Word at Work Summer 2013

Welcome...It is said that as we grow older (and weall are!), we tend to spend more timelooking back and musing about the waythings used to be. There is a tendancyto be selective and to overlay thepositive aspects of our experience withan intensity that is perhaps notjustified.

Recently Northern Ireland has beenincreasingly absorbed in our ‘present’, with itsattendant gloom and despondency, particularlyabout economic problems to which there appear tobe no visible solutions. At the same time I havebeen struck by a sense of the ‘future’ and thepossibilities for change in our world. I haveexperienced constant reminders that we are livingin an age that makes the seemingly impossible veryordinary. It seems that God has allowed our worldand its people to develop in fantastic ways that justa few years ago would have been unknown. Someexamples:

In January we emailed a complete manuscript ofthe first ever San Bible for the people of BurkinaFaso from Bible House in Belfast to a typesettingcentre in Ghana. Margaret Bohoussou’s manualchecking took four months but the text wastransmitted in a couple of seconds.

In February I chaired a small group ofother General Secretaries from Austria,Sweden and Hungary. Our task was toorganise the programme for a three-dayconference for over 40 General Secretariesin the Europe/Middle East area – from asfar apart as Norway, Russia, Lebanon andAlgeria. The Organising group neveractually met face to face, but after fourcomputer-to-computer Skype calls andaround 250 emails, some 40 participantswere enabled to contribute theirpresentations of worship, news and views inthe various sessions. God added His blessingthrough the spirit of harmony with which theconference was conducted.

In March I was asked to pray with 48 otherpeople in an Internet-hosted seminar (aWebinar) on the topic of World Illiteracy.

The challenge was how the Bible is to be madeavailable to the two billion people who arefunctionally illiterate. Participants from Europe,Africa and the Americas were brought together for aone hour presentation on the key issues and to hearthe answers given to a wide range of on-screenquestions.

With the current evolution of printing techniques,Bible Societies can now print vast quantities ofScripture in high quality editions - even in verysmall print runs - and at very affordable prices.

While some Governments continue to maintain aniron grip on their citizens, God has opened manydoors for the distribution of the Gospel that aprevious generation could not have dreamed of.

These are just a few of the reasons I believe that welive in an Age of Opportunity, where God hasplaced us and given us the resources to serve Him inremarkable ways.

While it is tempting to bewail current setbacks, Ibelieve that we are also called to go forward infaith. Be thankful that God has entrusted you andme to carry His Word – both to the neighbour andto the ends of the earth. May this magazine offer

you hope andencouragement topartner with us as wedescribe, forexample, the majorpush by BibleSocieties tocomplete 100 Bibletranslations thathave the potentialto impacthundreds ofmillions of lives!

John Doherty General Secretary BSNI

The New FijianBible launchedon – 5 April2013: anothernew opportunityto reach peoplefor Christ.

An Age of Opportunity

It is said that as we grow older (and weall are!), we tend to spend more timelooking back and musing about the waythings used to be. There is a tendancyto be selective and to overlay thepositive aspects of our experience withan intensity that is perhaps notjustified.John Doherty

It is said that as we grow older (and weall are!), we tend to spend more timeall are!), we tend to spend more timelooking back and musing about the waythings used to be. There is a tendancyto be selective and to overlay thepositive aspects of our experience withan intensity that is perhaps notan intensity that is perhaps notjustified.John Doherty John Doherty

An Age of Opportunity

BSNI carries the largest stock of Non English Scripture to view and buy in the country2

General Information:

An Age of Opportunity Bible Socities for“DUMMlES”

Translation:

Special Programmes:

Scripture Distribution:

Inspired by the well known ‘...for DUMMIES’ books, we decided to lay out

some basic Bible Society information. As our team is so entrenched in the work on

a daily basis, we can be guilty of assuming that everyone knows the basics!

Hopefully this simple, factual information will help fill in some gaps in your

knowledge. If you already knew all of this, then give yourself a gold star!

Bible Societies Worldwide: There are currently 146 BibleSocieties working in around 200 countries all over theworld, from Armenia to Zimbabwe! Together we are knownas the United Bible Societies.

Bible Societies work in partnership with churches, schools,Christian organisations, government bodies when required,printing presses, organisations reaching special audiences,such as blind people or illiterate people... and so on...

In 2011 Bible Societies distributed over 30 million Bibles,almost 10 million Testaments and 339 million portions andSelections (figures for 2012 are yet to be finalised).

Bible Societies do not just distribute printed Bibles. Formillions of people who cannot read, either throughilliteracy or visual impairment, the Bible in print format isnot a suitable option. Listening groups, audio devices andBraille Scriptures are widely distributed throughout theworld. There are also literacy groups operating in manycountries.

This is the tip of the iceberg.God is at work in incredible waysthroughout the world. His Word isa salve, a teacher, a life-giver, acorrector, an encourager, a truthbringer... What does the Biblemean to you?

Faith Comes by Hearing (FCBH) is a listening programmeproduced by Hosanna Ministries. Bible Societies havepartnered with FCBH for many years to set up Bible listeninggroups in communities where people cannot read or cannotafford a copy of the Bible. God has used listening groups totransform individuals, families and even entire communitiesfor Christ.

Where is the Good Samaritan Today? In many countries –particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa – the stigma of HIV/AIDSstill means that people are shunned by their families,friends and churches! Many people are still unable to accesstreatment that would enable them to live full, healthy lives.Millions of children are still being orphaned. Thisprogramme, developed by Bible Societies, tackles thestigma, helps prevention and teaches churches to welcomepeople affected either directly or through their family.

At any given time Bible Societies are involved in around 450Bible translation projects worldwide.

As translation work is yet to begin in over 2,000 languages,there is still a lot of work to do.

Bible Societies use the knowledge of local people to translatethe Bible into their heart language. This allows the translationto be as accurate as possible. Funding, support personnel,consultants and equipment are provided from Bible Societiesthrough the UBS Fellowship.

Bibles for Sierra Leone’s peacekeeping troops inSomalia

Literacy group in Bangladesh: using FCBH Cassettesand New Reader materials produced by the BibleSociety in Bangladesh.

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H

The Middle East: Lost Hope in Lebanon

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LebanonPopulation:4,131,583 people

Religion: Muslim59.7%, Christian 39%,other 1.3%

Refugees (country oforigin): 436,154(Palestine); 9,056 (Iraq);359,419 (Syria)

Freedom: Remains the only land in the MiddleEast where all are legally free to change theirreligious affiliation.

The scale of people fleeing Syria is unimaginable– the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, estimatesthe total number of Syrians fleeing theirhomeland will exceed 1 million by the summer!At present nearly a fifth of Lebanon’s populationis made up of refugees. These people areleaving their homes with nothing and many arenow living with relatives, crowded into tinyapartments, living in very difficultcircumstances.

The people living in Lebanon need toknow there is hope. BSL is equippingthe church in Lebanon withresources to reach out to this hugesection of society with God’s Word.

(Palestine); 9,056 (Iraq);(Palestine); 9,056 (Iraq);

BSL relief packs are reaching people inheartbreaking circumstances

The distressing scenes from this area are all too often seen on ourtelevision screens. Reports of war torn regions, hundreds of thousandsof refugees, political instability... these are the stories we hear.

So what are we going to tell you that’s any different?

There’s hope!...and the Bible Society in Lebanon is there to bring it!Working in the area for nearly 200 years, the Bible Society in Lebanon(BSL) is faithfully committed to sticking it out in difficultcircumstances to bring hope through the Word of God to all people.

Overseeing the work in Lebanon, and also in Syria and Iraq, theirspecific mission is to provide the Scriptures to every man, woman andchild in a language and form that each can easily understand and at aprice each can easily afford.

It’s an aim shared by all Bible Societies in the global Fellowship – andit’s one we’re inviting you to play a part in. Read the following facts,stories, and notes and prayerfully consider if this is something youcould support.

Relief packages containingfood, blankets, cleaningproducts, toiletries andScriptures, are made up andprovided to families who havefled their hometowns desperatelyseeking safety for their children.

One mother on opening the reliefpackage given to her family cried asshe said, “I heard about the Biblebefore, but I had never seen orcarried one.” Her three year old sontook the Bible and put it on his headas a sign of reverence to the HolyBook.

– the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, estimatesthe total number of Syrians fleeing theirhomeland will exceed 1 million by the summer!At present nearly a fifth of Lebanon’s populationis made up of refugees. These people areleaving their homes with nothing and many arenow living with relatives, crowded into tinyapartments, living in very difficultcircumstances.

The people living in Lebanon need toknow there is hope. BSL is equippingthe church in Lebanon withresources to reach out to this hugesection of society with God’s Word.

– the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, estimates– the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, estimatesthe total number of Syrians fleeing theirthe total number of Syrians fleeing theirhomeland will exceed 1 million by the summer!homeland will exceed 1 million by the summer!At present nearly a fifth of Lebanon’s populationAt present nearly a fifth of Lebanon’s populationis made up of refugees. These people areis made up of refugees. These people areis made up of refugees. These people areis made up of refugees. These people areleaving their homes with nothing and many areleaving their homes with nothing and many arenow living with relatives, crowded into tinynow living with relatives, crowded into tinyapartments, living in very difficultapartments, living in very difficultapartments, living in very difficultapartments, living in very difficultcircumstances.circumstances.

The people living in Lebanon need toThe people living in Lebanon need toThe people living in Lebanon need toThe people living in Lebanon need toknow there is hope. BSL is equippingknow there is hope. BSL is equippingthe church in Lebanon withthe church in Lebanon withresources to reach out to this hugeresources to reach out to this hugesection of society with God’s Word. section of society with God’s Word. section of society with God’s Word. section of society with God’s Word.

The need is overwhelming...

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Further Information: Call Bible House - 9032 6577

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So how can you help?BSL is offering an alternative to thelost hope in Lebanon – hopethrough the Word of God. One of the key ways in which theybring God’s Word to people isthrough their partnership with theChurch – positioning the Bible inthe life and mission of the Churchand encouraging leaders andcongregations to read and interactwith the Scriptures.

BSL is actively strengthening itsrelationship with the Churchthrough visitations, sharing news,providing resources andencouraging them in their use ofScripture. BSL is inspiring theChurch in Lebanon to movefrom a place of living in thelight of the Word to bringingthat light to the lost and hopeless in theircommunity.

A word from the General Secretary ofthe Bible Society in Lebanon: MikeBassous

Please send your gift to BSNI with the envelopemarked ‘Lebanon’, or if you were mailed thismagazine then use the reply slip enclosed. Andplease join with us in praying for this BibleSociety, especially for their vital work withSyrian refugees.

How will your gift help?The staff and volunteers of BSL need oursupport to enable them to engage withthe churches and their people. Bysending a gift you will be helping tobuild up the Church in Lebanon,preparing them to step out into theircommunities offering the alternative tolost hope to all people, including themany refugees seeking safety.

Will You Help?

Dear friends and partners,Warm greetings! During my travels, I am often asked the following question:Is there hope for Christians amidst the Arab Spring?The ‘Arab Spring’ is one of the most used – and abused – metaphors

in today’s media. Is it referring to the season of ‘Spring’ wherechange will yield a beautiful and nutritious harvest? Or is it anuprising ‘Spring’ that jumps up in our faces, similar to opening aPandora’s box without assessing or expecting what the ‘Spring’ willachieve? I would like to introduce a third possible definition – thatof a water ‘Spring’ in its spiritual perspective: New life and hope inJesus Christ for the region. This spring of the water of life (Rev.21:6) is the only real hope for the Middle East.Loss of hope has been identified as the most crucial symptom among

young Middle Easterners. We can offer an alternative to this losthope. We hold the key to the source of hope. And Christians whoembrace hope as a habit of life can impact the ‘Arab Spring’ throughthe living water of life, the giver of hope, Jesus Christ. “May God,the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of yourfaith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the powerof the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13)...We thank our many donors, partners and sponsors for theirunfailing support. And we challenge you to ask yourself: What ismy role in this? What will be my legacy? Where can I help?Sincerely in Christ,

Dr. Michael G Bassous

Lebanon: The Alternative to Lost Hope

Please send your gift to BSNI with the envelopePlease send your gift to BSNI with the envelopePlease send your gift to BSNI with the envelopePlease send your gift to BSNI with the envelope

A word from the General Secretary ofthe Bible Society in Lebanon: MikeA word from the General Secretary ofthe Bible Society in Lebanon: MikeA word from the General Secretary ofA word from the General Secretary ofthe Bible Society in Lebanon: Mike

YYYSUMMERAPPEAL

Further Information: Call Bible House - 9032 6577

Would you like to see the people in your church get excited about the Bibleand taking responsibility for sharing it with people all over the world? BSNIhas resources to help with this...

Our ‘Resources for Churches’ disks contain videos, PowerPoints, prayermaterial and news items, all put together to share about the work of BSNIand encourage people to think about what the Bible means to them.

If you think your church could make use of this, whether by showing it ona screen in a Service or using it in a group meeting, get your MissionCommittee or Minister to get in touch with Leah at 028 9032 6577 [email protected].

News Snippets at Home

Church Resources Disk

Looking Ahead to Bible Sunday 2013

Local People Take Prayer to Heart

World Police & Fire Games

BSNI Staff could speak in your church about the impact of the Bible and Bible ministry -but only if we are invited

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BSNI partnered withFire Fighters for Christin 2001 to produce a

New Testament foreach Fire Fighter in

Northern Ireland

Each year the Bible Society in Northern Ireland encourages churches to set aside oneSunday Service to reflect on the generous gift of God through our easy access to theBible. While Bible passages are usually read at every Sunday Service, there isevidence that the Bible is becoming less central to our worship. Many churches nowhave time for one reading only and there is a trend towards spending more time inpreaching on a passage rather than allowing worshippers to immerse themselves ina number of related passages so that God might speak to them from the page.

BSNI will be uploading the usual wide range of worship resources to the Bible Sunday section of ourwebsite www.bsni.co.uk including Bible readings, prayers, sermon notes and children’s talk. A number of visual

resources will also be made available for download.

It is hoped that even more churches will plan to celebrate the Bible on a convenient Sunday during the year. The resources will be available from mid-August.

When was the last time that your church had a Bible Sunday?

Northern Ireland will host the World Police & Fire Games from 1-10 August 2013. It is anticipated there may be up to 25,000 visitors,including 10,000 competitors from around 70 countries.

The Games, which are held every two years, will include more than 50 sports at 40 venues across Northern Ireland including swimming in the new Olympic-sized pool inBangor, surfing off the North Coast and special competitions that are particularly relevant to theday-to-day activity of Fire-fighters.

The Bible Society is exploring with other partners how the Gospel can be presented atsuch a high profile event, such as through the material being given to competitors andthe presence of chaplains and others at key events to engage with both those takingpart and the spectators.

Each year the Bible Society in Northern Ireland encourages churches to set aside oneSunday Service to reflect on the generous gift of God through our easy access to theBible. While Bible passages are usually read at every Sunday Service, there isevidence that the Bible is becoming less central to our worship. Many churches nowhave time for one reading only and there is a trend towards spending more time inpreaching on a passage rather than allowing worshippers to immerse themselves ina number of related passages so that God might speak to them from the page.

BSNI will be uploading the usual wide range of worship resources to the Bible Sunday section of ourwebsite www.bsni.co.uk including Bible readings, prayers, sermon notes and children’s talk. A number of visual

Each year the Bible Society in Northern Ireland encourages churches to set aside oneEach year the Bible Society in Northern Ireland encourages churches to set aside oneSunday Service to reflect on the generous gift of God through our easy access to theSunday Service to reflect on the generous gift of God through our easy access to theBible. While Bible passages are usually read at every Sunday Service, there isBible. While Bible passages are usually read at every Sunday Service, there isevidence that the Bible is becoming less central to our worship. Many churches nowevidence that the Bible is becoming less central to our worship. Many churches nowhave time for one reading only and there is a trend towards spending more time inhave time for one reading only and there is a trend towards spending more time inpreaching on a passage rather than allowing worshippers to immerse themselves ina number of related passages so that God might speak to them from the page.a number of related passages so that God might speak to them from the page.

BSNI will be uploading the usual wide range of worship resources to the Bible Sunday section of ourBSNI will be uploading the usual wide range of worship resources to the Bible Sunday section of ourwebsite www.bsni.co.uk including Bible readings, prayers, sermon notes and children’s talk. A number of visual

Do you believe in the power of prayer? God tells us that His eyes are on the righteous and He is attentive to their prayers.(1 Peter 3:12) We are so encouraged that we have supporters who believe this! There are now 710 of you receiving ourPrayer Circle e-zine each fortnight, while 1,347 people receive INSIGHT monthly. There is also a new Prayer Groupin Carrickfergus, and we have had positive feedback about the prayer material now appearing in the magazine. It isa wonderful encouragement to know that so many of you are praying for us and Bible Society ministry all over the world.We can honestly look back over the last year and say, without a doubt, that God has been answering the prayers of youall. We have seen much blessing in a very difficult time. Thank you for standing with us. Never doubt the power that isunleashed through prayer!

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Looking back at 2012

MegaVoice digitalScripture players forvisually disabled peoplein the Philippines

Below: BSNI produced anddistributed 5,000 Daily Reading

Guides through Churches

How can we best convey the pastyear’s work in Bible House to you?The following is a summary of the Society’s notableactivities during the year together with key factsdrawn from the Accounts, so that you can have apicture of the Society’s care of the funds that you,our supporters, provide.

It was a particularly challenging year for fundraising.Bible projects in over 20 of the 33 countries beingfunded by BSNI in 2012 were placed before oursupporters to consider supporting – in Word at Work, byDirect Mail, in the Bible a Month Calendar or theAlternative gift Christmas catalogue The Greatest Gift.

Easily the most successful campaign involved MegaVoicedigital Scripture players for visually impaired people inthe Philippines. Similar mailings about providing fordeaf people in Venezuela and creating first ever Bibletranslations in India were much less well supported.BSNI still honours its pledge to all these projects even ifthe funds received are less than hoped for.

We were able to help supporters to provide Bibles totheir own contacts in the Caribbean and in Kenya.

BSNI was an active participant in a range of discussionsabout restructuring the arrangements that link the 146Bible Societies together worldwide.

At home, BSNI worked with the other Specialist ServiceAgencies, recognised by the Presbyterian Church Board ofMission Overseas, to raise their profile amongPresbyterian congregations.

All the Society’s promises to support Scripture projectsabroad were honoured, and additional funds were alsoreleased (a) to provide 200,000 New Testaments inLebanon and (b) to help establish a Bible Society base inthe world’s newest country, South Sudan.

Activities to support Bible ministryabroad:

For those of you who are interested in the detail, the Boardand the Society’s Auditors have prepared an Annual Reportand Accounts for the Year ended 31 December 2012. Wewill happily send a copy of this to any supporter whorequests it. We don’t print it for circulation as we knowthat not everyone has time to read a 21-page document.

BSNI Staff could speak in your church about the impact of the Bible and Bible ministry -but only if we are invited

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Activities to Support BibleMinistry at Home

Over 5,500 copies of the book of Acts were suppliedto the Amazing Journey Schools Story Telling projectthat is run by Baptist Youth.

Almost 6,000 Gospels were supplied to churches ofdifferent denominations to help them in variousevangelistic outreaches.

Bible Sunday Worship resources were againplaced on the Society’s website. The theme wasSignposts: Pointing the way to God and thesermon, children’s talk and other materialswere based on John Ch 5:36-47 and Psalm19:7-14. It was very helpful that thePresbyterian Moderator, Rt Rev Dr Roy Patton, gave hispersonal encouragement to every Presbyterian congregation tocelebrate a Bible Sunday.

58 Deputation engagements were undertaken up and down the country, at Sunday worship ormidweek groups. This represented a sharp fall from the frantic activity during 2011 when so many churcheswished to mark the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible.

Work began on a replacement for the annual Bible Society Prayer booklet – similar prayer topics coveringevery Bible Society in the world are now included within the three editions of Word at Work during the year.

The Society continued to email fortnightly e-zines of the Prayer Circle publication and the monthly INSIGHTNews. The number of people receiving these continues to grow and this is a great encouragement. TheSociety is experimenting with its Facebook page and new updates are provided almost daily to encourageinterest in our ministry.

All of these electronic messages serve to provide up to date and accurate material for prayer use in churchesand individual homes.

The Display Area on the First floor of Bible House now stocks Scripture in over 60 languages, but the Societycontinues to experience a reduced number of visitors and sales.

BSNI continues to participate in the organisation of special events to encourageinterest in all aspects of Mission - as a member of the Mission Agencies Partnershipand also the Association of Missionary Societies, where the General Secretary is one ofthe AMS representatives on the Church of Ireland Council for Mission.

The Board spent considerable time discussing the priorities for a new 3-year BusinessPlan to take effect from 1/1/2013, including a new Vision Statement.

The eleven members of the BSNI Board, chaired by the Dean of Dromore Cathedral,Very Reverend Stephen Lowry, (pictured), remained unchanged.

midweek groups. This represented a sharp fall from the frantic activity during 2011 when so many churches

In 2012 BSNI Income declined by £28,705 or 5.45%, resulting in a significant deficit on the Society’s Accounts.

Donations from individuals through the Bible a Month Club and most of the project campaigns declined, but thenumber and value of gifts given by Direct Debit continued to grow. The reduction in donations meant that less money could be reclaimed from HMRC through the Gift Aid scheme.

The Ground floor Retail unit remained vacant throughout the year, so reducing the amount of Rental incomereceived by BSNI.

Bequests received during the year amounted to £85,100 and these are invaluable in helping the Society tofinance ongoing Bible projects, particularly in the area of Bible translation.

The Society continued to hold costs in check with a 1.6% increase in like-for-like expenditure, in spite of risingpostal, energy and other costs.

BSNI was able to increase the value of its commitments to Bible projects abroad, beyond the level achieved in2011. An encouraging result!

The Society’s Finances

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Pull-out and keep prayer guide: May 2013Prayer at WorkThank you to all our Praying Friendswho make use of these resources eitherpersonally or as part of a group prayersetting.

We would love to hear from you. Maybeyou could let us know how you use thematerial to pray for Bible Societies. Onegentleman wrote to thank us for the pull-out prayer pages. What anencouragement to us!

The prayers of God’s people are neverunheard and we believe that our PrayerPartners play as vital a role as translators,listening group hosts, fundraisers etc...

If you would like to use this with aprayer group, feel free to make copies,or ask for more.

Bible-A-Month Club Prayer informationis in a section at the bottom of eachpage. If you would like to become aBible-A-Month supporter and provide acopy of God’s Word every month here’show to get in touch. Email Campbell [email protected] , phone 9032 6577or check our website for more details.www.bsni.co.uk/pages/prayer

France: Pray for the use of the new youthresource ZeBible, offering an interactivefilm, a daily Bible verse on Facebook anda web series. Pray that many youngpeople will be drawn to God. Pray toofor work with chaplains to reachprisoners with the Bible. Ask God to grantguidance to the board and staff for futuredirection, and a new General Secretary.

Spain: Pray for Jose Luis Andavertleading the team in this secular country.Give thanks for regional volunteers anddonors who support the work. Pray forthe ‘Friends of the Bible’ Calendar, thatmore regular donors will be added. Prayfor all the efforts to reach a youngeraudience with God’s Word through newtechnologies, including Social Networksites.

Belgium (Flemish): Please pray for themodern magazine-style Gospel of Markwhich is to be distributed to as manyschools as possible. Pray for a positiveresponse from teachers and teenagers.Pray also for the illustrated Psalms to bedistributed through churches, inhospitals and prisons. Ask that in spite ofeconomic instability, support for BibleMinistry will grow.

Belgium(Francophone): Please pray forwork on a New Testament with bothFrench and Dutch, and a Gospel inillustrated magazine format. Pray too fortheir cultural exhibition and the work topromote the interactive, web-based,French Youth Bible resource – ZeBible.Please pray that they will see an increasein their support to enable them to carryout all their evangelistic plans. Pray toofor the ministry in Luxembourg.

*FCBH: Faith Comes By Hearing - A programmeproviding audio Scripture for listening groups, setup through local churches. Good SamaritanProject: A Bible-based HIV/AIDS educationprogramme. Workshop based, multi-mediatraining.

May 26 - June 1

Netherlands: Thank God that translationof the Bible in Plain Dutch has reachedthe final stages; pray for plans to publishthis in 2014. Pray too for wisdom inreaching younger people with the Biblemessage. Ask that new volunteers will befound and that God will bless the staffwith creativity as they seek to make theBible heard.

Austria: Pray for Jutta Henner as sheleads the Bible Society in Austria. Givethanks for an active Board and goodpartnerships with the churches. Pray forongoing distribution to refugees and thetouring exhibition – ‘God loves thestranger’ – challenging Christians to reachout to refugees. Praise God for the manyschool groups who visit the Bible centre inVienna.

Germany: Give thanks for the Germansupporters, and pray that their desire tosupport Bible Society projects all over theworld will grow. Pray that the translationof the BasisBibel Old Testament will makegood progress and that God will bless thetranslators, giving them wisdom andinspiration. May this contemporaryGerman version bring greater Scriptureaccess to more people.

Switzerland: Thank God for theopportunities to make the Bible known inthis secular society. Give thanks forprojects reaching prisoners and migrantsin languages they can understand. Prayfor an increased prayerful and financialsupport for worldwide Bible work.Remember the small staff team, led byEva Thomi, the board, donors andpartners. Remember also the work inLiechtenstein.

May 19 - 25

Bible-A-Month Calendar (May):KYRGYZSTANProject Intro:Living in remote areas ofKyrgyzstan whereunemployment is high andhope is low, it can be hardfor people to connect withGod when they do nothave His words of love toreflect on.

Please pray for the Bible Society of Kyrgyzstan (BSK), for protection andguidance as they take God’s Word to the many people living in remoteareas of this Central Asian country.

BSK is creating a new highly illustrated book of Scripture to help peoplebetter understand what they are reading. Pray for those involved withthis publication – writers, illustrators and designers – that they wouldhave the required resources available to put together a book that wouldhelp people know God.

The majority of people living in Kyrgyzstan are Muslim and so BSK aretranslating the New Testament with commentaries, especially designedfor Muslim people, into the Kyrgyz language. Pray that as people receivethis New Testament, God would open their eyes to the truth of theGospel.

You can make God known to people in Kyrgyzstan by giving just £4

May 26 - June 1May 26 - June 1May 26 - June 1May 26 - June 1

‘God Loves the Stranger’exhibition, Austria

>

May-August

Bible SocietyVolunteers, Nicaragua.

Pull-out and keep prayer guide: June 2013Prayer at Work

Greece: Financial crisis overrecent years has left people angryand frustrated. Thank God thatdespite this, Scripture distributionlevels in 2012 were verysatisfactory. Please pray thatpeople’s hearts will be opened toGod’s Word.Malta: The mission in Malta hasstruggled under recession andcurrently has no staff. Pray for theboard as they continue ministry inthis increasingly secularpopulation. Pray for funding tocontinue ministry to the visuallyimpaired, school pupils andmigrants. May God enable HisWord to be spread.Cyprus: Thank God that the BibleSociety has good relations withChurches. Bibles are given inmany languages to foreignChristians living in Cyprus. Givethanks for the permission todistribute the Greek NewTestaments in schools, pray thatthis will continue and that youngpeople will come to God. PraiseGod for 5,000 New Testamentsdistributed to soldiers.Portugal: Praise God for theopportunities despite seriousfinancial challenges. Pray for theexhibitions bringing God’s Word topeople of all backgrounds. Praythat God’s Word will bring hope tothe many unemployed and askthat God will provide funds tomake His Word known.Italy: Give thanks for work in Italyled by Valdo Bertalot. Praise Godfor three different BibleExhibitions and resources to help people read and engagewith Scripture. Pray for Bible salesthrough their shop which supportsinternational Bible translation

and distribution, and for increasedchurch support for these projects.

Niger: Praise God for the smallteam working in Niger and fortheir strong partnerships. Ask Godto provide for vital ministries,including outreach to differentfaiths, FCBH*, and projects forchildren and young people. Pray too for plans to commencetranslation work into the Zarmalanguage.Chad: Pray for the Kim BibleTranslation team, giving thanksfor community support, and forthe Lélé Bible translation now inits second year and its developingliteracy programme. Pray that thenew Revised Ngambaye Bible willhelp people’s understanding andthat Secondary School teachingresources will impact many younglives.Mali: Praise God for protectionand blessing in challenging times.Despite the dangers of life andextreme poverty, Christians remainfaithful. Thank God that duringthese difficult times, people aremore open to receiving His Word.Please continue to pray for peace in Mali.Sahel Project: Praise God for co-ordinated Sahel ministryspanning 7 Muslim-majoritycountries. Pray for projectshelping women, street kids andHIV/AIDS sufferers. Thank Godfor Church partners, literacy,translation, and evangelism. Prayfor work in Cape Verde.Give thanks for Guinea-Bissau’sBalanta New Testament publishedlast year and for encouraging signsin Mauritius.

Namibia: Pray that God willimpact many lives through theGood Samaritan programme andScripture-based counselling - the‘Trauma Healing Network’. Praytoo for ongoing translation work –in particular the Khoekhoegowab(KKG) revision. There is an old KKGBible but the language isimpossible for most to read,particularly younger people.Angola: Pray for wisdom for allthose leading the Bible Society.Pray, too, for the ongoingtranslation work in Kikongo,Umbundu, Luchazi, Songo,Umbangala, Nkumbi languagesand for the new translationproject in Nyaneka, due to beginthis year. Pray for the strongrelations with Churches and forways to take the Bible message toyoung people. Zimbabwe: Thank God for astrong staff team and pray forgood relations with the board,Churches and other agencies.Pray that people receivingScripture will have their livestransformed by God. Ask God tohelp the ongoing translation ofthe Chikunda Old Testament. Askfor God’s guidance in plans toopen distribution points in othertowns and for more localsupporters. Zambia: Praise God that therequired Scriptures were availablefor distribution last year and thatthe Good Samaritan programmeis expanding. Pray for the impactof the first Bible in the Mambwe-Lungu language. Pray that morepeople will take an interest in theBible Society and that there willbe a greater demand forScriptures.

South Africa: Thank God thatthere is now a complete Bible inall the official languages of SouthAfrica. Pray for new translationsinto isiZulu and Afrikaans, as wellas a special translation in deaf-orientated English. Pray for thenew Bible-based literacy projectwhich is rolling out nationwidethis year, that this will drawpeople into God’s Word.Swaziland: Please pray for effortsbeing made to make strongerconnections with churches and forthe recruitment of regional churchrepresentatives. Thank God forpartnerships, for the weekly radioprogramme and for progress witha new Study Bible project. Pray forthe impact of a public addresssystem at Mankayane Hospital forbroadcasting the Bible.Lesotho: Thank God for peacefulgeneral elections in May 2012 andfor the new coalition government.Praise Him for a new vehicle and anew accountant. Praise God forthe first Bible month initiativewhich attracted many people toregister. Pray for a proposedbuilding development project andfor wisdom for the newlyappointed board.Liberia: Pray for numeroustranslation projects, particularlythe final stages of the Kepelle OldTestament and the Kisi Bible. Praythat funding will be available tosee these through to publicationand distribution. Pray too for theFCBH* and Good Samaritanprogrammes and ministries toreach people who aremarginalised due to physical andvisual disabilities.

June 23 - 29

Bible-A-Month Calendar (June):PHILIPPINESProject Intro:The Philippine Bible Society (PBS) ishelping young people to see that the Bibleisn’t ‘dull, boring and only for old folks’.Using multi-media and multi-sensoryfeatures, PBS has set up a Bible Museumand a Roving Bible Museum, providingopportunities for young people toexperience and engage with the Bible.

Please pray for this project. Pray that more churches and schoolswill be led to bring groups to the Museum or invite the RovingMuseum to their area, allowing more young people to encounterGod’s Word in a relevant and meaningful way.

Pray for the staff and volunteers who are involved with this work,that God would bless them with joy and strength as they strive tobring God to the people of the Philippines.

BSNI is supporting the ongoing project of providing solar-poweredaudio MegaVoice players to people who are visually impaired inthe Philippines. Pray that, as people receive these Scriptures thatthey can listen to, they would hear God’s voice through the wordsof the Bible.

This month, £4 could help engage young Philippinos with the Bible

June 16 - 22

June 9 - 15

June 2 - 8

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Pull-out and keep prayer guide: July 2013Prayer at Work

Bible-A-Month Calendar (July): PERUProject Intro:Living in a shack rather than ahouse, shining shoes rather thangoing to school – this is life for manykids in Peru. The Peruvian BibleSociety is reaching out to these kidswith breakfasts and Bibles throughthe ‘Bread of Life’ project.

Please pray for children and their families living in the shanty townsof Peru. Pray that through ‘Bread of Life’ they would know thefullness of life that is offered in Christ and the love of God that isshared through the volunteers serving the kids.

Churches are working in partnership with the Peruvian Bible Society.Pray that they would know God’s guidance as they help run ‘Bread ofLife’ and support the families of kids who attend. Ask that God wouldequip them with the resources to reach out to these people.

Pray for the Bible Society as they support victims of domesticviolence. Pray that as they provide comfort and hope through God’sWord, these people would be able to rest in the knowledge of God’speace.

Bible-A-Month Calendar (July): PERUBible-A-Month Calendar (July): PERUBible-A-Month Calendar (July): PERUBible-A-Month Calendar (July): PERU

Remember that by giving just £4 you can help a child grow spiritually in Peru

Eritrea: Ask God to meet needs.Poverty makes raising fundsimpossible and Bible sales areheavily subsidised, reducingincome. The first Bilen NewTestament needs checked beforetypesetting. Pray Old Testamentwork will start soon.

Ethiopia: Pray for the first Bibletranslations into Kambatta,Hadiyya and Kosno. Ask God tohelp 6 other revisions, includingthe Tigrigna Bible adaptation,being supported by BSNI, and theAmharic Study Bible – both almostcomplete. Give thanks for FCBH*and Good Samaritanprogrammes. Also Pray for Biblework in Djibouti.

Sudan: Give thanks for thedistribution to people displacedthrough civil war to camps inDarfur. Pray for God’s comfort andhope through his Word and hispeople. Ask for help for ongoingtranslation work into the NubaMoro and Uduk languages as wellas a vital adaptation intoSudanese Zande. May Godprovide.

South Sudan: Pray for the BibleSociety and the residents of thisyoung country. Pray especially forthe translation of the Zande Bible.There is a Zande Bible but it wastranslated in the Congo and isn’treally understandable to theSouthern Sudanese who speak thislanguage.

Mauritius: Praise God for the newAudio New Testament in Creoleand the literacy programmeslaunched in May.

Ask God to guide the trainers andgroup leaders, may God changemany lives through these groups.Pray for work among youngpeople in Réunion.

Seychelles: Give thanks forExecutive Secretary, MargaretMaillet, who leads the work in theSeychelles. Pray for the other staffand Board Members. Prayespecially for the translatorsworking on the Seselwa Bible, thatthey will be encouraged by theprogress in their work.

Canada: Pray for development ofnew resources for diverse ethnicgroups and the youngergeneration. Ask that God will blessefforts to raise support for Bibledistribution and engagement bothin Canada and around the globe.Pray for ministry in Bermuda.

Haiti: Thank God for good Churchand agency partners. Pray for the‘Stop Violence’ project and thethousands being reached.Remember final stages of work onthe Haitian Créole Study Bible. Askfor safety for staff and lastingpeace in the country. Continue praying for victims of the 2010earthquake.

Suriname: Pray for projectsreaching children, youth andabused women. Pray for thefuture of Bible Society work inGuyana as their rented building isonly available until September.Please ask for wisdom andguidance as they determine howto go forward in Guyana. PraiseGod for the new Bible bus inFrench Guiana enabling morepeople to be reached effectively.

USA: Please pray that God willspeak to the millions of Americanswho have Bibles on their shelves,but not in their hearts. Pray forwisdom for board, leaders andstaff and praise God for manyfaithful donors. Pray that, throughhis Word, God will reach the nextgeneration and restore livesbroken by war, poverty, violenceand strife.

Netherlands Antilles & Aruba:Pray for the project againstdomestic violence in theCaribbean. Pray for a moving ofthe Holy Spirit and support fromChurches in Aruba, Bonaire andCuracao. Praise God for volunteerson the Bible bus and Bible Worldand for the new Children’s Bible.Pray for the launch of the revisedPapiamentu Bible this year andthe Study Bible next year.

West Indies ( Jamaica, Belize,Bahamas etc): Praise the Lordthat the Jamaican New Testamenthas now been published in bothprint and audio formats. Praythat this new translation will beeffectively made available forJamaicans at home and aroundthe world, that many will have acloser encounter with God. Pleasepray that the Lord will sendfinancial help so that ministry will not be hindered.

East Caribbean: Thank God forenabling work to continue lastyear despite severe financialchallenges. Ask God to providethrough churches, donors andinternational support to enableHis Word to be spread. Pray forprojects helping churches reachout to youth who are challengedby HIV/AIDS, illiteracy and crime.

Nigeria: Pray for FCBH* audiencesand those who can read butcannot afford Bibles, that theBible Society will be able to help.Give thanks for plans to placeBraille Bibles in schools, librariesand institutions for the blind; praythat funds and openings will bereadily available. Pray for agreater religious freedom in thenorth.Cameroon: Pray for the GoodSamaritan Programme and theEsther Ministry to teenagemothers and victims of abuse. Liftup the three Bible translation andthree revision projects. Ask forhelp to reach children, youngpeople and prisoners, and forblessing on the 600 FCBH* groupsand literacy programmes. Pray forwork in Equatorial Guinea andSão Tomé & Principe.Botswana: Pray for the fivetranslation projects into Kalanga,Naro, Shekgalagri, Shiyeyi andKhwedan languages. Pray thatGod will provide financial needsand endurance to see theseprojects to completion and thatlocal communities will be fullysupportive. Pray too for thedevelopment of related literacyprogrammes.Senegal: Give thanks for theongoing translation work on thePulaar Bible. Pray for the church-based literacy groups which arevitally important with around 98%of church-goers being illiterate.Pray too for the special literacygroups for girls from non-Christianbackgrounds. Ask for help inreaching street children and givethanks for the partnerships withother Christian agencies makingthis work possible.

July 28 - August 3

July 21 - 27

June 30 - July 6

July 7 - July 13

July 14 - 20

This month, £4 could help engage young Philippinos with the Bible

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Looking Forward in Hope

This month a gift of £4 could change a life in Zambia12

Pull-out and keep prayer guide: August 2013Prayer at Work

Bible-A-Month Calendar (Aug): ZAMBIAProject Intro:The ‘Good Samaritan Programme’ is working with churches in Zambia tocombine prayer and action, teachingHIV and AIDS awareness and helpingthe infected and affected deal with thispandemic. The Bible Society of Zambiais making the ‘Good Samaritan’material available in three locallanguages.

Please pray that as churches in Zambia use this material they will gainunderstanding of HIV and AIDS and how they can relate God’s Word tothose who are living with it. Pray that the stigma attached to this diseasewould be lifted and society would be compassionate and understanding.

Pray for the many people who will attend the ‘Good Samaritan’ groups.Ask that God would reveal His care and love for them through His Word.

Thank God for the youth programmes in place to teach the young peoplefrom the Bible and to help guide them through life as they deal with HIVand AIDS, crime and peer pressure. Pray that as the young peoplereceive Scriptures they would understand the life that God offers them.

Bible-A-Month Calendar (Aug): ZAMBIABible-A-Month Calendar (Aug): ZAMBIABible-A-Month Calendar (Aug): ZAMBIA

Tunisia: Pray for Bible translationinto the Tunisian Arabic dialect, soGod's Word will soon be availablein the heart language ofTunisians. Give thanks forpartnership with Bible Society ofEgypt who will attend the annualTunis International Book Fair.Thank God for this and pray thatthe book fair authorities wouldcontinue to openly and formallyhost Christian publishers.

Morocco: Thank God for peaceand stability and for thethousands of people who areshowing an interest in reading andhearing the Bible. Pray for theteam and the ongoing Moroccantranslation of the Old Testament.Ask that Moroccans, home andabroad, will have access to thenewly-published Moroccan NewTestament and that they willinteract with the Word of God.

Algeria: Pray for Ali as he leadsthe work here and supplies Biblesto churches and house groups inthis volatile country. Pray aboutlegal restrictions on churches andimporting Scriptures. Rememberthose who seek Bibles as a resultof Christian TV and radioprogrammes, and the work toensure that the Berber peoplehave access to a full Bible.

Libya: Give thanks for many yearsof Bible Societies’ distributionprojects through local churchpartners in this unstable country.Churches are facing a newsituation as many EgyptianChristians are being deportedfrom Libya or jailed, accused ofproselytism or distributing Bibles.Please pray for greater humanrights, where Christians can taketheir place more publicly.

Bible Lands Team: Give thanksfor Labib who co-ordinates thework of three distinct BibleSocieties, enabling a moreeffective witness. Pray for Dina,Nashat and Victor who lead theSocieties, for safety andencouraging responses of thosethey encounter. Pray for thetranslation, recording andbroadcasting of a joint Arabic-Hebrew devotional book and theScripture Art project.Israel: Please pray for Israel, forthe continued grace and fundingfor the audio recordings of theentire Hebrew Bible, which arenow about 90% complete. Ask forhelp in the following proofing andediting stages. Ask for God’sblessing in distribution at youthfestivals, and for wisdom inworking with refugees andmigrant workers.Palestinian Territories: PraiseGod for provision, peace andguidance. Ask that Nashat and his team will bring hope andencouragement to distressedpeople. Pray for safety for teams in East Jerusalem, West Bank andGaza, for wisdom, effectivenessand eternal impact. Ask foropportunities through the twobookshops in Jerusalem and foroutreach among neighbouringvillages.Arab-Israeli Bible Society: Givethanks for Dina and her workover the past 4 years empoweringWomen in Ministry. Pray forpromotion of their MarriagePreparation Material and OnlineCatalogue. Ask for guidance inreaching youth and supportingyouth leaders. May the Bible

Centre in central Nazareth remaina haven for churches and amagnet for Seekers.

Egypt: Pray for ministry in thisturbulent political, social andeconomic situation. Give thanksfor powerful ministry in Cairo andmany Bible shops along the NileValley. Pray for more permanentBible Society outlets. Ask for theLord’s help in equipping Churchesand making God’s Word availableto all. Pray too for opportunitiesin neighbouring Arab countries.Lebanon: Pray for stability in thisvolatile land, effective BibleSociety presence at Church eventsand relief work among thousandsof Syrian refugees. Pray forchildren attending Bible Worldand young people visiting theinteractive Books for Life. Pray forprogress on the Peace and JusticeBible and the Western ArmenianStudy Bible. Ask for protection forstaff, often crossing borders todistribute Scripture.Iraq: Pray for Nabil who leads thework based in both Baghdad andErbil, the capital of Kurdistan.Pray for the continued safety ofstaff and for their distributionprojects. Give thanks for thesteady transformation ofKurdistan and pray that the wholecountry, after all these years,would finally enjoy peace.Gulf States: Pray for Hrayr co-ordinating ministry in sevenGulf States. Ask for help intranslating the ‘Hope’ bookletinto15 languages. Pray for story-telling seminars running inKuwait, UAE and Bahrain, to equipChurch leaders. Many of the hugemigrant population are illiterate,so audio Scripture is crucial. Pray

for literacy programmes in Kuwaitand renovation of the BahrainBible Centre.

Afghanistan: This is a countrywhere Islamic leaders do nottolerate any prospect of Christianexpression and the Church canonly exist underground. Pray thatcopies of the Pasto NewTestament and the Online DariBible will reach those who seek tofollow Christ, and that God willtake care of His people.Jordan: Give thanks that Muntherand his team are helping provideaid to Syrian refugees, Scripturefor migrant workers from Asia,and Biblical materials forUniversity students. Ask for helpin settling in new premises and forwisdom, vision and unity amongthe new Board. In this morerelaxed Muslim country, pray foropportunities for the spread of theGospel.Syria: Thank God for safety duringthese years of violence and forcontinued ministry through thetwo bookshops and Biblewarehouse. Ask for a miraculousintervention in the violence. Prayfor wisdom for Church leaders andthat the Church will be a strongwitness to traumatised families.Ask God to bring comfort throughHis Word.Iran: Despite the dangers, tens ofthousands of Bibles continue to bedistributed each year. Give thanksthat the Church continues tothrive underground, and that Godis enabling His people todistribute Bibles throughsometimes unconventionalmeans. Pray that each recipientwill experience joy at receivingGod’s Word so that they may studyit for themselves.

August 18 - 24

August 11 - 17August 4 - 10

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August 25 - 31

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A Significant TargetThere are about 7,000 languages in the world and while over 2,500 of these have some part of the Bibletranslated, less than 500 languages have the full Bible. Behind these figures are many people groups, rangingfrom a few thousand speakers to many millions, all desiring to have a Bible in their language so that they canunderstand it.

A further complication is that hundreds of millions of people are also waiting for new translations or revisions sothey don’t have to struggle to understand translations that are decades, even centuries, old.

The Bible Societies are currently working on 100 full Bible translations which are close to completion andthere is a push to see these finished within the next 1,000 days. This is just a part of a huge global translationprogramme that has a further 350 Bible translation projects at various stages.

Through the generosity of our supporters and supporters around the world, Bible Societies are investing nearly £5million in funding for translation work in 2013. These 100 Bible translations have the potential to reach over 500million people and BSNI is playing its part in this vital task by supporting translation work in 14 of thesecountries this year.

This work offers many opportunities for prayer and if you or a group in your church would like to pray specificallyfor some aspect of translation, or for those engaged in a translation project in a particular country, do please get intouch with us and we will provide you with some background material.

Bible translation - still a long way to go













































































Bible translation - still a long way to goLooking Forward in Hope

Since the beginning of theyear BSNI has provided 8,800 copies of the bookof Acts and the Gospel of John to the AmazingJourney Storytelling project. Each booklet is part ofa ‘Take Home’ pack that is given to each child at theend of their Storytelling session. The children can gohome and describe the Bible stories that they haveheard presented by Volunteer actors, straight fromScripture. They also take home that sample ofScripture for their family and an invitation for themto request a full free New Testament, also suppliedby BSNI.

Rachel Brown, the project co-ordinator, has updatedus on her recent experiences in taking the ‘Amazing Journey’ into schools. It is marvellous that Primary Schools still give a warm welcome to this Bible initiative and that,after over 12 years, Baptist churches are still sustaining the project through the commitment of Volunteers.The three presentations that are offered cover ‘From Creation to Christ’, ‘The Ministry of Jesus’ and ‘The‘Ministry of Paul’. For many children this offers curriculum-based teaching and a glimpse of the fascinatingstories contained in the Bible that they would otherwise not experience.

Scripture for Local Primary Schools

The Amazing Journey project visited a CountyAntrim school in 2001.

How are those children getting on today?

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Presenting MinistryWe’ve always strived to bring you relevant, up-to-dateinformation that will inspire you in your own reading of theBible and encourage you to get involved with our mission.Nothing has changed in 2013...

This is our second Word at Work magazine of the year, and soonwe’ll be putting together our autumn edition. We hope youenjoy this publication giving you lots of stories, updates, prayertopics and ways to get involved with our work.

We send letters to supporters highlighting specific projects thatwe are funding. You may have come across our ‘Malawi: Kidsmeet Christ’ leaflet earlier in the year asking people to helpprovide much needed children’s Bibles to the Church in Malawi.Keep an eye out for our next one encouraging people to giveSchool Bags and Scriptures to kids in Suriname (South America).

This Christmas we will be running our Greatest Gift alternativeChristmas Gift Catalogue. Getting to choose from a selection ofprojects, is a brilliant way to give a gift on behalf of a loved one– a gift that could change a life forever.

The time we put into our Prayer Circle and BSNI INSIGHT ezines is well worth it when we know that there are so many ofyou receiving these and continually praying for the work – and so we’ll keep sending these out every fortnight and everymonth! Already this year you’ve been praying for Scripture engagement in the West Balkans, young people in France,staff in Togo and Bible Society ministry in Uruguay...and much more!

Our Bible-a-Month Calendar is proving popular again during 2013. It’s great to know that this year people from NorthernIreland will be placing Scripture in places like Bolivia, Lesotho, Peru, Kyrgyzstan, Senegal and Zambia.

The website continues to grow. Visit www.bsni.co.uk to download Bible Sunday resources, search through the Bible innearly 250 languages, read about our 38 projects that we’re supporting this year, and get loads of information about ourwork at home and abroad.

We continue to connect with people all over the world through Facebook. We are reaching up to 3000 people with ourposts and already in 2013 we have shared good news stories, posted links to websites, videos and other national BibleSocieties, encouraged people with Scriptures and Pictures and challenged people through our ‘Learn to Live’ Lent series.‘Like’ us on Facebook to stay connected.

If you want to know more about any of these items or if you have any feedback you would like to share with us thenplease do get in contact with us at [email protected], and we will continue to bring you information to inspire and challenge.

Last November BSNI published a simple Bible Reading Plan totake people through 2013 with a suggested Bible reading foreach day. It was designed for churches to encourage theirmembers to take up the habit of a Daily Bible reading as manypeople admit that it is a discipline that they have lost. Around45 churches shared the 5,000 copies that were printed and itwas well received. It is hoped that many people took up theinvitation to start the New Year by reading Genesis 18.16-23.The Society plans to double the print run for 2014 and ishoping that many more churches will take up the use of thisfree resource.

Looking ahead to2014.....and YOU are helping this to happen

through your gifts!

Millions of children in Malawi don’t know that they can come to Jesus.

A Profile ofour MalawiCampaign

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Connecting children in Malawi with the Bible....How does it work??Last August we became aware of plans by the Bible Society of Malawi to print Children’s Scriptures in theChichewa language for distribution to 25,000 children throughout the country during 2013. This resulted frompressure from Church leaders who were acutely aware of the need for material that would help ‘...lead thechildren to Christ’. The cost of this printing and distribution project was some £50,000 and BS Malawi assessedthe project as being the second most important project for them this year and quitebeyond their means to pay for the cost. This is what happened:

Alongside some help from the Scottish Bible Society, BSNI made an initial commitmentto help meet 50% of the cost on 5 September 2012. We hope to add to this.

BSNI funds were put at the disposal of the staff in Malawi in January 2013.

BS Malawi began work to translate The Great Bible Stories into the Chichewa languageand began discussion with Scandinavia Publishing for the material to be printed.

BSNI began to prepare a leaflet to help raise funds for the project and this wasprinted and mailed to supporters as an Easter campaign on 14 March. Gifts fromindividuals started arriving at Bible House on 19 March.

Simultaneously, churches were invited to support the project and identify possiblehelp within their Mission funds.

Meanwhile, in Malawi, the staff have begun the distribution work across thecountry and this will continue into next year with our support. Children are nowreceiving Children’s Bibles and other Scripture material in the language that theyspeak – Chichewa. This is a blessing not only to them but to their wider familycircle who will share in the reading of the Bible stories.

PLEASE PRAY:That the distribution will go smoothly and that this new material will help theChurches to teach the Gospel to their children effectively.That the excitement of having a Children’s Bible in a home will bring peopleof all ages to Jesus.

The leaflet prepared by BSNI toattract support for Children’sScripture

The leaflet prepared by BSNI to



















































If you haven’t yet supported this project, and are able to do so, please send your gift to us here at Bible House

.....and YOU are helping this to happenthrough your gifts!

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International NewsIt was encouraging (and challenging) to hear news of how Bible Society ministry is progressing across the EuropeMiddle East Area. Over 40 General Secretaries came together recently for three days and there were some startlingrevelations:

In Russia, the Bible Society’s General Secretary Anatoly Rudenko (pictured)has successfully challenged government obstruction of their work inpublishing and exporting Russian Scripture to neighbouring Bible Societies.

In The Gulf, the seven countries served by the Bible Society have anunprecedented proportion of migrants within their populations. The BibleSociety’s Hrayr Jebejian and his team have established a string of BibleCentres across the region and they are distributing audio Scriptures in avariety of languages to help meet the spiritual needs of those who have comefrom Asia to find work, but who are illiterate.

Pavel Novak of the Czech Republic described how their ministry has grown,how their finances have remained in the black over the past seven years and

howtheyhave repaid the United Bible Societies loansunderpinning their development.

Tamar Karasu from Turkey described howshe and her team are serving a Christianminority amid a Muslim majority of 75million unreached people.

The Norwegian Bible Society, through Ingeborg Mongstad-Kvammen, have a successful partnership with theBible Societies in Sweden, Finland and Denmark along with Government funding, tosupport a number of HIV/AIDS projects in Africa.

Mike Bassous from Lebanon described the rush to print 60,000Good News Arabic Bibles and 200,000 similar New Testamentsfor local distribution at Youth rallies.

Altin Hysi from Albania described how he was encouraging thepeople of his country to appreciate their Bible heritage. One of hisactivities had been to produce facsimile copies of Albanian Gospelmanuscripts dating back to the 6th century which had been hiddenduring the years of repression in the country.

One General Secretary described how two colleagues had beenkidnapped, held for up to 14 days in a Bedouin tent and thendramatically released, unharmed, after much prayer by the entireBible Society Fellowship.


Tamar Karasushe and her team are serving a Christianminority amid a Muslim majority of 75million unreached people.


Tamar Karasushe and her team are serving a Christianminority amid a Muslim majority of 75million unreached people.

Bengali migrant workerin the Gulf

Ingeborg Mongstad-Kvammen

Norwegian Bible Society

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An Interesting VisitorPray for Ramez and Rebecca Atallah as they come to speak at the Bangor Worldwideevent on Saturday 24th August in the evening and at the Monday afternoon seminar.Ramez is the General Secretary of the Bible Society in Egypt and his wife is involved in mission topeople with disabilities in Cairo city. We are excited to hear more about the incredible ministry thatthey are involved in. Make sure you don’t miss this opportunity to be blessed – God is at work inamazing ways in this very difficult environment.

The Bible Society in Egypt takes every opportunity to make God’s Word known – from bookshops tobillboards. Advertising in the newspapers, TV, and billboards makes news of Scripture productsknown to those who would never visit Bible Society bookstores or go to church. The latest advertisingon motorway billboards tells travellers that 'The Word is near to you'. Amidst the intensifyingsuspicions, accusations, and confusing complexity of a fragmented political scene, a deterioratingeconomy and social unrest, the Word of God becomes so much more precious.

Archbishop Yeznik Petrosyan fromArmenia told about how theirBible Society is perceived as aforum for dialogue among thechurches. Their teaching in schoolsfor children up to 11 years old hascontinued but is now set to beextended to teenagers. In a specialproject, they had managed todistribute 10,000 Bibles tosoldiers.

Despite the complete breakdownof normal life in Syria, last yearstaff managed to distribute770,000 Scripture items including116,000 Bibles and about 60,000Persian Scriptures. Ultra sensitivework is also going on in Iran.

All of these encouragements and more are evidence of God’s working through the Bible Societies, not just in theEurope/Middle East Area but throughout His world. It is a privilege to be part of such an endeavour.

ArmeniaBible Society is perceived as aforum for dialogue among thechurches. Their teaching in schoolsfor children up to 11 years old hascontinued but is now set to beextended to teenagers. In a specialproject, they had managed todistribute 10,000 Bibles tosoldiers.

Despite the complete breakdownof normal life in staff managed to distribute770,000 Scripture items including116,000 Bibles and about 60,000Persian Scriptures. Ultra sensitivework is also going on in

All of these encouragements and more are evidence of God’s working through the Bible Societies, not just in the

ArmeniaBible Society is perceived as aBible Society is perceived as aforum for dialogue among thechurches. Their teaching in schoolsfor children up to 11 years old has

ArmeniaBible Society is perceived as aforum for dialogue among thechurches. Their teaching in schoolsfor children up to 11 years old hascontinued but is now set to beextended to teenagers. In a specialproject, they had managed todistribute 10,000 Bibles tosoldiers.

Despite the complete breakdownof normal life in staff managed to distribute770,000 Scripture items including770,000 Scripture items including116,000 Bibles and about 60,000Persian Scriptures. Ultra sensitivework is also going on in

All of these encouragements and more are evidence of God’s working through the Bible Societies, not just in theAll of these encouragements and more are evidence of God’s working through the Bible Societies, not just in the

As a Mission agency, BSNI understands well that littlecan be accomplished in isolation. God blesses us inmany ways, and one of them is the range ofpartnerships that we enjoy.

At home, as a group of five Specialist ServiceAgencies along with the National Bible Society ofIreland based in Dublin, Feba Radio, Sat-7 andWycliffe Bible Translators, we have begun to developjoint promotional initiatives with the PresbyterianChurch.

BSNI is part of a larger all-Ireland group of aroundfifteen Agencies who meet as the Association ofMissionary Societies, and encourage awareness ofMission within the Church of Ireland.

For several years,we have alsobeen an activemember of theMissionAgencies

Partnership and served onits Executive. MAP brings together around

45 Mission Agencies in the province and itsprogramme of events supports churches withmissionaries serving abroad, those who are seekingto get more involved in Mission or who have aparticular interest, eg Outreach to Muslims livinghere.

Beyond Northern Ireland, BSNI encouragescollaboration among the other ‘Home’ Bible Societiesin Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh and Swindon - creatingpossibilities for joint publications and the sharing ofideas. For example, our experience in Ireland injointly running the Handwritten BibleBi-Centenary project in 2006-7 was anencouragement to the Societies in England andScotland to undertake their own digital handwrittenproject in 2011.

It is, however, within the United Bible Societies thatBSNI finds its most intense partnerships. Together,

the 146 nationalBible Societiesdevelop globalstrategies to meetthe ever growingthirst for Scripture.The excellentworkingrelationships make itpossible to placeScripture almost

anywhere on the planet, and to create first Bibletranslations where they do not currently exist.

BSNI and our Partners

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UBS in turn partners with other internationalorganisations that bring complementary resources tothe work. Agreements have been in place for someyears with SIL (Wycliffe International) to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the task of Bibletranslation, and with Faith Comes By Hearing toprovide digital Scripture players. These enable BibleSocieties to set up Listening Groups in areas of lowliteracy so that people of all ages can hear the Bibleread to them in their own language and study itsmessage, even though they are unable to read it forthemselves.

More recently, the Bible Societies have partnered inthe setting up of the world’s largest digital Biblelibrary called YouVersion. This digital platform nowcomprises over 200 Bible translations for freedownload to a wide range of digital devices – homecomputers, Smart phones, tablets and so on. Usingmodern technology ensures that every possiblemedium is being utilised to create appropriate accessto the Bible for each culture – in print, in audio, invideo, in Braille and digital.

Bible Societiesdevelop globalstrategies to meetthe ever growingthirst for Scripture.The excellentworkingrelationships make itpossible to placeScripture almost

Bible Societiesdevelop globalstrategies to meet

Bible Societiesdevelop globalstrategies to meetthe ever growingthirst for Scripture.The excellentworkingrelationships make itpossible to placeScripture almostScripture almost

For several years,we have alsobeen an activemember of theMissionAgencies

Partnershipits Executive. MAP brings together around

Agencies

For several years,For several years,we have alsowe have alsobeen an activebeen an activemember of themember of theMissionMissionAgenciesAgencies

Partnershipits Executive. MAP brings together around

It is vital that Bible ministry embraces everyone,irrespective of their language, their abilities or theireconomic circumstances. We can only achieve thatunder God’s blessing and by working with our partners.

Elhomwe Bible TranslationTeam, Malawi

Turning it for His Glory...How God works in difficult times

Turkey is in the press a lot at the moment. Conflict,poverty, devastation... this is not an easy place to liveat times, never mind witness for Christ! There are156,000 Orthodox Christians and maybe 7,000Evangelical Christians... the rest of the 75.7 millionpeople are Muslim. Yet God is giving the Bible Societysome wonderful opportunities and the faithfulness ofGeneral Secretary, Tamar Karasu is incredible! On 22March, the Bible Society in Turkey had a wonderfulencouragement when they had their youngest visitorsever. They were blessed when a Kindergarten classcame to visit. As well as enjoying some cake and juice,the children enjoyed a good discussion about Easter,asked some questions about the Bible, and prayedwith Bible Society staff. They also received someScripture gifts from the Bible Society. May God blessthese children and help the Bible Society as it reachesout to people of all ages and walks of life.

Kindergarten children outside the shop of the Bible Society inIstanbul. General Secretary, Tamar Karasu can be seen

on the far left.

General Secretary,HenryAkapo knows the

importance of prayer

Turning it for His Glory...How God works in difficult times

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Kindergarten children outside the shop of the Bible Society inKindergarten children outside the shop of the Bible Society inKindergarten children outside the shop of the Bible Society inKindergarten children outside the shop of the Bible Society inKindergarten children outside the shop of the Bible Society inKindergarten children outside the shop of the Bible Society inKindergarten children outside the shop of the Bible Society in

Telling Tiny Turks...

We often mention the incredible opportunities inChina and the ability to legally print millions of Biblesin the Amity Printing Press. This is a real testimony toGod’s grace and goodness and answers to prayer. 30years ago it was illegal to print a Bible... now millionsare being printed each year. Still there is great unmetneed in China. Many years of hard work and prayerhave gone into Bible Society ministry in China.Currently Bible Society funds for Bible Printing Paperare not meeting the needs. Bible Societies around theworld fund the purchasing of bales of printing paper.The government gives a quota each year – this hassteadily grown, praise God! However, there arecurrently not enough funds to fulfil the existingallowed quota, which could result in the governmentreducing the allowance for next year. Pray for amiraculous provision.

A Miraculous Situation...NeedsMiraculous Provision

There is often a lot more to a story than we ever hear.There is a team working in The Gambia on thetranslation of the Bible into the Jola language. Theirlove for the Lord and His Word is sustaining themthrough family rejection, opposition and spiritualattack. Recently General Secretary Henry Akaporequested special prayer. Last year, during the FaithComes By Hearing (audio Bible) recording most of thereaders returned the Script after pressure from familymembers saying they should not be part of theprogramme. Light and power stopped duringrecording, laptop cables kept blowing off and thetechnician could not find any fault causing it. At thebeginning of this year, thieves broke into the officeand stole the laptops. Now youths are throwingstones at the building. The Jola people are known for

their mystical powers andworship of animals. Thetranslators have been comingunder clear spiritual attack,yet they have said they willcontinue with the OldTestament at all cost. Praythat God will lead, guideand protect them as theywork in the Foni Region ofThe Gambia.



worship of animals. translators have been comingunder clear spiritual attack,yet they have said they willcontinue with the OldTestament at all cost. Praythat God will lead, guideand protect them as theywork in the Foni Region ofThe Gambia.



worship of animals. translators have been comingunder clear spiritual attack,yet they have said they willcontinue with the Oldcontinue with the OldTestament at all cost. Praythat God will lead, guideand protect them as theyand protect them as theywork in the Foni Region ofThe Gambia.

God Prevails, Faith Remains

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27 Howard Street, Belfast,BT1 6NBTelephone: 028 9032 6577e-mail: [email protected]: www.bsni.co.uk

Published in January, May andSeptember.Design: Tracey AllenCirculation: 13,000N.I.Reg. Charity No. XN46187

These speech bubbles are a few responses from280 kids who shared what the Bible has taught them.

Kids Excited about the Bible!In March BSNI visited Soul Mates, an event for 9-13 year oldsrun by the Irish Methodist Youth and Children’s Department.The enthusiasm the kids had for God’s Word was infectious andit was great to see a hall full of children stand and declare thatthe Bible is important and that sharing it with others across theworld is vital. The Bible is impacting children here inNorthern Ireland, teaching them about life in Christ andinspiring them to speak out about their faith.

God tells us that children are important and we believe thatwith their strong passion for the words of God they can havean impact not just when they get older but right now!

A prayer of commissioning was said over the kids using 1Timothy 4:12 - ‘Do not let anyone treat you as if you areunimportant because you are young. Instead, be an example tothe believers with your words, your actions, your love, yourfaith, and your pure life.’ (NCV)

Documents

Word at Work Summer 2013