Sower - Spring 2016 by Bible Society Australia

Send the word to our nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heart

SPRING 2016

Sower

Geoff Deutscher, left, with Superintendent Rob Critchlow from Castle Hill Police Station; right, some of the women who raised funds for Police Bibles.

Probing the evidence A senior detective at Castle Hill Police Station in Sydney had no answer when Police Chaplain Geoff Deutscher challenged him to investigate if Jesus really did walk on water. The question came up after Geoff gave Police Bibles to the officers at the station thanks to fundraising by two Bible study groups at Anglicare Retirement Villages in Castle Hill in Sydney’s northwest. “He said, ‘I think all religions

have good things about them and you can learn from all of them, and you don’t need to take that story literally, do you?’” Geoff says. When the chaplain said he thought Jesus actually did walk on water, the detective asked, “but didn’t the documents get changed?” Geoff saw his chance to throw down the gauntlet. “I said ‘You’re a detective, you rely on eyewitness accounts of events when you’re trying to solve

a case ... and as a good detective, that’s your assignment.’ ” Geoff then talked about the documentary evidence in the gospels, and how they were eyewitness accounts from a time when the people who had seen these things were still alive. “And I talked about how you don’t expect eyewitnesses to say exactly the same but the key events are the same. I said ‘If you were building up your case, you’ve got Jesus not only

“

Geoff said because the Bibles say inside it’s a gift from these ladies, no one would reject them!” walking on water, but also raising the dead, turning water into wine, making the blind see and the deaf hear, so you’ve got to conclude that he was either a great fraud or something really exceptional.’ ” This encounter thrilled Eleanor Holland, who inspired two groups of women to raise $600 to buy Bibles for the police at Castle Hill, through Bible Society’s grants to frontline ministry. “Geoff said because the Bibles say inside it’s a gift from these ladies, no one would reject them!” Eleanor says. “They’ve all been overwhelmed that a group would want to give them a Bible. And, of course, the ladies then get excited by the feedback from just that little bit of fundraising we did!” The police chaplain sees his role as being interested in the officers as people and says he has to earn their trust before they will open up. “Who knows what’s happening in someone’s life? In five years’ time they may open up the Bible and see my phone number and give me a ring,” he says.

Dear friends, Christianity is the one truly “translatable” faith. Not all religions believe that their sacred texts can be translated into other languages and still be considered just as special. But from before the time of Jesus until the present day, followers of the God of Israel and his Son have made it a priority to record divine truth in languages that people understand. And plenty of them! You will recall the wonderful story in Acts 2 when God-fearing Jews from many nations hear the disciples of Jesus “declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues” – a spontaneous translation event! This dynamic is at work through the New Testament, taking the good news about Jesus and overcoming cultural barriers such as language to ensure that everyone has a chance to hear and understand it. And it continues to this day. Bible Societies have always been at the frontline of this translation effort, and it is still our core task. In this Sower, we showcase some

of the difficult, long-term work that Indigenous people in Australia are doing to secure their own Scriptures. It is a privilege and honour to support their efforts. Please help us on our journey to make sure every Australian, whatever their language, has access to God’s word. We are also starting to make noise about our big birthday: 200 years of the Bible Society in Australia in 2017. Stay tuned to hear more about our plans to make this the year that the Bible (more than the Bible Society) is celebrated across this great southern land. Thank you as always for all of your prayers, giving and support!

Dr Greg Clarke, CEO Bible Society Australia

INDIGENOUS

People of the rock T

his is my work now, till the end of my life,” says Lily Neville. “It is the greatest pleasure for me, really.” She’s talking about translating the Bible into her native Adnyamathanha, the language of the Aboriginal people of the Northern Flinders Ranges in South Australia. “Adnya” means rock and “mathanha” means people. The Adnyamathanha people are “people of the rock”. A rock might be a way of describing Lily Neville, too. Her love for the Adnyamathanha language drives her days. She speaks a language that is classified by some Bible agencies as “nearly extinct”. There are no Scriptures published in the language and the younger generation is starting to lose it, as they are encouraged to speak only English. While Bible Society gives priority to translating languages likely to survive, we also respond when people such as the Adnyamathanha ask for the word of God in their own language.

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need the word “I really want to leave something for the younger people that’s coming up,” Lily says. Lily is working with Bible Society on a short book of Bible stories for children called God’s Story for the Outback. It’s a colouring book that features cameo Bible stories in language, designed for indigenous children, their parents and grandparents, who are encouraged to read with them. It’s also for use in Sunday School programmes in Indigenous communities. God’s Story has been published in eight Indigenous languages so far and has been distributed throughout remote communities. The book is now ready in Adnyamathanha, but Bible Society needs your support to have it published, along with other publications in the pipeline for the Djambarrapungu, Kunwinjku, Warlpiri and Anmatyerr people.

Kriol speakers have had their full Bible since 2007, but many are not literate. They are thrilled that audio recordings are being made to help them hear the word of God. Four books have been recorded this year but more support is needed to cover more recordings In Kriol as well as two other languages. Meanwhile, 30 elders of the Pitjantjatjara community are hard at work translating the Old Testament. They are excited and proud to think they will have a full Bible in their own language by 2024. There are more than 20 Indigenous projects on Bible Society’s to-do list this year. Lily’s work is the fulfilment of a dream she has had since childhood, when she and her family made a game of translating Adnyamathanha words into English. She would draw objects – a tent, a camp oven, fire – and write the English word and then the Adnyamathanha word phonetically beside it.

$30

can help us print God’s Story for the Outback in Adnyamathanha this year.

$80

can support 30 Indigenous translators to work on the Pitjantjatjara Old Testament.

Lily published a compilation of her picture dictionary as a way of revitalising and raising awareness of the Adnyamathanha language (see below). “It is of great importance to me to teach our beautiful Adnyamathanha,” she says. To help Bible Society produce Bible engagement resources in Adnyamathanha and other Indigenous languages, please call 1300 BIBLES (1300 242 537), use the donation form on the back page or visit biblesociety. org.au/sowerheart

$180

can help us record more of the Kriol Bible for those who cannot read.

Christian Spies

Devotion

Let us not go astray On Psalm 28

Save me from faux faith, bright as a button words, stern pronouncements and those oh so sickly tones of pious encouragement. Save me to trust not too much in this wilting heart these fumbling thoughts, intentions, and steps which stride oh so confidently astray. Save me from languishing on the shore of too fat contentment, self satisfied smug day when it all seems set within my domain. Save me for I have purchased a lie and yet I may believe it.

On Psalm 23

I am with you is not the same as You are with me. Equal is not the way through, for to be the sheep is to have the shepherd. Barry McGrath, Anglican minister

NICARAGUA

A child of hope and faith

Adriana Collado, age four, is finally healthy.

driana Collado first placed her faith in God at the age of just two, when she was being treated for leukaemia at La Mascota Children’s Cancer Hospital, in Managua, Nicaragua. Thanks to your support, Adriana and her mother Ana were among 7500 suffering Nicaraguan families who last year received free copies of the Bible while attending devotions organised by pastors and volunteers at La Mascota Hospital. “Ana would eagerly participate in the devotionals we organised, and as time passed, Jesus started forming a woman of hope and faith,” says Rebeca Alfaro, Project Officer for Hope and Smiles for Children with Cancer, Bible Society of Nicaragua. This project provides not only spiritual support but also help with nutrition and transport to and from La Mascota Hospital. After eight months of treatment, Adriana’s doctors allowed her to go home for a visit. (She is pictured below with her five-year-old brother, Josué.) After the family were reunited, Ana and Adriana visited their community’s parish church to give thanks to God for what he had done

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I have to keep fighting for my daughter; she is the treasure God gave me.”

in their lives. Sadly, after two years of treatment, Adriana relapsed, and the doctors believed it was unlikely she would heal. When the family returned to the hospital for palliative treatment and radiotherapy, Bible Society of Nicaragua stepped in, transporting Adriana and Ana to the Radiotherapy centre and praying for her healing. “I have faith that my daughter will move forward. God has great plans in her life,” Ana Collado said. “I have to keep fighting for my daughter; she is the treasure God gave me.” The verse Ana turned to during this testing time was Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declared the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” “Two years have passed since little Adriana relapsed and, after difficult processes, my little girl has moved forward. God healed her,” says Ana. “I thank God for using the ministries of Bible Society, the pastors and volunteers who accompanied us in the hospital. Your prayers and support have been important for us, teaching us how to trust in the Lord. “Now, the doctors call my little girl ‘Miracle’ because she is alive and clean of cancer by the grace of God! This experience is building my character and dependence on God.” Will you help provide Bibles to comfort patients at La Mascota Hospital in Nicaragua? Please call 1300 BIBLES (1300 242 537), use the donation form on the back page or visit biblesociety.org.au/sowernicaragua

Qbla answers the hard questions It’s natural for young people to ask big questions about life and faith as they go through the challenging teen years. “Why is life sometimes so tough?”, “How do I know God is real?”, “What should I read in the Bible and how?” Bible Society has embraced this curiosity as a positive and developed a brand-new tool to help 13 to 18-year-olds dig deeper into the Scriptures. It’s called Qbla (as in Question: Blah, Blah). Qbla is a free app for Apple devices that puts young people in touch with their peers via computers and smartphones. When someone asks a question, it goes to a question pool, where one of 27 young Christian “vloggers” around the world can choose to answer it in a short video or “vlog”. One of the first “vlogs” posted on the app is by youth worker Matt Crook, who works with the Schools Ministry Group in South Australia. “I talked about how do we know when God is real in our life,” he says. “I said that Paul, one of the first Christians, talks about how God is above all and in all and through all, so God is already here. So that perspective helps us know that God

is part of our life and that belief changes how we act and transforms every part of us,” he explains. This open and honest interaction

via digital devices is a setting that many young people find most helpful when connecting with Scripture. For many young Australians

Celebrating 200 years who identify as Christian, the Bible is seen as an old book, full of strange stories and hard-tounderstand language that has little relevance to their lives. Many young Christians acknowledge that the Bible is important, but they struggle to engage with it at any level. Invariably, they feel guilty about not reading it regularly – if ever. “While there are many resources where people can post questions about life and faith, this is the first where you can get a ‘vlog’ response from a young person telling a story in 90 seconds,” says Adrian Blenkinsop of Bible Society’s Children, Youth and Education team, which has developed Qbla in partnership with Youth for Christ International, with input from school chaplains. Qbla is just one of several ways Bible Society is working to help young people read the Bible. “We’re developing resources for young people who either can’t or don’t like to read, or who find it impossible to do a daily Bible reading plan,” says Adrian. He sees Qbla as the perfect resource for school chaplains or Scripture teachers to point students to, then follow up later.

Next year presents a wonderful opportunity to celebrate God’s word as Bible Society Australia marks a historic milestone. On 7 March it will be 200 years since Bible Society was founded in Sydney at the instigation of Governor Lachlan Macquarie. Bible Society is the oldest continuously operating organisation in Australia, beating the Bank of New South Wales (now Westpac) by one month. (Interestingly, some of the men on the inaugural Bible Society board were also on the founding board of the Bank of NSW!) So as Bible Society celebrates its bicentenary, it wants to make sure its donors are honoured for their part in translating, publishing and distributing the Bible. “We wouldn’t be 200 were it not for 200 years of support, sometimes from multiple generations of donors, to get us to the point we’re at in 2017,” says Bible Society’s Scott Walters, pictured above, who is coordinating the festivities.

In March, there will be an all-churches video simulcast involving as many as possible of the 3000 churches with which Bible Society has relationships. “We want to cover the country, so we want to make sure that whether you’re in Queensland or whether you’re in the southwest of Western Australia you have an opportunity to participate,” says Scott. “We want to make sure that we do something with churches, something with schools, something with our major donors, something to acknowledge all our supporters.” In July, 200 delegates from 100-plus Bible Societies around the world will visit Sydney for the annual Roundtable Exchange, during which we will take them to the Hillsong Conference to witness Australia’s largest annual Christian gathering. We will release video stories of 200 Australians sharing what the Bible means for them. And there will be various special publications, including a commemorative Bible. Look out for more details soon.

SOUTH AFRICA

s r e n o s i r p o l g e n i h h t c a e T

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Today, if you hear the voice of the Lord, you must not harden your heart.” Charles Sadiki

his is Charles Sadiki. He lives in Soweto, a sprawling township in Johannesburg, South Africa, famous for its role in the struggle against apartheid. Charles, or Charlie as he prefers, once lived a life of darkness. While serving ten years of a 16-year jail sentence for armed robbery, he lived in fear of the gangs that rule Johannesburg Prison’s Medium B facility. But on one seemingly normal morning, someone invited him to come and hear a preacher who was allowed entry to the prison, and he heard words that penetrated his soul and transformed his life. “He was preaching in the Book of Hebrews, and he said, ‘Today, if you hear the voice of the Lord, you must not harden your heart,’ ” Charlie recalls in wonder. “From there, he called an altar call, and I went up the front and was weeping and crying, ‘Why are all these things happening to me?’ I surrendered my life to the Lord Jesus Christ and became a Christian from that day.” Charlie was immediately on fire for Christ and wanted to learn as much as he could. So he signed up to do a discipleship course to learn more about God. The course is run by Mayfair Baptist Church in Johannesburg, with support from Bible Society, and aims to teach prisoners

s of God e v o the love of God and help with their rehabilitation. After completing the course by correspondence, Charlie received his first Bible: a gift from Bible Society. “My comfort was only like David, when he says, ‘I become comforted only through the word of God.’ ” On 10 December 2010, Charlie was released from prison. A free man, he chooses to go back inside the prison where he spent over ten years, to teach others the truths he holds to be so precious. “Presently, I am going there, to Johannesburg Prison, to teach the Bible courses,” he says. “What pushes me to go back in is like what God has done unto Moses, when he sent him back to his own people to save them in Egypt. I felt and developed a passion that the things that I got inside the prison … if I could only have one soul that can change and be like what I am today, then I can praise God for that.” Charlie spends almost half his week visiting three prisons around Johannesburg. “As they receive the Bibles from Bible Society, these guys are so growing in the knowledge of the Lord. I have seen that it’s working there behind the bars.”

Will you help prisoners in South Africa become disciples behind bars, or provide Bible-based resources to children in South African preschools? Please call 1300 BIBLES (1300 242 537), use the donation form on the back page or visit biblesociety.org.au/sowerafrica

Each year, Bible Society focuses on a particular country or region. In 2016, it’s South Africa: a nation struggling with the effects of inequality, more than two decades after the end of apartheid. Get The Word Out to South Africa has two Biblebased projects. As well as the life-changing programme that takes God’s Word into South African prisons, we are also helping children get a better head-start. Using Bible-based resources in seven languages, children aged four and five who might otherwise be left behind in their learning will gain basic literacy and numeracy skills in preparation for Grade 1. We’re also assisting Mayfair Baptist Church in its work in 12 schools and after-school care facilities to run Bible memory verse challenges for disadvantaged kids. There are all sorts of things you, or your church or small group could do to help. Bible Society has videos, posters and a booklet to help you fundraise. Download them for free at biblesociety.org.au/gtwo2016.

BSA Updates

Higher ground

A country milestone

Bible Society is again running a Mission Experience Trip to Cambodia from 19 November to 3 December, giving teens and young adults the chance to help with literacy programmes, run open-air kids programmes and distribute Bibles. This year, the group of 20 will spend less time in the capital, Phnom Penh, and more time in remote villages in the Cambodian mountains. A musician will join the team this year, to enable worship times as a team. The trip also includes a visit to the amazing Siem Reap. For more info, go to biblesociety.org.au/mission

This will be the 30th year that supporters in South Gippsland have raised money for Bible Society by walking a picturesque gravel path created from the old Great Southern Railway. On the last Saturday of every October, about 30 people from local churches walk an 8km section of the Rail Trail from Leongatha to tiny Koonwarra. “We have one stop where we have a drink and a bikkie, and some people come in wheelchairs to that first stop,” says Nola Reid, secretary of the Leongatha branch of Bible Society, who has been involved from the beginning.

BSA Diary – SPRING 2016 EVENTS

DATE

VENUES

Leaders breakfast 1 September Tailrace Centre, Waterfront Drive, Riverside, Hobart, Tas Masterclass 1 September Riverbank Christian Church, Riverbank Pl, Riverside, Hobart, Tas Public Lecture 1 September Riverbank Christian Church, Riverbank Pl, Riverside, Hobart, Tas Word in Song 10 September St John’s Anglican Church, Launceston, Tas Hike for Bibles Bibbulum Track 24-27 September Collie to Balingup, WA Leongatha Walk for Bibles 29 October Leongatha, Vic For details please call Bible Society on 1300 BIBLES (1300 242 537) or visit biblesociety.org.au/events

Masterclass lifts spirits High school students lapped up the inspirational and challenging talks about God and his word at Bible Society’s first two Masterclasses for 2016. Masterclass aims to equip Christian students in Years 10 and 11 with the tools and confidence to face everyday life in today’s society. The 275 students who attended in Brisbane heard Richard Shumack outline the similarities and differences between Christianity and the Islamic faith, offering a starting point for students facing an increasingly pluralistic society. “The vast majority of Muslims actually think that we’re the crazy ones!” he said. They also heard about the resurrection from Murray Smith while Simon Smart, of the Centre for Public Christianity (CPX), reassured the students that, despite the prevalent view of the contemporary world, they could be confident that Christianity was far from silly. In Victoria, the 250 students who attended Masterclass enjoyed all three diverse talks and felt they helped them be more confident in their faith. Many students were impressed by John Dickson’s (CPX) appraisal of the historical evidence for Jesus and enjoyed sexologist Patricia Weerakoon’s frank and witty discussion on sex and marriage. For the students, Guy Mason, lead pastor of City on a Hill in Melbourne, was not only inspiring but relatable. “Guy’s talk has already assisted me that now Clockwise from left: I can return to school and incorporate my faith,” wrote Guy Mason, Simon Smart, one student. John Dickson, Patricia Masterclasses are being held in every state and the Weerakoon, Richard Northern Territory during the rest of Term 3. Shumack and students from Grace Lutheran School. For details see biblesociety.org.au/events

Maurlce Harvey Maurice

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Andrea Rhodes

CHINA

Reaching for the

s Christianity grows in China, efforts are being stepped up to advocate for the Bible more broadly in Chinese society. The Chinese Biblical Leadership Initiative seeks to encourage Chinese partners and friends to speak up for Christianity and highlight its positive contribution to China so that the authorities and society at large would continue to welcome the growth of Christianity in China. “We hope to raise the profile of the Bible through a suitable platform in China, focusing on the contribution

which the Bible has made to Chinese community, in her culture, businesses, environment and society,” says Jock Foo, programme manager at the United Bible Societies China Partnership. This November the sixth Bible in China seminar will be held in Shanghai and there are hopes of attracting up to 80 presenters and audience – government officials, academics, church leaders and foreign Christians. Organised jointly by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and the Centre For Studies of Religion and

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Flickr/Danijel-James Wynyard

sky in Shanghai

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The need is greater now to help strengthen a positive presence of the church.”

Culture, with the support of UBS China Partnership and the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, it aims to demonstrate that Christianity can contribute positively

towards the people and the nation. The project also includes a half-day seminar for business people and professionals to help them live out their Christian faith in the workplace. “The need is greater now to help strengthen a positive presence of the church,” says Jock. “We have to work even harder … to demonstrate that Christianity has contributed and will continue positively towards the people and the nation.” Will you help advocate for the Bible in China?

Bible Reading Plan SEPT 4 – DEC 10

Right person? Right place? Right time?

You are what you worship

God is on the move

Week One

Week Three

Week Five

By Ben McEachen

SEPT 4 – SEPT 10 SUN 4 MON 5 TUE 6 WED 7 THUR 8 FRI 9 SAT 10

Exod 3:11-12 Exod 6:28-30 Exod 14:11-12 Exod 19:3-7 Esth 2:10-11 Esth 4:13-14 Esth 8:3-6

Week Two

SEPT 11 – SEPT 17 SUN 11 MON 12 TUE 13 WED 14 THUR 15 FRI 16 SAT 17

Esth 9:3-4 Jonah 1:1-3 Jonah 1:14-16 Jonah 2:9–3:3 Jonah 3:10–4:3 Eph 2:8-10 Matt 25:29

Often it seems that God has placed us right where he wants us, to do some particular job or task. But we are good at finding excuses. We don’t want to do it. Or we don’t believe we’re right for the job. But God has always tended to pick unlikely candidates to serve his purposes.

By Nathan Campbell

SEPT 18 – SEPT 24

SUN 18 MON 19 TUE 20 WED 21 THUR 22 FRI 23 SAT 24

Gen 1:26-28 Gen 2:7-9 Gen 3:5-6 Exod 20:1-7 Ps 115:1-8 Isa 44:13-19 Ezek 36:24-30

Week Four SEPT 25 – OCT 1

SUN 25 MON 26 TUE 27 WED 28 THUR 29 FRI 30 SAT 1

Matt 22:15-22 Matt 28:18-20 Acts 17:24-29 Col 1:15-22 Col 3:9-15 Rom 8:28-30 2 Cor 3:17–4:6

To be human is to worship, and to worship is to be transformed. In this series we’ll explore how being human is to be shaped into the image of the gods we worship in the world, and how our humanity and our worship are recaptured in Christ.

By Matt Prater

OCT 2 – OCT 8

SUN 2 MON 3 TUE 4 WED 5 THUR 6 FRI 7 SAT 8

Jer 29:11-14 2 Chron 29:15 Ps 51:10-12 Rev 2:4-5 Rom 8:11 Rom 8:1-2 Rom 12:1

Week Six

OCT 9 – OCT 15 SUN 9 MON 10 TUE 11 WED 12 THUR 13 FRI 14 SAT 15

Matt 5:14-16 Eph 6:12 Matt 10:38-39 1 Cor 3:16-17 Col 4:2-6 Luke 10:36-37 Ps 1:1-2

We need to be reminded that God is on the move in people’s lives all over the world, just as he was in biblical times.

You are in Christ

Dealing with conflict

A journey through James

The longest Psalm

By Mandy Curley

By Ben McEachen

By Matt Prater

By Tess Holgate

Week Seven

Week Nine

Week Eleven

Week Thirteen

OCT 16 – OCT 22

SUN 16 MON 17 TUE 18 WED 19 THUR 20 FRI 21 SAT 22

John 17:20-26 Eph 1:3-4 2 Cor 5:16-17 Rom 8:14-15 Rom 6:22-23 Gal 3:26-29 2 Cor 5:18-21

Week Eight OCT 23 – OCT 29

SUN 23 MON 24 TUE 25 WED 26 THUR 27 FRI 28 SAT 29

Rom 8:1-2 1 Cor 12:24b-27 Eph 1:7-10 1 Pet 2:9-12 Eph 1:4, 2 Tim 1:9 Col 1:13-14 Eph 2:1-5

The New Testament is full of statements about what it means to be “in Christ”. How do these statements feed into our understanding of who we are, and how that influences how we live in today’s world?

OCT 30 – NOV 5

SUN 30 MON 31 TUE 1 WED 2 THUR 3 FRI 4 SAT 5

Gen 4:6-8 Prov 17:14 Ps 86:14-16 2 Chron 32:6-8 Eph 2:13-15 Col 3:12-13 James 4:1-3

Week Ten

NOV 6 – NOV 12 SUN 6 MON 7 TUE 8 WED 9 THUR 10 FRI 11 SAT 12

Matt 18:15-17 Gal 6:1-3 Phil 4:1-4 Prov 15:1 Exod 18:21-23 Phil 17-20 Gen 50:19-20

Conflict happens. Among Christians. Jesus and the writers of the New Testament promised conflict would come – for bad as well as good reasons.

NOV 13 – NOV 19

SUN 13 MON 14 TUE 15 WED 16 THUR 17 FRI 18 SAT 19

James 1:2-3 James 1:5-8 James 1:19-20 James 1:26-27 James 2:14-17 James 3:5-6 James 3:14-16

Week Twelve NOV 20 – NOV 26

SUN 20 MON 21 TUE 22 WED 23 THUR 24 FRI 25 SAT 26

James 3:17-18 James 4:6-8 James 4:13-17 James 5:7-9 James 5:13-15 James 5:16-18 James 5:19-20

James writes to encourage believers to live consistently with what they have learnt in Christ. He wants them to mature in their faith by living what they say they believe. Join us as we journey through James.

NOV 27 – DEC 3

SUN 27 MON 28 TUE 29 WED 30 THUR 1 FRI 2 SAT 3

Ps 119:1-8 Ps 119: 17-24 Ps 119:33-40 Ps 119:49-56 Ps 119:57-64 Ps 119:65-72 Ps 119:81-88

Week Fourteen DEC 4 – DEC 10

SUN 4 MON 5 TUE 6 WED 7 THUR 8 FRI 9 SAT 10

Ps 119:89-96 Ps 119:97-104 Ps 119:105-112 Ps 119:121-128 Ps 119:145-152 Ps 119:161-168 Ps 119:169-176

The longest Psalm is a bit frightening, even for experienced Bible readers! Join us as we walk through this long poem, and be refreshed by God’s word to your soul.

Prayer points Sep – Dec 2016

September 4-10 Australia – Fundraising: Please pray for an encouraging time as Tasmanian Christian Songwriters perform at Bible Society’s Word in Song concert in Launceston on September 10 in support of Get The World Out South Africa. Bangladesh: Please pray for those who are grieving after the recent attack at a cafe in Dhaka. Pray also for the Bangladesh government as it seeks to find ways to address the issue of rising fanaticism and pray for protection for Christians and other minorities. September 11-17 Australia: Please pray for the staff of Bible Society Australia and the Centre for Public Christianity as they move into new combined offices in Macquarie Street, in the historic heart of Sydney. Please ask for God’s oversight as we adjust to new ways of working. Fiji: Praise God for the recent launch of Bible comics in the eight dialects of Fiji, five years after the first comic workshop was held in Suva. Thank God also for the arrival of 82,000 Scripture items for distribution to communities hit by Cyclone Winston. September 18-24 Australia – Executive Team: Pray for Melissa Lipsett as she settles into the newly created position of Group Chief Operating Officer for Bible Society Australia, having responsibility for the expanded group, which includes Koorong and the Centre for Public Christianity. South Africa: Thank God for the launch of the Sesotho Scripture-based literacy materials, allowing children to learn to read in their heart language. Please pray for the development of literacy materials in other languages.

September 25 – October 1 Australia – Remote & Indigenous Ministry Support: Give praise to God for the completion of two new Indigenous translations after decades of work – the Eastern & Central Arrernte (Central Australia) and the Kunwinjku (West Arnhem). Please pray now for those involved in the typesetting, proofing and printing of these Shorter Bibles. South Sudan: Pray for God’s healing power for South Sudan, five years after the birth of the troubled nation. Praise God for Bible Society supporters, whose generosity has provided a strong start for a Bible-based literacy programme. October 2-8 Syria: Please pray for the Bible Society of Syria team, including chief George Andrea, who live in Aleppo. Aleppo is the scene of severe fighting. Please pray for the safety and bravery of our brothers and sisters in the Middle East as they continue to proclaim Jesus. Serbia: As domestic violence increases in Serbia, please pray that the Bible Society of Serbia will be able to establish a programme that provides comfort and gives women hope through Jesus and practical measures. October 9-15 Ethiopia: The number of refugees from neighbouring countries is becoming a burden for Ethiopia. Please pray for the communities where refugees are located. Please also pray for the success of four translation projects and the Bible Society’s construction of a multi-service building. Bible Societies in the Gulf: Please pray that Bible Society’s distribution of MegaVoice audio units in different languages will have a powerful impact on all those listening. MegaVoice contains the New Testament and 215 teaching sessions covering the entire Bible.

October 16-22 Bolivia: Please pray for the Bible Society of Bolivia as it develops programmes to show God’s love and provide support to children and women who are suffering from increased sexual violence in the country. Australia – Centre for Public Christianity: Pray for the CPX team as it researches, prepares the scripts and plans the on-location filiming of the documentary For the Love of God: How the church is better and worse than you ever imagined. Pray that all will come together and that the documentary (due mid-2017) will be a compelling account of the beautiful contribution Christianity has made to the world, in the face of the growing belief that it is a force for harm. October 23-29 China: Please pray for the final preparation, printing and distribution of a new Scripture portion with reflections on coping with loneliness, which is close to completion. It is aimed at the more than 150 million young people who have grown up in one-child families. Austria: Praise God for the 500 Bibles in Farsi that the Austrian Bible Society has made available to churches ministering to refugees from Iran. The Bibles have been warmly received. One Lutheran church reported 25 new Iranian friends had joined its Sunday service, outnumbering the 23 Austrians. October 30-November 5 Malawi: Please pray for more funding for a huge unmet need for Children’s Bibles in Malawi. Bible Society recently distributed 720 Children’s Bibles to 15 churches yet many children missed out. Israel-Palestine: Please pray for deeper unity and friendship in the Bible Lands Team (Israel – Victor, Arab Israeli – Dina, Palestine – Nashat) as they embark on daring new ministry projects with genuine witness of the peace of Christ dwelling in Israelis and Palestinians.

November 6-12 Chile: Please pray for protection, wisdom and grace for Christians and Bible Society work in Chile. Violence is increasing, particularly in the Araucanía area in the south, with small terrorist groups attacking churches. Taiwan: Praise God for the life of Dr I-Jin Loh, who passed away in May. His efforts as translation group leader for the Asia-Pacific region made the Today’s Chinese Version Bible a success. November 13-19 Northern Ireland: Please pray that new General Secretary Catherine Little settles in well and forms strong working relationships with the rest of the team. Myanmar: Please pray for the printing of the Siyin Bible Revision, Falam Bible Revision and Hakha New Testament; and for the typesetting of the Judson Bible Revision. November 20-26 Kenya: Thank God for the launch of the new oluLuyia Bible in Mumias, western Kenya, a new contemporary translation that will be more easily understood by both young and old. Slovakia: Praise God for the launch of the first audio recording of the Slovak Old Testament, which means that Slovak-speaking people can now listen to the full audio Bible in their language. November 27-December 3 Australia – Campaigns & Programmes: As Scripture leaflets are provided for churches to use at carols, pray many will know the true meaning of Christmas through the Scriptures and witness of churches and Christians. Vietnam/Cambodia: Praise God for the recent launch of the Bunong New Testament. Pray that having God’s word in their own language will help Bunong believers in Cambodia and Vietnam to grow and share their faith.

NEW

John Dickson explores how these ten ancient instructions have not only changed our world but show us what the Good Life looks like as well. Whether or not one believes in the Bible, these instructions open up a window to the Western world and on our own souls. Skeptics and believers alike will find fresh insights and new topics of discussion, and, quite possibly, renewed bones of contention as they take a deeper look at the Ten Commandments that have helped shape our world.

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Bible Societies around the world

Covering the planet This may be the generation that sees God’s word cover the earth, thanks to a radical new approach adopted at the World Assembly of United Bibles Societies in May. With 280 million people speaking 6300 languages still without a full Bible, delegates agreed to consider the digital outcome of every Bible translation project first, before print. “Already, over 1000 Bible texts exist in our Digital Bible Library, which any publisher can access, but we are just at the beginning of working out how to do digital Bible engagement well. A great time to be alive and a Bible lover!” says BSA’s CEO Greg Clarke.

Eager for good news As the Austrian Bible Society distributes hundreds of Bibles in Farsi to churches ministering to refugees from Iran, one church started a Bible school to cater to its growing Iranian congregation. “We selected Scripture passages and these were read in Farsi as well as in German. I have never seen people so deeply moved,” wrote Dietmar Boehmer of the Lutheran Church of Voitsberg. “Also the ‘homework’ to read the entire book of Proverbs brought them great joy. Everybody looks forward to the next Sunday: they are so eager to learn more about Jesus and to read more of the Bible together.”

Jubilee in Cameroon The Musgum community in Cameroon have seen their dreams realised with the arrival of the first Bible in their language. Despite an atmosphere of insecurity caused by deadly Boko Haram attacks, about 5000 Musgum speakers travelled from different regions to the town of Pouss to give a joyful welcome to the Bible. The 20,000 Musgum Christians had waited 45 years for this day, after receiving the New Testament in 1964. “I’m going to buy four Bibles – one for me, one for my wife and one each for my two children,” enthused Daniel, pictured above.

GPO BOX 9874 In Your Capital City P: 1300 BIBLES (1300 242 537) ISSN 1839-7425 W: biblesociety.org.au E: sower@biblesociety.org.au ACN 148 058 306 Bible Society Australia is a not-for-profit interdenominational organisation. It’s a member of the United Bible Societies, a fellowship of 146 organisations working in more than 200 countries. Our mission is to achieve the widest possible, effective and meaningful distribution of the Bible; also, to help people interact with it, and to have their hearts lightened by the Bible’s message of 23 unconditional love in Jesus Christ.

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