.com