Australia

Bibles in Schools

Overview

Bible Society Australia (BSA) seeks to serve and equip volunteer teachers and instructors participating in Special Religious Education (SRE) and Christian Religious Instruction (CRI) by providing them with a Scripture Grant for Bibles in Schools.

The Need

Many students in public schools are not familiar with the Bible; for many of the 2.6 million public school students across Australia, God’s Story found in the Bible is, amazingly, a new story. For some of them, no one has ever shown them how the Bible is relevant to them and the world they live in.

However, in some public schools, religious education classes can be conducted by volunteers from various churches.

Bible Society Australia is committed to helping these teams of dedicated volunteers bring the message of the Bible to the children of Australia by providing them free class sets of Bibles. The Bibles in Schools grant enables Scripture Teachers to give their students the privilege of holding, navigating, and reading a Bible within their classes in public schools.

2.6m public school students in Australia.

<45% <32% of Australians own a Bible. of Generation Y own a Bible.

Goals

The goal of this project is to help SRE teachers and CRI instructors to Open The Bible with their students, helping them to discover and engage with God’s word. This grant aims to resource Scripture teachers with God’s word.

In 2023, Bible Society Australia will again supply Class Sets of the CEV Big Rescue Bible (for Primary schools) or the CEV Youth Bibles (for

High Schools). These class sets can be for any number of students and are kept by volunteer teachers and instructors for many years, to Open The Bible with students during class. This project will also supply Borrow Bibles – The Jesus Storybook Bible (suitable for K-3 classes). Borrow Bibles come as a set of three per class for weekly borrowing. Equipped with protective plastic pouches for longevity, and stickers to help prompt returns, they are designed so that as many class members as possible can have a turn borrowing them. These Bibles also stay with the teacher for many years of Bible borrowing, for K-3 students to read by themselves or with their family at home (not sent home as gifts).

Testimonies

The impact of these grants has been seen in the way it resources and encourages the Scripture Teachers who partake in the program. Furthermore, the stories and testimonies from the teachers reveal the impact of having Bibles available in their classes.

In the 2021-2022 financial year, 4,408 ‘Borrow Bibles’ were requested through the Scripture Grant.

2,854 CEV Big Rescue Bibles were requested for classroom sets and 727 CEV Youth Bibles were requested for classroom sets.

Impact Prayer Needs

“Students were able to use the Bibles to read the Word of God for themselves. I emphasised this in classes, that reading a Bible is hearing from God. Many people can say or write different things about God online, but we have to ability to read his word for ourselves and discover who Jesus really is... This grant program is so helpful to give practical experience of using a Bible in class time. It’s great!”

- High School SRE teacher Carly, 2022

“My SRE K/1 and Yr 3 classes were very happy to have their first use of our Borrow Bibles. ... Thanks to all those who have made it possible for the children to have this resource. The first 6 children are very excited.” - Wendy, 2022

• Thank God for the families that have opted to participate in Special Religious Education and Christian Religious Instruction this year. Pray that God’s word falls like seeds in good soil.

• Pray for continued opportunities to Open the Bible with Australian school students.

• Pray that children will be introduced to the Bible through Scripture classes, and guided by their teachers, will feel confident to turn to God’s word throughout their lives as their light and guide.

Indigenous Audio Bibles

Overview

Bible Society Australia is working to produce audio Scriptures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, which provide the gospel in a format communities can readily access.

The Need

A printed Bible, even translated into a heart language, is at times not sufficient for people to Open The Bible for themselves. Some people are unable to fully engage with the printed text of their Scriptures due to poor eye health, low literacy skills, or other reasons.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are oral cultures; important information is conveyed through story telling rather than the written word. This means that Indigenous communities readily engage with audio content in a way non-Indigenous cultures do not often appreciate or understand.

Indigenous Australian languages with Scripture translated that don’t yet have audio recordings available.

Goals

Bible Society’s goal is to ensure all the Indigenous languages which have been translated also have audio Scripture recorded, so that the Bible is accessible to as many people as possible. Also, the audio recordings serve as a literacy tool, developing skills as people listen to the Bible.

In 2023, BSA will be coordinating several Bible Audio Projects including a multi-voice recording of the PEV (Plain English Version) Bible. This translation is specifically designed for Aboriginal audiences in

Impact

which English is not a first language. Plans are underway to expand Bible Society’s involvement in Oral Bible Translation (OBT) projects. Currently, BSA assists with Translation Consultancy for Oral Bible Translation in partnership with YWAM’s Every Tongue Ministry in the language of Kimberley Kriol. Work commenced on several Northern Territory languages in 2022: the Rembarrnga and Gurindji. There are also plans to hold an OBT workshop for the Ndjebbana language of

In 2022, Bible Society was involved in Oral Bible Translation work, a new approach to Bible translation. Four traditional language groups (with 833 speakers) in the Kimberley expressed interest in an Oral Bible Translation Project.

Approximately 5,000 people in the Kimberley region of Western Australia speak Kimberley Kriol, all who will have the chance to hear God’s word in their heart language.

The Western Arrarnta New Testament Audio Recording will reach approximately 1,000 people in and around Hermannsburg (Ntaria) in the Northern Territory.

The Kriol Audio Recording will reach approximately 30,000 people from Western Australia, across the top of the Northern Territory and into Queensland. Also in 2022, the Rembarrnga and Gurindji language groups commenced Oral Bible Translation, and initial drafts of Bible stories have already been recorded.

Prayer Needs

Maningrida in the Northern Territory. Once the Scripture recordings are completed, a mobile App is developed which unites the readings (the spoken word) with the printed text. As the audio is played, the words are highlighted in the text, forming an effective literacy tool. These apps are made available for free download from the Google Apps store and www.aboriginalbibles.com.

Testimonies

“There’s been lots of interest recently in audio recordings of existing translations, as the entire community of a language can listen to a recording of the Bible, but not everyone can read a printed version... Oral Bible translation...makes translation not only accessible as a process to those who can’t or prefer not to read and write in their language. But even more than that, the result is already an audio recording, making it easy to distribute to a group of people who are often far more ready to listen to God’s word than to read it.”

- Sam Freney, BSA Translation Consultant, 2022

“I came to the conclusion that the translation was in fact more than adequate, and I realised that the material had been rearranged deliberately to fit into the Kriol discourse structure, and what I was hearing was a genuine translation in which the source text had been dismantled and reworked in the form of the receptor language. I don’t think I have seen this process done as clearly before.” - Dr Carl Gross, Bible Society Translation Consultant, who in 2022 attended an Oral Bible Translation workshop in Kununurra, working closely with a team of Kimberley Kriol translators.

• Pray that these audio recordings of Scripture will bless many generations across Australia.

• Thank God that many people who are unable to read can embrace the Gospel and know God’s love through the spoken word.

• Pray for more opportunities to record Scripture in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.

• Pray for capable readers to offer their time and abilities to serve God and his people.

Scriptures for the ADF

Overview

Bible Society Australia (BSA) seeks to serve and equip chaplains who are working with the Australian Defence Forces, ministering to Australians serving with the armed forces, by providing Bibles and Scripture Resources through a Scripture Grant.

The Need

There is sustained demand for specialty Scriptures in the ADF, as men and women take up the opportunity to search the truths of the Bible, encouraged by their “padres”. Bible Society has provided specialised ADF badged Bibles for members of the armed forces for over 100 years.

>581k >60k people have served in the ADF. 2.8% of the Australian population aged 15 years and over (as per 2021 census). people were currently serving in Regular service (as of 2021).

>100 years, Bible Society has provided special ADF Bibles.

Impact Goals

The goal of this project is to Open The Bible to people serving in the ADF. By resourcing ADF chaplains with Scriptures and Gospel materials, they can engage people with God’s word. This grant shares the transformative hope of the Gospel, equipping Gospel workers with both God’s word and the ability to encourage and disciple those they work with.

In 2023, the goal of this project is to continue responding to the needs of the ADF chaplains and approved ministry support partners as they work with the personnel in the Australian armed forces.

Testimonies

“Thank you for your contributions towards supporting Army Chaplaincy, I have used the Bibles and resources on field exercises and overseas deployment. It has brought much encouragement to my soldiers and the wider Coalition Armed Forces during my time in Iraq.” - Ricky, a chaplain

“[The Tri-Service devotional] is a fruitful resource with potential to help ADF members explore or grow in faith for years to come.” - Darren, a chaplian, from a review in the Australian Army Chaplaincy Journal

“It’s just so encouraging to know there are donors of BSA who want to support us as we minister to the ADF.” - Julie, Military Christian Fellowship

“The Bibles are highly needed as the recruits are showing interest to have one for themselves and read in their own time. Thank you for the support and God Bless.” - Ivan, an army chaplain

The impact of this Scripture grant is ultimately seen in the changed lives of recipients.

In the 2021-2022 financial year, ADF Chaplains requested: 1,640 ADF CEV Bibles, 737 NLT Army waterproof New Testaments with Psalms and Proverbs, 320 NLT Navy waterproof New Testaments with Psalms and Proverbs and 240 NLT RAAF waterproof New Testaments with Psalms and Proverbs.

Prayer Needs

“During that week I had the joy of giving 90 Bibles to the attending cadets. There were discussions with various cadets about their Bibles during that week. During quiet times in the lecture theatre, many cadets would get their Bible out, reading them during those periods. Numerous cadets came to me at the end of the course and asked me to sign the inside of their Bible and I was able to write verses in the front for them to look at later. It’s such a privilege to distribute many Bibles to young people who are hungry for meaning and purpose in their lives. Thank you, Bible Society.” - David, an ADF chaplain

“Faith is one of the ADF engagement pillars in the Pacific and it is fantastic that we are able to access the ADF tri-service devotion publication for our members. Thank you to BSA and its partners, for upholding the faith of Christians in the ADF...” - An ADF Commander posted on a Pacific Island

• Pray for continued opportunities to Open The Bible with Australians in the Defence Forces, for chaplains to be encouraged and strengthened in their work, and for open hearts to hear God’s word.