Alive & Active Spring 2014

The magazine of the Scottish Bible SocietyThe magazine of theThe magazine of theThe magazine of theThe magazine of theThe magazine of the Scottish Bible Society Scottish Bible Society

ISSUE 70 : SPRING 2014

Worth more than goldPenny Gospel project

Warming our heartsA visitor from Malawi

Man on the moveCatching up with Bibleworld

What kind of nation?A decision for the people

Supporting MalawiansProject update

SHAPED BY GOD’S WORD

AliveActive - spring 14.indd 1 06/03/2014 18:46

The Bible Mini-Series (DVD)This epic 10-hour mini-series retells stories from the Scriptures for a whole new generation. Breathtaking in scope and scale, The Bible features powerful performances, exotic locations and cutting-edge visual effects that will entertain and inspire the whole family. From Genesis to Revelation, The Bible series covers some of the most famous stories ever written and some of the most iconic characters.

nt:sportIdeal for young people in your church in this special year of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. This New Living Translation paperback edition of the New Testament has a sports theme with monthly action plans, personal assessments, performance tips and lots more.

Walking with WisdomA month-long look at the biblical book of Proverbs. This pocket-sized book draws on the wisdom of the ancients to equip us for a 21st-century lifestyle.

NIV Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, JohnOur pocket-sized gospels are great for carrying around with you - whether you’re reading it for yourself or as a church want to distribute copies to new Christians as an introduction to the Bible, for example. The story of Jesus is told in the New International Version.

Ordering for your church?Discounts are available if you are buying in bulk. Please call us if you wish to fi nd out more.

Please note delivery charges apply

SPRING 2014


Welcome to our fi rst edition of Alive & Active in 2014, a very important year for Scotland. We have the excitement of major sporting events taking place on our turf and we have to make an important decision about our future as a nation. What will we look like as hosts and as decision-makers as the rest of the world looks on? Surely those of us who take the Bible seriously will have something of value to bring?

The Bible encourages us to keep a big vision of what God is doing in his world. As the 1950s hymn put it: ‘Kingdoms may rise; kingdoms may fall; but the word of the Lord endures for evermore.’ We are given plenty of examples in Scripture of principles and characteristics that build healthy communities and nations. As we explore these our thinking is shaped around God’s perspective and priorities for our lives together.

Kieran’s article challenges us to

think biblically about Scotland’s

future. While we do that we

hold it in the bigger context

of God building his Kingdom,

populated by those who put

their faith and trust in his Son,

Jesus Christ.

God’s Kingdom grows as people

encounter Jesus Christ and

commit their lives to him.

You will read testimonies of

those whose lives have been

transformed by Jesus. The

Penny Gospel also includes

such testimonies from sports

people. Will the distribution

of thousands of these gospels

have eternal consequences for

many in Scotland this year?

Please join us in prayer that

this might be so.

As the Bible leads us to Jesus,

it transforms lives, communities

and cultures. Praise God!

Elaine DuncanChief Executive

Welcome

7 Hampton TerraceEdinburgh EH12 5XU

Tel: 0131 337 9701Fax: 0131 337 0641

www.scottishbiblesociety.org

email: [email protected]

Scottish Charity No: SC010767Published in April and OctoberChief Executive: Elaine M DuncanCirculation: 38,000

The Scottish Bible Society – a company limited by guarantee

registered in Scotland no. 238687 – registered offi ce as above.

(Formerly The National Bible Society of Scotland)Des

ign

: Hat

ch D

esig

n, G

lasg

ow /

To

oth

Des

ign

an

d P

rin

t

The magazine of the Scottish Bible Society

Contents4 Changing lives Shaped by God’s Word

6 Worth more than gold Penny Gospel project

8 Warming our hearts A visitor from Malawi

11 Man on the move Catching up with Bibleworld

12 What kind of nation? A decision for the people

14 Supporting Malawians in their lives’ challenges Project update from Malawi

Isaiah 37: 16 (NIV)

The views expressed in the features and update articles are not necessarily those of the Society. Reprinting in whole or in part is forbidden, except by permission.

Lord Almighty,the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.

2 : 3


Kieran Turner, Public Policy Offi cer for Scotland, Evangelical Alliance

We live in such a relativistic and

fast-changing world that we

need some solid truth to hold

on to and I’m so grateful for the

Bible for that. In the political

world, where ideas come and

go and where it’s so easy to get

trapped in the instant, the Bible

helps me to see a much bigger picture, reminds me who God is, and provides a context for hope in some pretty hopeless situations. It reminds me of what God has done in the past and what he can do in the future.

The second thing the Bible has done for me is keep me focused on Jesus. I love Jesus. Whenever things crop up that I don’t understand (which is regularly) or in diffi cult situations I constantly end up going back to Jesus through the passages of the New Testament. Whenever people ask questions or throw up objections to Christianity inevitably I end up pointing them to Jesus: who he was, what he said and, of course, what he did and still does today.

The Bible also provides an amazing framework for society. More and more, as I look around at some of our greatest social problems, I see that God’s model for society really is the answer. The Bible is a treasure of wisdom on how we should do economy, family, community, business, relationships, justice and the environment, to name a few. We need to start actually believing in the Bible’s teaching and sharing it for the good of society!

Father Elijah Mtsweni,South Africa

With the rain pouring down, an old man dressed in full traditional church regalia sits with his eyes closed in one of the big tents full of people.

He is 91-year-old Father Elijah Mtsweni.

Elijah Mtsweni is a man for whom it was so important that his people must have a Bible in their heart language that he decided to do something about it. He was instrumental in making the need for a Bible in isiNdebele known to the Bible Society many years ago.

Almost four decades later, he received a copy of the very fi rst isiNdebele Bible on behalf of his people. A large crowd of people braved the inclement weather to attend the launch of the very fi rst Bible in isiNdebele. With music and dancing, the amaNdebele people paraded through the streets of KwaMhlanga to the Solomon Mahlangu Stadium where they gathered to listen to God speak to them in their heart language. “For us, this rain is a sign of

the BIBLEHere are three more stories from different parts of the world where the Bible has shaped the lives of people. If you have a story about how the Bible has changed your life, write to us so we can encourage one another.

SPRING 2014


God’s blessing on this Bible,” they said.

On the day of the launch, about 5,000 Bibles were sold in just two hours. Everywhere one looked, there were people with broad smiles on their faces and Bibles in their hands. Elijah Mtsweni’s dream of a Bible in the heart language of his people had fi nally come true.

Elijah Mtsweni believes that the Word of God can change lives.

It changed his and this is what

he wants for his people too.

Clutching his fi rst Bible in his

own language to his heart, he

quietly says, “Now I can die.”

IsiNdebele is one of South

Africa’s 11 offi cial languages

and the last to receive the full

Bible. The fi rst print run of the

isiNdebele Bible was 20,000

copies and this sold out during

the fi rst year.

Clovia, Haiti

Clovia was 11 years old when

the Haitian earthquake of 2010

struck, killing her father. She

says reading the Bible has

helped her in her struggle to

stay positive in devastating

circumstances.

When the earthquake

happened, her father was

killed and she couldn’t fi nd her

mother or brother for days. She

wandered around, lost, looking

for her family. She ended up

staying in a tented camp that

had been set up close to where

she lived. “I felt a deep loss and

sadness but one day I found my

mother and brother – I was so

happy!”

Reunited, they lived in a tent

for more than a year. Eventually

they found a little house, which

they moved into and tried

to resume their lives. Clovia

went back to school but felt

very depressed. Then she

started going to church and

got involved in different church

activities, which really helped

her.

“I attended a summer camp

and, on the last day, I was

given a Bible in Creole. I was so

happy. I’d been wanting to buy

a Bible since I’d started going to

church, but I didn’t have enough

money. I took it home with me,

feeling like I’d found a new

friend!”

The fi rst time she sat down to

read it on her own, it opened to

the Book of Esther. She read it

and felt like it was a message to

her soul.

“This story of Queen Esther’s

bravery is still my favourite

and every time I read it I feel

blessed. In fact, every time I

read the Bible I feel comforted

and inspired. It is like a father, a

counsellor and a friend to me,

teaching me wisdom, guiding

me and helping me deal with

negative emotions. I read it

often and although it’s not

always easy to understand

straight away, I keep going. I am

so grateful for my Bible. I can’t

imagine my life without it.”

the BIBLE changes lives

Do you have a story to share about how the Bible changed your life or that of someone you know? Tell us and we may feature this.Email [email protected] and use ‘the Bible changes lives’ as the subject line or write to us at 7 Hampton Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 5XU.

4 : 5


Worth MoreIn the second part of our

three-part series exploring

how Christians and churches

have a role to play during the

2014 Commonwealth Games,

we look at the response from

the Scottish Bible Society.

Fiona McDonald, Director of

National Ministries, provides

the following update.

He was about 20 years old, born and brought up in the UK and a highly intelligent physics undergraduate at university. At fi rst I thought he was joking but as I looked into his eyes and responded to him I realised he was absolutely sincere. More than that, he was inquisitive, eager for an answer to his question, “What exactly are the 10 Commandments? I’ve never heard the phrase.” That young man is not alone in his lack of knowledge about God and the Bible. There is now more than one generation in our culture who have little or no understanding of the faith that is the heritage of our country.

A recent study by YouGov of children and parents in Great Britain, shows that half the children surveyed had never read or been read Bible stories and more than a third failed to identify either the Nativity or the Good Samaritan as biblical stories. However, 9 in 10 parents read, saw or heard Bible stories when they were growing up. Although 43 per cent of parents surveyed think that Bible stories provide good values for life, they cite the biggest barrier to passing on Bible stories to their children as time. The research demonstrates a declining

level of Bible literacy and

engagement.

This year we have the

opportunity to take action to

reverse that trend, as we join

together with friends, relatives

and visitors in celebrating the

Commonwealth Games. During

this sporting summer we hope

to see thousands of copies of

our Penny Gospel distributed

by churches and Christian

organisations who have been

ordering copies since the end of

last year. They see this edition

of Luke’s Gospel, which also

tells the real-life stories of fi ve

Christian athletes, as a great

way to introduce people to the

story of Jesus, Christian life and

the local church community.

People have also been praying

for the project, in particular

to fund the production. Whilst

retailing at only 1p (hence the

name Penny Gospel), the actual

cost of each Gospel is 20p.

Through prayer and generous

fi nancial gifts, we hope to reach

a quarter of a million people

around Scotland (or 10 per cent

of Scottish households) with this

book and we pray that God will

use this project to change the

lives of thousands of people.

There is of course the potential

to reach even more people. As

young man is not alone in his lack of knowledge about God and the Bible. There is now more than one generation in our culture who have little or no understanding of the faith that is the heritage of our country.

A recent study by YouGov of children and parents in Great Britain, shows that half the children surveyed had never read or been read Bible stories and more than a third failed to identify either the Nativity or the Good Samaritan as biblical stories. However, 9 in 10 parents read, saw or heard Bible stories when they were growing up. Although 43 per cent of parents surveyed think that Bible stories provide good values for life, they cite the biggest barrier to passing on Bible stories to their children as time. The research demonstrates a declining

SPRING 2014


Than GOLD6 : 76 : 7

well as printing more copies (provided there is demand and the funding required), people may read it and pass it on to others. The follow-up is equally important as people consider what they do next after reading the book. The Penny Gospel website pennygospel.org.uk is aimed at those who have read the book and we provide three basic signposts to them:

• How to get hold of the Bible, a New Testament or other Gospels;

• Join a community Bible reading experience;

• Find out more about Christianity.

Churches and Christian organisations who distribute their copies in their community will promote their own local initiatives for follow-up and we encourage this as the book is aimed at helping Christians introduce people to Jesus, the Bible and Christian life. So you could say the website is there as a back-up for the people who don’t engage locally with those who gave them their copy but still want to take the next step in their own time.

Big sporting events talk about the legacy they leave behind. This year, we hope the legacy of the Penny Gospel means the Good News is shared with thousands who have yet to hear it and, God willing, a generation of new Christians coming to faith and into our churches.

Keep up-to-date with the Penny Gospel project by visiting our website: scottishbiblesociety.org/penny-gospeland signing up for the prayer email.

Performing Luke’s GospelThis summer, see the Gospel of Luke, memorised word for word from the Bible, told with the passion and surprise of an eyewitness account. In a compelling ninety minutes, the words come alive with the urgency and humour of someone who was there. Alone on stage, Broadway actor Bruce Kuhn weaves the tale of the Christ without props or sets, dressed in modern, casual clothing.

Bruce Kuhn performed on Broadway (Les Miserables) and in repertory theatres and now tours his solo shows Luke, Acts, Tales of Tolstoy, and Marcus (Mark’s Gospel in Dutch) worldwide. He also partners with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) to train others to tell the events of the Bible the way

an eyewitness would. Students

of his three-month Word by

Heart school learn a gospel in

their heart language, and have

plans to start schools on four

continents. He has performed

for many conferences, including

Urbana and Keswick, and

has taught his storytelling

course in nineteen countries

and two seminaries: Regent

College in Vancouver as an

Artist in Residence and Oxford

University (Wycliffe Hall). He is

father to Frits (16) and Juliette

(14), and husband to Hetty, a

landscape artist.

Details about the performance

are yet to be released but you

can register your interest at

[email protected]

or by calling us on

0131 337 9701.

6 : 7


Warming ourhearts

During a chilly November, the

fi rst thing we gave Clapperton

on his arrival to Scotland was

an extra jacket, scarf and

gloves. It’s not the fi rst Scottish

winter he has experienced

but Clapperton says the warm

welcome he receives and the

excitement in sharing with the

people means he doesn’t notice

the cold.

Across the two-week visit, he

covered hundreds of miles from

Edinburgh to Inverness, from

Dingwall to Troon. According

to Clapperton, the journeys by

road seemed to pass quickly as

he didn’t feel as many bumps

as he would at home in Malawi.

Clapperton enjoyed meeting

some of our Action Groups and

Church Representatives during

the volunteer conferences

in Edinburgh and Troon. He

commented on the commitment

and dedication of our

volunteers and knows from his

own work in Malawi that this

support is vital.

During a visit to the Highland

Theological College in Dingwall,

Clapperton met with staff

and students. He also had the

opportunity to meet with old

acquaintances living in the

area to continue friendships in

person. Such is the strong bond

between our two countries that,

throughout the visit, Clapperton

met people who had worked

in Malawi. He could relate to

their experiences often found

that they shared some contacts

in Malawi whom he also knew

personally.

As one of the speakers at the

David Livingstone thanksgiving

service in Glasgow Cathedral,

Clapperton said it was a

privilege and an honour to be in

a beautiful church and address

over 400 people, celebrating

the Christian life of David

Livingstone. He then told us

that when they held a similar

event in Malawi, they fi lled a

whole football stadium.

During his visit, Clapperton

fi lmed a short video to thank

our supporters for their prayers

and generous gifts for the work

of the Bible Society in Malawi

over the years – in particular for

the ongoing translation work necessary to provide Bibles in the heart languages of all the people in Malawi. Throughout his visit, Clapperton remained in contact with his staff as he monitored Bible sales. There is a high demand for Bibles in Malawi but Clapperton told us not every Christian can afford one. Watch the video of Clapperton’s thank you message by visiting our website scottishbiblesociety.org/malawi

On his last day in Scotland, Clapperton was pleased to fi nd gifts to take home to his family. But what he was most satisfi ed with was the pleasure of meeting our supporters to thank them in person, sharing stories about how God is working in the lives of the people of Malawi and praying with us for our nation and work in Scotland.

Turn to pages 14 and 15 of this magazine to fi nd out how your support is making a difference in Malawi.

Clapperton Mayuni, General

Secretary of the Bible Society of

Malawi, visited Scotland recently

to meet our supporters, catch up

with old acquaintances and to talk

about Bible work in Malawi.

Could you give up one of these ... ?

... to give them one of these?


It seems so little but with just £1 per week you can share the Scriptures with people in twelve different countries each year.

Team up with our existing Bible-a-month Partners to pray and give regularly so that together we can change the lives of people around the world.

Sign up online or call 0131 347 9801 and claim your FREE MP3 player

with audio New Testament.

Become a Partner todayscottishbiblesociety.org/bible-a-month

SPRING 2014


8 : 9

Could you give up one of these ... ?

... to give them one of these?


It seems so little but with just £1 per week you can share the Scriptures with people in twelve different countries each year.

Team up with our existing Bible-a-month Partners to pray and give regularly so that together we can change the lives of people around the world.

Sign up online or call 0131 347 9801 and claim your FREE MP3 player

with audio New Testament.

Become a Partner todayscottishbiblesociety.org/bible-a-month

8 : 9


SPRING 2014

W ILD about the WORD returns3 - 5 October 2014Abernethy, Nethybridge

wildabouttheword.org.uk

“A great mix of fun, activity and Bible study – please run this weekend again next year! We will be back!”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

-

- -

- -

- -

-

- - - - -

BOOK NOWEarly bird booking discount

Adults: £93; Kids (13 and under): £73

Discount ’til 30 June 2014, subject to availability

Full price thereafter £103 and £83 respectively

Cost includes accommodation, meals, teaching sessions

and outdoor activities.

For more details and to book

go online wildabouttheword.org.uk or

call Abernethy on 01479 821279

--

-----

BOOK NOWBOOK NOW

--

--

-

“WILD about the WORD

opened my mind more

to how to focus on

God’s Word.”


What attracted you to the role of Bibleworld Co-ordinator?I fi rst heard of Bibleworld while I was teaching in primary school. My P5/6 class was due to visit and before I went on board I didn’t know much about it other than it was run by the Scottish Bible Society and travelled to communities all over Scotland. It was amazing to see my class learn about the Bible in such an interactive way. I could see how engaged the children were and interested in fi nding out more. I realised this was a professional and quality resource for schools, which can benefi t the local churches and the wider Christian community as it helps to get more children interested in the Bible. I enjoy teaching children, travelling to places I have never been to, and I want to share the Bible with others. So this job ticks all the boxes!

You work in a team of three people. How do your roles differ?When a church or group of churches contacts us and invites us to their community, our manager Sandra will meet

with them to plan the visit, help them pick a location, organise volunteers and give them support from start to fi nish. Hannah and I are both Co-ordinators and one of us will be out on a visit whilst the other is in the offi ce supporting Sandra. A visit typically lasts from Monday to Friday and we can usually book 13 classes during a week so that’s a lot of children each day! The Co-ordinator’s role also involves training volunteers as well as leading the children through the visit.

Tell us about one of your visits.My fi rst visit which I led on my own was to Bathgate. My training had gone well but I was still a little nervous. As soon as the fi rst class arrived, I enjoyed working with the children and it was great to see them engrossed in the activities. The feedback from teachers was very positive so I was encouraged by this. One teacher highlighted to me how well Bibleworld fi ts into the Curriculum for Excellence in Scottish schools. She was very

impressed with how well her

class worked during the lesson,

stating that the pupils were

rarely as excited or engaged

in any task in school. My

volunteers for the week also

assured me that, as Bibleworld

has visited the area before, the

relationship between churches

and schools has been enriched

over the years as a result.

Finally, what would you say

to someone who is interested

in bringing Bibleworld to their

community?

I would share these comments

we have received and hope

that their church would be

encouraged about the exciting

potential Bibleworld can bring

to their community.

Bill Maxwell joined our Bibleworld team in August 2013. We

caught up with Bill to fi nd how he’s settling

into his new role.

on the move

Children“I thought it was going to be boring but no, no and no, it was great so thank you!”

Good reasons to book

Teachers

“You brought Christianity

and the Bible into the 21st

century.”

Bibleworld hosts“Bibleworld is an excellent resource that enables churches to work in partnership with local schools. Pupils love the interaction and variety on board the trailer but more importantly they leave with a greater grasp of the Bible and its teaching.”

Find out more about Bibleworldat bibleworld.co.uk or contactSandra Batt on 0131 347 9820 [email protected]

fi nd how he’s settling into his new role.

10 : 11

W ILD about the WORD returns3 - 5 October 2014Abernethy, Nethybridge

wildabouttheword.org.uk

“A great mix of fun, activity and Bible study – please run this weekend again next year! We will be back!”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

-

- -

- -

- -

-

- - - - -

BOOK NOWEarly bird booking discount

Adults: £93; Kids (13 and under): £73

Discount ’til 30 June 2014, subject to availability

Full price thereafter £103 and £83 respectively

Cost includes accommodation, meals, teaching sessions

and outdoor activities.

For more details and to book

go online wildabouttheword.org.uk or

call Abernethy on 01479 821279

--

-----

BOOK NOWBOOK NOW

--

--

-

“WILD about the WORD

opened my mind more

to how to focus on

God’s Word.”


As we start to move towards September

2014 there is one question that we will be

confronted with relentlessly over the coming

months: Should Scotland be an independent

country? Yes or No. It is the answer to this

simple question that will shape our short-term

and long-term future as a nation. It will shape

our economics and our politics, our pensions

and our currency. But much more than that it

will affect our very identity as a people, how

we perceive ourselves as a nation and how we

live within this island we call Britain. Kieran

Turner, Public Policy Offi cer for Scotland for the

Evangelical Alliance shares his thoughts.

What Kind ofNation?

There has been considerable

debate over the last year about

some of the independence

issues and this will only

intensify over the coming

months. A huge amount of

this debate has focused on

the fi nancial and economic

arguments. Arguments about

the currency, welfare, pensions

and the future of the taxpayer-

owned Scottish banks have

dominated. Even the other

big issue of the campaign to

date – membership of the EU

– has so far also been reduced

to an economic argument.

On what terms will we have

membership? And will we be

(economically) better off?

Yet there has been very little in

the political and media debate

beyond the economic and there

is a growing sense that wider

Scottish society is looking for

more from its leaders. There

has been very little of what we

may call vision. Precious little of

where our leaders want to take

us as a nation, and how their

vision of Scotland will help us to

get there. And almost nothing

about the type of society we

want to live in or how to tackle

our nation’s most pressing

social needs.

SPRING 2014


It is this gap that the Church in Scotland has a wonderful opportunity to step into by bringing our communities on board and raising the tone of the national debate in the coming months. It is a chance for us to be involved in this biggest of national conversations and ensure the discussion is not just left to the politicians. It is also an opportunity for us to think through (and ask our politicians) the second question that must be asked before we can answer the fi rst, namely, What kind of nation do we want to be?

There are many groups within the Scottish Church starting to ask this question and starting to engage with the referendum debate. At the Evangelical Alliance Scotland we have produced a report trying to answer this question in four key areas of Scottish society: the economy, family, community and environment, attempting to bring a biblical perspective to the debate.

The Bible has a great deal to say on all the issues of today’s debate. There is a model for family and community cohesion, wisdom for relationships, consideration for our natural world and values to drive our economy. It is time these values were recalled as we

consider our nation’s future. As Christians we perhaps have a once in a generation opportunity to bring this wisdom to the national debate and to be known for offering constructive answers to society’s biggest questions.

Scotland was built on biblical wisdom. As we enter into this seminal moment in our nation’s history, is it not time we became the land of the book once again as we seek to answer the question, What Kind of Nation?

To fi nd out more about the work of the Evangelical Alliance,visit their websiteeauk.org/scotland orcall 0141 548 1555.

12 : 13


In one of the world’s poorest countries, with one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in Africa, the Bible Society of Malawi is working to bring people closer to God and help them fi nd hope in his love through the Bible.

Mr and Mrs Mandala live in

Semu village, in the Tholo

District of southern Malawi,

with their six children – a

daughter aged 18, two sets of

twin boys and their youngest

child, a seven-year-old girl.

Last year the Mandala family

received a Bible study pack

from the Bible Society of Malawi

and committed to setting aside

time each day to study God’s

Word together. As the family

gathers, Mrs Mandala opens

in prayer before they read the

day’s Bible passage and launch

into discussions guided by their

reading plan. The Mandala

children are all keen to take an

active part in the discussions

and also enjoy singing worship

songs together.

Last year, with your help,

the Bible Society was able

to distribute 570 Scripture

Engagement Packs to families

across Malawi, including a

Scripture Union Bible Reading

Guide, a full Bible and a

Children’s Bible. In return,

all of the families pledged to

take part in daily Bible study.

The Bible Society estimates

that packs distributed in

2013 alone will have directly

impacted the lives of more than

2,800 people. There is now

an increasing demand from

families asking for Scripture

Engagement Packs and many of

the families who have benefi ted

from the scheme have asked for

the programme to be extended

to their friends and neighbours.

Towards the end of last year,

the Bible Society received

requests for 2014 Bible reading

plans from families who wished

to continue into the New Year.

By making Bible study part

of everyday life, families

are growing deeper in their

faith and stronger in their

relationships with each other.

This in turn is also helping to

build a culture of more openly

discussing and dealing with

life’s challenges.

In Malawi, one of the world’s

poorest countries, there is an

immediate need to tackle the

growing HIV/AIDS crisis. With

one of the highest HIV rates in

Africa, AIDS is killing tens of

thousands of people in Malawi

every year. In fact, there are

now so many orphans that

almost half of the population is

under the age of 15.

Supporting Malawians

challenges

Supporting Malawians

challengesIN THEIR LIVES’

SPRING 2014


Alongside the Bible Society’s ‘Good Samaritan’ programme, which aims to raise awareness of the realities of HIV/AIDS and to reduce discrimination against those who are suffering, your support is helping the Bible Society to reach out to children whose lives have been impacted by the virus. Sadly there are more than 550,000 children in Malawi who have lost one or both of their parents to HIV/AIDS and, tragically, some of these children have themselves been carrying the HIV virus from birth.

By funding the distribution

of Children’s Bibles, your

generosity is giving young

people the opportunity to

encounter the Bible in a way

they can understand and

make sense of. Not only is this

important for helping children

to place their trust in God and

build their futures with him

from an early age, it is helping

bring hope to children who

desperately need to know

God’s love right now as they

deal with the trauma of losing

their parents, and as their older

siblings sacrifi ce their own

childhoods and opportunities

for education to bring them up.

To support older children and

teenagers, the Bible Society is

training Bible Youth Advocates

who will be able to share their

enthusiasm for the Bible and

encourage their peers to keep

going, with God’s Word.

Scotland has had strong

links with Malawi since David

Livingstone fi rst travelled to

the country, now almost 200

years ago. Thank you so much

for standing with our brothers

and sisters in Malawi to share

the Good News and tackle

the challenges facing our

generation.

Please pray:• Pray for children and young people in Malawi, particularly those who have lost parents to HIV/AIDS, that

they will grow up trusting in their Heavenly Father’s love for them.

• Give thanks for the opportunity to share the Bible with hundreds of families and to encourage more people to build their lives on God’s Word.

• Give thanks for our partnership with the Bible Society of Malawi and pray for staff and volunteers working on their many projects around the country.

14 : 15


SPRING 2014

Bible Meditation

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the

power of God that brings salvation to everyone who

believes: fi rst to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in

the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed – a

righteousness that is by faith from fi rst to last, just as it is

written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’

Romans 1: 16 & 17 (NIV)

These questions may help you as you explore

the text:

• In what ways have you experienced the

righteousness of God?

• What do we know about Paul’s life that helps

us to identify with his strong belief in the

power of God?

• Who do you know that would benefi t from

knowing the story of Jesus? Is it possible

they are inquisitive, even eager to meet Him?


Date post:	29-Mar-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	scottish-bible-society
View:	215 times
Download:	1 times

Alive & Active Spring 2014

Documents