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Madness!
With great sincerity and openness, Jossy Chacko describes his journey from a childhood home on a nameless dirt street, plagued by his father's madness and ridiculed by teachers and friends, to building an international ministry with an extraordinary the planting of 100,000 churches in one of the world's most unreached regions to bring about social and spiritual transformation. Be challenged by the plight of the lost and unreached as you read about people like Rao, who whipped himself until blood flowed. Hungry for forgiveness of sins, he collected the blood in a bowl and offered it to his god. Learn some of the powerful eastern principles Jossy received from his grandfather. Be inspired by mighty miracles. Be moved by confronting stories from the streets, slums and villages of Asia. It's a tale of wealth and madness, bondage and spiritual power, life-shaping wisdom and God's remarkable love. This book will open a whole new world that you've never seen before, and introduce opportunities and strategies to help you make a significant difference - both now and for eternity.
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First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 24, 2018
Talk about a big hairy audacious goal! Jossy Chacko felt a strong call to go to northern India and found 100,000 churches in villages by 2030 back in 1997.
Jossy first reveals his unlikely background for this mission. His grandfather was a successful Christian businessman. His father had some of these skills, but also had bouts of mental illness causing family suffering.
Jossy loved his grandparents, but resisted their urging to go into the ministry. He wanted to be a businessman. Later, he gave in and went to a Christian college in Australia. He became more zealous for Christianity, but he wanted to serve as an administrator, not a missionary.
Then he got married. On their honeymoon to India, they found a homeless boy and took him along with them on their honeymoon! Jossy was totally enraptured by the entrepreneurial pluck of this foundling and helped him get established in a shoe repair business.
Jossy was now on fire for a mission to northern India. This was totally culturally inappropriate, for southern Indians stay in the south. His own parents and grandparents opposed him. Yet he had a grand vision to train local pastors to start local churches.
He began with his wife and three volunteers. After a year of preparation, they began. Slowly at first, with many obstacles and miracles they built churches. Then dozens of churches. Then a church a day. Then ten churches a day.
There's a miracle in every chapter in this book. Don't miss it!
Jossy first reveals his unlikely background for this mission. His grandfather was a successful Christian businessman. His father had some of these skills, but also had bouts of mental illness causing family suffering.
Jossy loved his grandparents, but resisted their urging to go into the ministry. He wanted to be a businessman. Later, he gave in and went to a Christian college in Australia. He became more zealous for Christianity, but he wanted to serve as an administrator, not a missionary.
Then he got married. On their honeymoon to India, they found a homeless boy and took him along with them on their honeymoon! Jossy was totally enraptured by the entrepreneurial pluck of this foundling and helped him get established in a shoe repair business.
Jossy was now on fire for a mission to northern India. This was totally culturally inappropriate, for southern Indians stay in the south. His own parents and grandparents opposed him. Yet he had a grand vision to train local pastors to start local churches.
He began with his wife and three volunteers. After a year of preparation, they began. Slowly at first, with many obstacles and miracles they built churches. Then dozens of churches. Then a church a day. Then ten churches a day.
There's a miracle in every chapter in this book. Don't miss it!
August 28, 2023
This is Jossy Chacko's story of his conversion to Christianity and his vision to make 100,000 churches in India. The title is not really about his Madness, but his father's bouts with insanity. After about a quarter of the book, that is no longer a factor. It then details his move to Australia, his discipleship and the organization he develops, Empart, to convert. disciple and then send out Indians to create churches all over India. It is a pretty inspiring tale.
July 27, 2019
Very thankful that a friend passed this on to me. So many Biblical and missiological principles lived out in Jossy's story - and it's also an enjoyable read. Challenging and encouraging at the same time.
January 29, 2021
An excellent book on how Jossy began his mission work in North India over 20 years ago. He has written in a simple, direct no nonsense yet passionate style telling of his own journey. Born into a Christian family in South India Jossy enjoyed a happy privileged childhood. However after witnessing the poverty and destitution of so many in North India he knew he had to do something.
He moved to Australia as a teenager to work and make money. After overcoming the challenges of language, cultural differences and loneliness Jossy experienced the deepening of his Christian faith. That was when he knew his life’s purpose was to bring transformation to the slums of Northern India. With divine provision and direction he began EMPART.org.
I already knew about Empart but this book opened up for me the amazing work through training young men and women who go out into villages to share their lives as they live with the lost who God loves.
Madness is about holistic Indian based and led training and mission work changing many thousands of lives.
He moved to Australia as a teenager to work and make money. After overcoming the challenges of language, cultural differences and loneliness Jossy experienced the deepening of his Christian faith. That was when he knew his life’s purpose was to bring transformation to the slums of Northern India. With divine provision and direction he began EMPART.org.
I already knew about Empart but this book opened up for me the amazing work through training young men and women who go out into villages to share their lives as they live with the lost who God loves.
Madness is about holistic Indian based and led training and mission work changing many thousands of lives.
March 7, 2025
Started reading this before I went for a mission trip to India and finished it on the plane, about 10 minutes before I landed in Mumbai haha. It prepared me for the mission trip and has transformed my perspective on Matthew 28:19 (the Great commission)
June 23, 2017
I was privileged to hear Jossy speak as part of the 2016 Global Leadership Summit. This book is just as inspirational. Very thought provoking on how to reach the unreached!!
April 23, 2018
Inspiring read about the passion to follow Christ with abandon and lead others to do the same.
January 2, 2020
Best and most encouraging stoke filled book I’ve ever read. Learned so much about wild faith.
March 24, 2020
Very good book about Missionary’s journey. Adventure From start to finish... highly recommended book. Must read! Inspired me to be on mission field.
April 21, 2020
An amazing story.
December 18, 2024
Challenging. Good storytelling. Hopeful.
March 2, 2017
Has some really great, challenging parts, but also some really flat parts I'm still not sure why they were included. Not necessarily something you should feel compelled to read.
August 30, 2016
Powerful, powerful read. Jossy Chacko started his adult life not different than me - striving to achieve, be recognized, bask in fame, glory and riches! Live the good life! Dang - did God do a number on him. Actually, he listened, relied on his faith, followed that still small voice and goodness gracious, God's done (and continues to do) amazing things through him. Fair warning - if you even marginally think about someday doing mission work, or making volunteerism a more important part of your life, this book will wreck you. It did me. The questions posed are ones I need to come to grips with before I face God and answer to what little I'm doing to advance His kingdom. Ultimately such introspection is good; healthy even. But man... couldn't He have waited?
May 14, 2012
Jossy Chacko is one of the most innovative and courageous leaders in 21st Century Western Christendom. 'Madness' is effectively 160 pages of wonderful stories, from growing up in India and moving to Australia, to the stories of other pastors trained by Empart and the great works that have been done through them. The last 20 pages are a reminder of the cost of this kind of mission.
Read 'Madness' at your own peril - it might be life-changing!
Read 'Madness' at your own peril - it might be life-changing!
October 7, 2016
A detailed and inspiring look at one Indian's spiritual journey in bringing the gospel to the unreached of his country. This book is a breath of fresh air; the descriptions of the events that occur within the ministry sound like Acts 2 happening in the 21st century. Each chapter also ends with practical questions to encourage and challenge the reader in applying the lessons learned to their lives.
May 11, 2013
Absolutely loved this book. We recently had Jossy speak at our church and I went away feeling really challenged. This book did the same. It has opened up my eyes to so much more of the world and made me feel very uncomfortable on my fancy western couch. Thank you, Jossy, this story has truly been a blessing!
November 5, 2010
Great book. Our church is considering partnering with Jossy's organization, Empart, and supporting indigenous church planters in North India, and this book tells the story of how this endeavor got started. I'm excited for what the future holds for our partnership. Recommended!
January 8, 2017
Went to lunch with a Pastor Sydo on Valentines Day, ate lunch with Jossy Chako and received his book. But the best part of Valentines Day was not seeing this Indian businessman and pastor but seeing my son (25% Indian) for the 1st time of my life.
December 13, 2016
What started out as an autobiography ended up with some perspective altering viewpoints into the western Christian mindset. I believe this is a must read for any true disciple of Jesus so they may carry out the Great Commission and stop focusing on carrying out the great compassion.
April 6, 2017
Chapter 10 explains the method of church planting and his philosophical and theological idea.
The basic premise is make disciples (the Gospel). Good works (compassion) must attend the Gospel, but the Gospel is first. It is a mistake to do good works first and then bring the Gospel second. I cannot bring clean water and then later bring the Gospel. I can bring the Gospel and clean water at the same time, but I must bring the Gospel. And I present the Gospel unapologetic; I am bringing you clean water and so I am going to tell you why I am bringing you clean water: "we are bold to pray ...". Another key component is the use of the local indigenous population. Along with the Gospel, and as part of compassion, is community. And community can only be established by the community. So often the Gospel and compassion get sidetracked because of cultural issues: the length of hair or the style of clothes or of dietary restrictions. What does my haircut have to do with salvation?
For me the glue that binds the Gospel and compassion together is ownership. And it is ownership in the broadest definition, not just physical things. It is ownership of hopes and dreams, ideas and impulses, wants and needs. It is Jesus saying "take up your mat", "show yourself to the priest", "wash in the Pool of Siloam". Jesus brings the Gospel (salvation) and brings compassion (healing) by Grace (that is both the Gospel and compassion were given freely and while the sinner was still steeped in sin). But ultimately the person must own both his salvation and his healing. The reality of salvation and healing are only dependent on God, freely given. And the Gospel is made complete by my acquiescence - by my ownership of the gift.
The basic premise is make disciples (the Gospel). Good works (compassion) must attend the Gospel, but the Gospel is first. It is a mistake to do good works first and then bring the Gospel second. I cannot bring clean water and then later bring the Gospel. I can bring the Gospel and clean water at the same time, but I must bring the Gospel. And I present the Gospel unapologetic; I am bringing you clean water and so I am going to tell you why I am bringing you clean water: "we are bold to pray ...". Another key component is the use of the local indigenous population. Along with the Gospel, and as part of compassion, is community. And community can only be established by the community. So often the Gospel and compassion get sidetracked because of cultural issues: the length of hair or the style of clothes or of dietary restrictions. What does my haircut have to do with salvation?
For me the glue that binds the Gospel and compassion together is ownership. And it is ownership in the broadest definition, not just physical things. It is ownership of hopes and dreams, ideas and impulses, wants and needs. It is Jesus saying "take up your mat", "show yourself to the priest", "wash in the Pool of Siloam". Jesus brings the Gospel (salvation) and brings compassion (healing) by Grace (that is both the Gospel and compassion were given freely and while the sinner was still steeped in sin). But ultimately the person must own both his salvation and his healing. The reality of salvation and healing are only dependent on God, freely given. And the Gospel is made complete by my acquiescence - by my ownership of the gift.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews