Hope Ascending builds self-sustainable platforms for indigenous compassion ministries so the Gospel may flow freely into communities.

OUR MISSION IS .  .  .

To end injustice toward the poor while growing God’s Church on the front lines of urgent need in India and Nepal.

The unequal allocation of power, resources, and opportunities in Indian society results in prejudice, marginalisation, and exclusion of lower-caste people groups from mainstream resources and social opportunities.

Psalm 68:6 “God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.”

NEWS FLASH

1000’s of Christians are being Persecuted in India 2023

Hundreds of churches are being burnt to the ground. Innocent families and children are being thrown into jail. Pastors are being caned and stoned to death.

John 15: 18-21
Jesus said, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.”

Food & Blanket Distribution

These people lost their homes due to persecution. They were forced to live in a neighboring forest in the state of Chhattisgarh India, after their homes were burned down. Our pastoral partner is cropped out of the photo to protect his identity. We were able to make several distributions of dry-goods to these, now homeless, followers, and many more.

LEARN HOW YOU CAN HELP

We address the causes of poverty by Empowering socially excluded communities that face discrimination based on caste, ethnicity, religion and gender.

The presence of sin in the world leads to broken relationships, which are the root causes of all kinds of poverty. Poverty is much more than just a lack of material possessions.

DONATE TODAY

The little girl in the the upper-left is with her mother. Her name is Sonia. They lived in a slum area of Badshapur. They are ultra poor. They have since moved to another district, but her mother still brings her children to church on Sundays. I see them often when in India.

How do we achieve our Goals?

We partner with local church leaders in India and Nepal in order to restore hope to disenfranchised communities.

We built these two churches, and others like them. The bright green one is on a tea plantation in West Bengal where the Gospel has caught on fire for a people group that works tireless hours to earn only $5 a day picking tea leaves that find their way into our cupboards. The teal one with the children was built on the side of a remote mountain area where education is not available. It doubles as a church and a classroom for the local tribal children. Our local pastoral partner used to walk four hours to reach these kids. It now takes him a half hour on the motorcycle made possible from donations to Hope Ascending.

Our Story

One Third of the World’s Unreached People Groups live in India. Here is how we spread God’s love.

Twelve years ago, I traveled to India for the first time to visit a ministry comprised of three bible schools, three children’s homes and many churches. Over the years, I’ve developed a network of nearly a hundred Indian and Nepali pastors, many of whom know one-another. These pastors and their families have devoted their lives to helping children and their families living in their communities. They run schools, adult literacy programs, medical clinics and churches. They establish house churches, and train up new leadership. We provide them with training platforms, motorcycles, seed money for school and church construction, school uniforms and food for the homeless during these troubling times of Christian persecution. Here is a group of our ladies sitting for a home-based Bible Study.

Every Dollar You Donate is Invested in the lives of the People you see in these photos.

Every dollar received goes directly to the field!
100% of every donation!

Every dollar that is donated is invested in helping to lift children out of poverty and for establishing new child education centers and churches. We are a volunteer organization. All expenses are paid for “out-of-pocket” by members of our board, including all travel expenses and administrative costs. Click on the Heart of Gold if you’d like to donate.

What exactly do we do?

WE EDUCATE FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS

The children we offer tutoring services to are very poor. Their families cannot afford to buy them even one book. They are day-laborers, rag-pickers and (click the blue circle to learn more).

WE BUILD CHURCHES

We encourage the growth of house churches throughout India. Sometimes this is impractical once the numbers outgrow the space, or when locals start complaining to the authorities about the loud singing. (Click the yellow circle for more).

WE PROVIDE BIBLES & BIBLE TRAINING

We use the world’s largest video based bible school with more than 2,000 training sites in 150 nations and over 75 languages. Ours is Hindi. It’s been such a great tool for training whole church congregations (click the orange circle for more).

WE FEED THE HUNGRY

We are there to bridge the gap when families are unable to buy their own food. We serve the hungry on a case by case basis during extreme conditions. (Click the red circle for more).

Stay In-touch! Sign up for our Newsletter

Newsletters are sent about once a month, and may be cancelled at any time.

Transforming people from disenfranchised Caste Identities to New Creations in Christ

Poverty entails more than the lack of income and productive resources to ensure sustainable livelihoods. Its manifestations include hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education and other basic services, social discrimination and exclusion as well as the lack of participation in decision-making. Hope Ascending addresses hunger, education, health-services and spiritual well-being.

2 Corinthians 5:16-18
If anyone belongs to Christ, then they are made new. The old things have gone; everything is made new!

This is Cornerstone School
Our #1 Funding Priority

Morning Prayer

Classroom Work

Nutrition

Empowering Girls

Building Teams

First Generation School Kids

Our aim is to change the tide of oppression waged against those who live outside the margin of human dignity – starting with children.





Recent Projects:

We provide school uniforms and shoes for children who cannot afford them and who live in Indian slums. You should see their faces when they first put on their school uniform!

School Uniforms

Thank you Rockport. MA Baptist VBS parents and local church-goers for providing the funding to build two new classrooms for our school located in Haryana India.

Two New Classrooms

We outfitted a school with 60 new desk and bench sets. They are welded steel and will last a long tome. Total cost was $1,800

Desks & Benches

Each year, we purchase and distribute warm winter jackets for children who attend our tutoring centers and for their friends who live in the adjacent slum. Each year, we buy about 250 coats for $1,250.

Winter Jackets

We purchased and distributed warm quilts in February to families living in a tented community along the highway. We’ve been feeding them and developing a good relationship with them. The Gospel speaks to people on many levels. $35 each.

Warm Quilts for the Homeless

We provide medical assistance and organize medical and health camps for communities of migrants and groups of Dalit peoples. A medical camp for 250 people costs us just $400. This pays for two doctors, a nurse, medicine and vitamins!

Medical Assistance

We provide bibles for new believers because they often do not have access to them and cannot afford them. Bibles cost us between $5 and $10 each depending on the language and quality.

Bibles

We underwrite the cost of ministry training for groups of indigenous new Christians who wish to spread the Gospel accross cultural boundaries. It costs $35 per person per week. There are five total weeks totaling $175 per student.

Ministry Training

The leaders with whom we partner come from poor backgrounds. They are devoted servants of God and willing to do anything to help those in need. We buy them their first vehicle so their ministries to the poor will be successful and more effective.  Motorcycles cost us around $1,200 and a new minivan costs $7,000.

Vehicles

Hear what our supporters are saying on Great Nonprofits!

GREAT NONPROFITS

Hope Ascending builds relationships with pastors in India for the purpose of offering tangible support to the people of India. The founder of Hope Ascending makes extended trips to India regularly to meet the pastors, build relationships, assess needs, and ensure accountability. The great strength of Hope Ascending is the strong relational bonds which are formed and nurtured.

Jim Williams

Donor

I discovered Hope Ascending several years ago and was attracted by Carl’s passion to aid families in need. I was also attracted to the organization because 100% of my donation goes directly to aiding the children and families.

Craig Fitzgerald

Donor

Hope Ascending reaches into India to support a brighter future for children living in slums. Children are provided with the necessities to go to school.
The founder of Hope Ascending, has traveled there yearly to join pastors on treks into the far reaches of rural India. He has developed valued friendships and honors the culture. All money given to Hope Ascending goes directly towards funding self-sustaining projects and education.

Christine Travers

Board Member

We have been so inspired by Carl’s self sacrificing work with Hope Ascending. He has brought supplies, encouragement and hope as well as funding schools and meeting the daily needs of many . We are honored to be associated with this ministry.

Leslie McFarland

Donor

I really love the work that Hope Ascending is doing to help the impoverished in India. Working with residents of India in order to determine what is needed most is so important in this type of work. This is especially true now, during the pandemic, where India is one of the hardest hit by covid.

Alexis Schmier

Donor

We have been donating to Hope Ascending primarily because we believe in their mission and we have seen great results from their work. Many have been helped by this organization in both great and small ways.

Susan Rheaume

Donor

What are people saying?

Thankful to God for Hope Ascending. I could have never dreamt to become what I am becoming now without your help, encouragement, love and support. I wish other people felt the same way as you about raising up leaders in north India and Nepal. Every single penny you’ve invested is worth so much more in HIS kingdom. May God lead you step by step to even greater heights.

Manoj

Hope Ascending is raising up a new generation of leaders, mentoring mature pastors, and strengthening churches in India. Together, we are sharing the Gospel of Christ’s love through action to the rejected, neglected, and destitute. Pastors in India have many dreams to do God’s work, but after working with Hope Ascending, those dreams have come true. We have a lot to do to extend His Kingdom. I really thank God for your dedication, sacrifice, love and care for my family and ministry.

Pastor Rohit

I appreciate the work that Hope Ascending is doing in India and Nepal. They have connected with the right local partners and are seeing great results! Many rag picker children are now getting an education and filled with hope! Keep up the awesome work!

Pastor Scott

GOOD STORIES

Hope Ascending’s Blog

Sheep

There was a foreign serenity in my soul. I had just come from an encounter with a prayer warrior in Northern India, a woman who has committed her life to[…]

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Poverty

Hope Ascending partners with local churches in India and Nepal to restore hope to populations that have been marginalized by their societies. These partnerships work to foster upward mobility in[…]

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Music

This morning, I awaken to music coming from the “Dance Studio” outside my second floor window at 5:30 AM. Not the worship kind you are seeing in the photo. I[…]

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Our Team

Here are the people who make good things happen!

German Disla

Michael Mitchell

Carl Russell

Julie Russell

Christine Travers