I N T E R N A T I O N A L

FREE Magazine!

2013 - Issue 4

www.clcbookshops.com

Being Jesus’Hands & Feet

Photo of CLC Bookshop (Karuhatan, Philippines)

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BOOKSHOPS

VOLUNTEEROPPORTUNITIES

Is God calling you tovolunteer with CLC?V I S I T W W W . C L C B O O K S H O P S . C O M / V A C A N C I E S

O R C A L L I N A T Y O U R L O C A L C L C B O O K S H O P

From the Editor: This issue we’ve decided to go back to basics and focus on being Jesus’ hands and feet. As such we’ve highlighted many of the ongoing projects around the CLC World for you to ‘see’ the practical aspects of our ministry. We’ve also included some great articles from those outside of CLC who have partnered with us in a variety of ways - projects, internships and publishing. We hope you’ll be encouraged by the endeavours we are able to make through your support and look around you for new opportunities to serve Him faithfully.

Amanda Lutes, Editor

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Christian bookshopsBOOKS BIBLES CARDS GIFTS MUSIC

In This Issue:

5 - 6 The Hands & Feet of Jesus

7 Prayer & Praise Points

8 CLC Inverness: Praise Point

10 - 11 CLC Intern: Ben

12 - 13 The Wayfinding Bible (NLT)

14 CLC Author: Interview

16 - 17 CLC Partner: LDP Kenya

18 - 19 Book Reviews

20 - 21 C.S. Lewis Competition

22 Donation Form

CLC Projects:Found on pages 4, 7, 9, 17 and 23

CLC International (UK) 291 Abbeydale Rd, Sheffield, S7 1FJ Tel: 0114 2812136 Mission Website: www.clc.org.uk Retail Website: www.clcbookshops.com Editorial Email: clcworld@clcbookshops.com UK Director: ukdirector@clcbookshops.com Personnel Enquiries: personnel@clcbookshops.com Tel: 0114 2812136 CLC Finance Office: financeuk@clcbookshops.com

Tel: 01962 733342 For Overseas Opportunities: office@clcinternational.org Address for Magazine & Finance Dept: 51 The Dean, Alresford, Hampshire, SO24 9BJ

View online version of magazine: www.clc.org.uk/clcworld.htm

Registered as a charity in England & Wales (1015793) and in Scotland (SC037939)

Sharing the Good News of JesusMissionaries come in all shapes and sizes, young and old, women and men, weak and strong. There’s a saying that God is less concerned about our ability than He is with our availability.

In years gone by Christian Britain exported thousands of missionaries to every corner of the world so that the light of the gospel of Christ could be shared with people groups who had never heard of Him.

Today we have unparalleled access to information about every subject under the sun. But in the UK (and in many parts of Western Europe) as the access to information has increased, the focus on the source of all life, Jesus, has diminished.

And so now we need a new infusion of missionaries, not to send abroad but to serve at home in our Christian bookshops so that the light of the world can continue to shine on our high streets.

So are you available to be a living sacrifice, living by faith and willing to serve in your local Christian bookshop? If the Lord is calling you, come and check us out. Talk with the manager at your local CLC store or go online to

http://www.clc.org.uk/vacancies.htm

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The Hands and Feet of Jesus: Excerpt from Kelly Johnson’s Blog “Seeking Him” - www.kellyljohnson.typepad.com

Portuguese Bibles For Africa CLC Portugal’s Project of Love

Help Us Share HIS LOVE

For only £5 (€6.00) we can put a

Portuguese Bible into the hands of an

African in need!

To discover how to donate to this project

go to page 22

Give a life-changing gift...No matter the occasion, if you’re looking for a gift that has life-changing potential... then look no further! This issue of CLC is filled with projects in which we are involved, in over 50 countries around the world. Each one is or has the potential for impacting and changing thousands of lives... daily! Why not prayerfully consider using the voucher on the back cover (and inside back cover) to give to a friend and donate the funds towards one of our Kingdom Projects? Please turn to page 22 for our donation form which will give you all the information you need.

Besides our African teams, some of the ministries CLC has throughout the world continue to need ongoing support due to struggling economies (eg. Cyprus) and other sensitive issues. If you feel led to help support one of these teams, simply tell us on page 22 the CLC country you’d like to give towards. If you are unsure of what countries we are in, just name a continent and we will put your gift towards the team in that region most in need.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

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I’m telling you this straight. The Son can’t independently do a thing, only what He sees the Father doing. What the Father does, the Son does. The Father loves the Son and includes Him in everything He is doing.

If Jesus needed down time with His Father, how much more must that apply to us? I have found that even my most well-intentioned attempts to do God’s will are useless unless I

regularly “withdraw to a solitary place” to listen to my Father. Through time in His word, sharing my heart in prayer AND being still enough to listen, I begin to see the path God has for me to get involved in what He is doing in my little part of His world. Without that time, I find that I am often tilting at windmills.

Secondly, Jesus was willing to be

interrupted as He went about the work the Father had given Him to

do. Most of the accounts that we have of Jesus interacting with people and performing miracles begin with a phrase like

“as Jesus went on from there.” He was often travelling to another

destination when someone approached Him in need of healing. While His disciples

often tried to discourage or deter these seekers, Jesus always had time for the people who crossed His path. Jesus was all about relationship. In these instances, He made the choice to stop and offer healing and care to the persons involved. Because He was not overly tied to His agenda of the moment, He could attend to the higher purposes for which He was sent. In our own lives, we similarly

“Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion for the world is to look out; yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good; and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.” Saint Teresa of Avila

I posted the quote above as my Facebook status one day and was interested to see how many people responded positively to it. Since then, I have beenthinking about what it means to be Christ’shands and feet on earth. Clearly, this idea resonates with people, but how do we go about doing it?

It seems to me that we might begin to “be” Christ’s hands and feet by considering how Jesus used his hands and feet while He was walking among us. Jesus, God Incarnate, lived on earth in human form and, before He returned tothe Father, promised thatthat we who had faith in Him would do“greater things than these.” (John 14:12) Through the writers of scripture, we have a record of the way Jesus lived out His earthly existence and these stories offer us clues on how we might continue His work.

First, Jesus knew that He had to spend time with the Father in order to know where to go and what to do next. Throughout the Gospels, we hear that Jesus often “withdrew to a solitary place” in order to hear from His Heavenly Father. Jesus says this in John 5:19 (the Message):

The Hands and Feet of Jesus: Excerpt from Kelly Johnson’s Blog “Seeking Him” - www.kellyljohnson.typepad.com

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have the choice to view the unexpected, the unplanned and the inconvenient interruptions we encounter as precious opportunities for ministry....divine appointments to realise our own role in bringing about the Kingdom of Heaven.

Third, Jesus was willing to get His hands dirty. One of my favourite stories about Jesus was the time He chose to wash the feet of His disciples in order to teach them about being a servant. In their culture, washing dirty feet was the lowliest of jobs, yet Jesus got on His knees and tenderly washed and dried the dust-covered feet of those He loved most and then entreated them to do the same in His name. In fact, He said clearly in John 13:15 “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” As I seek to find the “important” work that I can do in God’s Kingdom, I sometimes overlook the opportunities for smaller acts of service... acts that become holy when done from a place of love and grace and gratitude.

Life is messy. People are complicated. Getting our hands dirty, literally or figuratively, requires a willingness to get involved in the middle of the mess and complications. Yet, that is exactly what Jesus has called us to do. I have written on this before and I quoted this song from Michael Card in its entirety. Here is my favorite part: And the space between ourselves sometimes is more than the distance between the stars.By the fragile bridge of the Servant’s bow we take up the basin and the towel.

Finally, if we are to truly become Jesus’ hands and feet, we must share His love for “the least of these.” This is the hard part of the gospel message for us sometimes. Jesus was revolutionary in His approach to the downtrodden and forgotten in His society. He touched lepers, He welcomed women and children, He dined with criminals, He championed the poor, He defended the powerless. Jesus spent His time on earth with the hated and the outcasts and claimed

that He had come to “preach good news to the poor.” There are a number of examples of this in scripture. Here are just a few:

He tells of a rich man and a poor one, and how the poor man goes to heaven and the rich man doesn’t.(Luke 16:19-31)

He tells of others who’ll be surprised they didn’t get into paradise because they didn’t take care of Him when He was hungry or in prison. They object that they never saw Him that way; He replies that whenever they neglected the hungry or imprisoned or unclothed, they neglected Him (Matthew 25.)

He says it’s harder for a rich person to enter heaven than a camel to go through the eye of a needle. He tells a rich man only one thing is between him and the Kingdom: he needs to sell what he has and give it to the poor (Mark 10:17-31.)

While Jesus came to reconcile us ALL to the Father, He is clear that He expects us to take care of one another and to begin with “the least of these.” God does not call all of us to sell everything we have and give it all to the poor, but

He does call us to get involved and allow Him to show us how. If I want to be the hands and feet of Jesus, I have to open my eyes to the suffering in the world and allow my heart to be broken by those things that break the heart of the Father. Because there is so much brokenness in our world, I can become overwhelmed by the need and throw my hands up in despair.

Bottom line: We each can make a difference and it matters that we try... God is at work in the world and we can be part of it. We can be the hands and feet of Jesus in our part of the world... what a privilege! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Kelly Johnson has a passion for experiencing the Kingdom of God through the work of His people here on earth. In addition to leading a Bible study at a day shelter for the homeless in her community, Kelly writes about God’s extravagant love and the power of transformation on her blog,“Seeking Him: www.kellyljohnson.typepad.com

Jesus:1. spent time with

the Father...2. was willing to be

interrupted...3. was willing to

get His hands dirty...

4. shared His love for the ‘least of these’...

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Please pray for Darwin Vergel, the new National Director for CLC Spain, and his wife, Clara. May God help them both adapt to Darwin’s new responsibilities.

Please pray as we are hoping to enter a partnership with Oasis International and launch a project in Kenya with the Publish4All Initiative. This would involve setting up a Publish on Demand printing facility in Nairobi. The initial set up cost is high but once this is up and running, we will be able to print and sell books on site that take less than a day to produce and will allow us to provide a much wider range of options to our customers and at a more affordable price (no shipping and customs charges). See page 22 for our donation form if you’d like to help support this project.

Please pray for the Philippines:We praise God that our CLC teams and ministry in the Philippines were protected during the Typhoon in November 2013.

Please continue to pray for these CLC teams as they witness to and work with those affected.

Sign up to receive Prayer Focus by email or by post here: office@clcinternational.org

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Answered Prayer: It was during springtime (2013) when we first considered starting the project to see the Lord provide us with a new vehicle, which was cleared with the Mission Leadership.

We informed people about the project and kept looking to the Lord in whichever way He was going to bring this vehicle into being. A few donations came in and we praised God for them, but then a customer (the person wishes to not be identified) came into the shop and enquired about the car project. She had heard about it and the Lord started putting the matter on her heart.

From then on, a whole string of circumstances convinced her that she was the person whom God wanted to use to replace the vehicle. She prayed for clear confirmation, and God saw her heart in the matter and gave her an overwhelming indication that she was moving in the right direction. She couldn’t rest until

the van was purchased.

We were struck by the humility of the person who kept saying that it was a privilege to be used of the Lord in this way, She had never expected to be part of something like this, and she felt thoroughly blessed and overjoyed at how God intervened.

Well, she wasn’t the only one. Needless to say, we were all totally overwhelmed by God’s provision and sovereign intervention. It is also an indication that the Lord wants the Bookstall outreaches from the CLC Bookshop in Inverness to continue across the Highlands and beyond.

The van was ordered and should be with us by the end of January (2014). Please join us in praise for this amazing answer to prayer and remember us before the Lord as we continue to crisscross the Highlands with life-giving resources.

Esther Dowey, CLC Inverness

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

(Philippians 4:6 ESV)

CLC Supporters:

New van on order!

Current car requires precision packing!

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Opportunities to expand publishing:At their meeting in Kenya (Autumn 2013), the International Regional Directors agreed to encourage the CLC countries to seize opportunities to increase their publishing. There is a real necessity of publishing more content for the digital age and we are actively examining the steps necessary to double our global publishing by 2020. This new challenge presents many wonderful opportunities for growth. Some CLC countries like Korea, India, the Philippines, Colombia and the USA have already published hundreds of titles! There are many possibilities to work with authors and various projects on a global scale. We have a great opportunity to share our knowledge and skills so that by 2020 we will be firmly grounded in our publishing operations in almost all of the languages where we are ministering.

Some of the languages in which we currently publish books are: Bahasa (Indonesia), Burmese, English, French, Hindi, Korean, Polish, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil and Urdu

Please pray for our teams as they actively look for opportunities to find excellent books to translate and publish, and as they promote national authors!

Actual Russian Bibles being published by CLC Belarus

Many of you may remember us mentioning this project last year, but for those who missed it, our team in Belarus took up the challenge to meet the need for more Russian Bibles both in Belarus and in Moscow, Russia. Both areas have found it difficult to get access to affordable, good quality Bibles and therefore decided to publish their own.

This project has been met with a great response from the customers in both areas and they’ve already had their third print run for these Bibles. Done in a variety of styles the average cost is approximately £5 (6 Euros) per Bible and the profit from their sales is going towards the very real need for a Christian bookshop in Belarus’ capital city, Minsk.

Interested in helping the Belarus team meet their goal? Go to page 22

Belarus Russian Bible / Bookshop Project:

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All CLC internships are an adventure. Some of them, however, are more of an adventure than others. In June and July of 2013, Ben Saxe was in Burkina Faso in West Africa to work with the CLC team there. He went to improve his French, teach Prosper Weda (the Director for CLC in French speaking West Africa) some English and to see what God is doing in this growing nation. After spending two months in Burkina, this is what Ben had to say:

“My name is Ben and I major in International Studies - Social Sciences and minor in both French and Biblical Studies at Cedarville University, Ohio in the USA. I was looking for an opportunity to apply all three studies, and God led me to CLC. There could not have been a more perfect choice for me than an internship in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Of course I had never even heard of Ouagadougou before, or even of CLC International – the ministry that offered me an internship there. I had however, travelled to West Africa with my family when I was

younger and was looking for the opportunity to go back.

This internship provided the ability to study more about business as mission, immerse myself in French and study the Bible through the eyes of another culture. It is one thing to explain my experience - but really it is truly indescribable!

Working in a Christian bookshop allowed me to work on my French every day; if not through talking to customers, then simply by reading the books in my free time. It was amazing to have a place where I could hear, first hand, from pastors about the state of the church in Burkina and what amazing things business as mission provides for the local church body. I also witnessed incredible evangelism through the pastors who work in the bookshop. I am confident that God brought me to Ouagadougou for a purpose, and I am thankful that He provided this opportunity through CLC.”

CLC Interns:

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Need a change?Maybe a new perspective?Why not discover missions in a whole new way?

CLC has Christian literature ministries in over 50 countries around the world that are daily making an impact into thousands of lives!

Bringing glory to God by making Christian literature

available to all nations so that people may come to

faith & maturity in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Want to know more? Contact us!International Opportunites: office@clcinternational.org UK Opportunities: personnel@clcbookshops.com

Ben was somewhat apprehensive before going to Burkina Faso. He was going to a new country on his own and would need to rely on his knowledge of French right away. He was meeting a national CLC team leader on his arrival, and would not be working as part of a western team. The food was going to be different, the weather would be different (really hot) and the people would be different. Despite all these challenges, Ben took off on the adventure of a life time and stayed the course.

As a result, God met his needs in many special ways. His accommodation was better than expected; he adjusted to the food quickly and began making friends. Ben also discovered that the daughter of a CLC leader in Europe was actually in Ouagadougou at the same time, and they were able to connect. This resulted in lots of fun and unexpected opportunities to spend time with local children and to get to know even more people.

Here is a great quote from Ben’s blog while he was in Burkina Faso:-“I have begun English lessons with Prosper and another pastor named Christopher. Certain sounds are difficult to teach, especially the “th” sound. It is absolutely hilarious having 2 grown men sitting at my kitchen table singing the ABC’s with me, and introducing themselves in English to each other. In return, I have learned a lot from Prosper. Before the lesson I prayed in English for God’s help and when we finished, Prosper stopped me and told me that it is important now that we thank God for His help. Prosper prayed in English and it was the best English I have heard him speak since I have been here. I am humbled to realize how little I stop to give thanks in prayer. ”

Every year CLC is looking for more people, young and old, who are willing to respond to God’s call on their lives. Come spend some time with CLC and discover how God will bless the world as a result of your willingness to go.

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The sign is up!

Australia & NZ

CLC Authors:

1) Please tell us briefly about your ministry. Our mission is to bring the healing and hope of Christ to children and families in crisis. Our task is to equip communities, local church members and caregivers with the training and resources necessary to help children and families in crisis overcome the effects of trauma-related experiences. The goal is to see children in crisis become children in Christ.

2) Our theme this issue is 'Being Jesus' Hands & Feet': is there a ministry testimony that relates to this that you'd like to share with our readers? Idah Kaggwa lives in Kampala, Uganda, where she ministers to orphaned children. Due to war, poverty and HIV/AIDS, Uganda has one of the highest orphan and widow populations in Africa. Idah is determined to make a difference in her country, and her perseverance is bearing fruit!

Because she was unable to travel to attend the CCTI Trauma and Crisis Care course, we did the training one-on-one over the internet. She worked very hard on the course and was awarded the first internet certificate from CCTI! As a result, many caregivers in her community, after seeing the results in her children, were requesting training as well.

Idah wrote,”Thank you for your prayers ... I don't cease talking about you and Phyllis for the wonderful ministry that has been such a wonderful blessing to me ... My approach now to children who are hurting is so different that positive results and fruits now are evident. I praise the Lord for you dear ones.”

Idah was invited to share the CCTI curriculum

Phyllis Kilbourn, PhD (Author and Founder of CCTI) Rosemary Sabatino (International Coordinator) info@crisicaretraining.org

A ministry of

with projects affecting over 200 children in her area. What a great woman of God! I know that the Lord called me to the little ones of this world, though many times I am faced with uncertainties and disappointments; but I know that my redeemer lives and, as I cling on to Him, I know that I won't be ashamed and my call won't be wasted.

3) Many of our CLC members and CLC World readers are involved in children's ministry or special ‘needs’ ministries around the world. For those who are not yet involved (or perhaps to enlighten some of our readers already involved), what are some tips or suggestions you wish someone would have shared with your before you began? Two topics we address in our advocacy training are God’s Valuing of Children and A Biblical Response to Children in Crisis. These issues not only reveal Christ’s heart of compassion, but also lay the foundation for a holistic and Christ—centred response in designing projects for hurting children.

4) What do you feel are the most important or impactful aspects for the children and youth involved in your ministry? Our prayer is that we help build a hope—filled tomorrow for children and families in crisis. The effects of trauma can “close the door” of a child’s heart to the life—giving love of Jesus by making it difficult, or often-times impossible, to have meaningful, trusting, and loving relationships. By receiving healing and hope for their hurting hearts, they are able to experience a vibrant relationship with others and, more importantly, with their Saviour, Jesus Christ!

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A Handbook for Counseling Children and Youth in Crisis.

ISBN: 9781619580848

“We began this project with the end in mind: to

produce a practical, effective resource that would

help workers and caregivers bring healing and

hope to children. Our task was to provide new

tools for the special people, working in many

occupations, who are caregivers. In this

handbook, various Christian authors offer

practical advice and guidance to those

working with troubled youth.”

Phyllis Kilbourn, Author

Let All the Children Come: A Handbook for Holistic Ministry to Children with Disabilities. ISBN: 9781619580671

“This book will help parents, caregivers, educators and church workers learn how to respond holistically to the needs of children with disabilities. The social, physical and emotional care are necessary perquisites in laying the foundation for the children’s spiritual growth and development.” Phyllis Kilbourn, Author

Phyllis Kilbourn, PhD (Author and Founder of CCTI) Rosemary Sabatino (International Coordinator) info@crisicaretraining.org

Your next conversation may contain gossip.

www.resistinggossip.com

Read a sample chapter on Facebook:

RRP: £9.99

ISB

N: 9

7816

1958

0763

Healing Hurting Hearts:

Coming Soon:

£9.99

RRP: £9.99

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to provide the vehicle we required to undertake the in-service training for the rural pastors of a church network in Kenya. As we progressed, we were aware of the goodness of God as He led us into contact with other Christian mission organisations who shared a similar vision for the encouraging and strengthening of the African church, which some years ago had been described as 'being a mile wide, but only an inch deep'.

We were working with resource suppliers in the UK who were able to furnish us with a range of suitable materials to enhance the development of these church leaders. We were startled to come across church leaders who shared a Bible with other leaders or believers as they were unable to afford the cost of a new one. Fortunately, the majority of these leaders were able to read English, and through support from believers in England, we were able to provide Study Bibles for the pastors with whom we were working.

However, our astonishment later increased when we made the discovery that there were large numbers of people in the rural areas who did not have access to a Bible, either of their own or in their homes. Further research revealed that the primary reason behind this was that the current cost of Bibles had increased some 300% during the

present financial climate, meaning that the cost of a new Bible was outside their ability to purchase. Discussions with senior leaders revealed that if Bibles could be provided at the pre-increase price, then there was agreement that this cost could be achieved as people were encouraged to save towards it. As we later shared this with supporters back home, funds were provided to begin supplying subsidised Bibles to partnering churches for sale to church members at the agreed price.

Our only difficulty was in securing a suitable supplier who could provide us with local language translations for Kenya. Then along came CLC who, we discovered, had a supply base in Nairobi,and had access to Bibles in several local languages. On our next visit to Nairobi in Kenya we met up with Edith Wamalwa who possessed a passion for blessing the church in Kenya which was comparable to ours. We were able to collect some eight cases of Bibles to begin with and distribute them to participating churches, where they were received with grateful appreciation. Over the past two years, we have been able to supply over 1,000 Bibles in five languages to partner churches for sale to their members, so there are churches where the majority of those attending now have Bibles. CLC were not only able to supply

In 2008, Leadership Development Partnership was founded

CLC Partners:

Brian & Sheila Keel with CLC’s Edith Wamalwa

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us with local language Bibles, but also a range of other useful resources to further assist our work with the rural pastors. Through their connections with suppliers, CLC have access to a wide range of highly useful books for pastors with varying degrees of education and experience. As our relationship with CLC strengthened, they offered to organise the deliveries on our behalf to various locations across the nation; we just had to supply the mobile phone numbers of the area leaders.

A situation has now developed whereby when I become aware of further supplies being required, I can instigate an email from my computer in my office at home to Edith in CLC Nairobi's office, requesting the availability and costs of supplying further quantities of Bibles and resource books. Once agreed upon, Edith will make the necessary delivery arrangements and send the account details across to CLC's International Office in Sheffield, England, for me to make payment arrangements with them. This is an example of modern technology combining with determined vision to provide unsurpassed service to rural church leaders; otherwise, they would not be able to make the strides forward, which are now becoming so much a part of their ongoing ministry. CLC are enabling dreams to become reality in the lives of people who have so few resources and are in need of experiencing the joy of Christian partnership. - Brian Keel, LDP

CLC Africa Projects: Ongoing support needed for these CLC Teams!

Liberia Next March, there will be a week-long Pastors’ Conference in Monrovia, Liberia. This is being organised as a joint venture by CLC Liberia, CLC USA and the historic Provident Baptist Church in Monrovia, where CLC is located. The main speaker will be Dr Tony Hart of the Trans World Radio programme Grand Old Gospel Hour. Tony is covering his own expenses, and CLC USA has raised funds from their annual donor banquet to help things along.

Sierra LeoneMr Nelson Clements, a former director of CLC’s ministry in Sierra Leone, had the wisdom and foresight to start a building project as an investment to safeguard the financial future of the ministry. It consists of a complex of apartments and is not yet completed as funds are lacking; nonetheless, the rental income gained so far has helped to see the ministry through some challenging times.

BeninEmmanuel Ladeyo, national director for CLC Benin, has a dream that one day, CLC will establish its presence by having its own property in his country and no longer have to pay rent. In faith, he has opened a bank account and begun to put aside funds for this dream to become a reality. Benin is widely known as the home of voodoo, which is the state religion there.

Swaziland National economic difficulties coupled with local problems have led to the need to downsize the CLC bookshop in Manzini. Nonetheless, we thank God that — so far —we are still in operation there. A number of gifts in 2013 have helped to keep us going and we are very grateful for the continued opportunity to serve.

Sagas: Finding Faith After Fifty by D.J. Carswell ISBN: 9781906173296Review: Rev David Barnes Publisher: 10ofthose Publishing, 123pp

Sagas is a collection of real life stories of mature people who have come to faith in their later years. It is a fascinating and varied collection which includes, among others, the testimonies of a cruse ship entertainer, a hospital worker, a single mother and even Colonel Saunders — the man behind Kentucky Fried Chicken. This book shows that it is not too late to change, and I think it would help to answer questions, dispel doubts and encourage many to come to faith. It makes a great evangelistic resource, and I note there are other titles in this series with the same format and by the same author, but appealing to young people (Live Wires ) and general adult (Real Lives).

Potholes and Belly-Flops by Susie Flashman Jarvis ISBN: 9780955913587Review: Bonnie Brooks Publisher: Instant Apostle, 209pp

Susie Flashman Jarvis writes about her life experiences in this frank account, and her journey has been a bumpy one! The first part of the book reveals the author’s difficult childhood relationship with her father, and the start of a downward spiral. Even while enjoying a successful modelling career, she was becoming addicted to class A drugs. God rescued her from this lifestyle, and we then follow the author through marriage and parenthood, times of vulnerability and wrestling with God, and a gradual healing over several decades. This journal is painfully honest, and shows how God is able to use his struggling children to help and bless others. The last entry in the book is a poignant reminder that God knows our deepest hurts and needs, and His timing is perfect.

The Reason for my Hope - Salvation: by Billy Graham ISBN: 9780849922046 Review: Brian Lutes Publisher: Thomas Nelson, 224pp

All around us, we hear about, observe and personally experience terrible tragedies and incomprehensible injustice, insensitivity and catastrophes. As a result, many are experiencing horrific mental, emotional, physical and spiritual suffering. Enslaved by a sense of hopelessness and desperation, many are longing for one who will provide a way of escape. In his book, "The Reason for My Hope - Salvation", Graham clearly identifies our flawed human condition. Using the comments of influential people of both the past and present, recent global events and Biblically—recorded events concerning the past and the future, he introduces us to the loving, gracious and merciful One: the one who offers refreshing relief, encouragement, endurance, strength and hope. For all those seeking these, Graham's latest book is a recommended read.

Building up the Body by Richard Steel ISBN: 9780857461759Review: Wilma Brock Publisher: BRF, 176pp

This is a comprehensive and practical guide to working with and encouraging volunteers who play such an important part in the Church`s mission. Richard Steel offers a theological foundation and framework for volunteering. He looks at many key issues for small and medium-sized churches and offers helpful suggestions that do not rely on large budgets and staff. He covers areas such as: understanding today`s volunteers; wider ways of volunteering; recruitment; teams and training; practicalities; saying `thank you`; and how to deal with conflict and end well. . His aim is to encourage good practice that will make the lives of volunteers better and their contribution more valuable. The book is well structured and very readable and for those who are involved in working with volunteers, this book is a `must read`.

Book Reviews...

RRP: £7.99

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RRP: £9.99

RRP: £5.99

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John Bunyan: The People’s Pilgrim by Peter Morden ISBN: 9781853458361Review: Rev. Brian Butler Publisher: CWR, 191pp

So you think being a Christian is hard in 2013? Well, in 1660 it was a whole lot worse. In that year, John Bunyan was arrested and imprisoned for preaching the Gospel. And prison was no picnic then, either. Yet it was in prison in dire circumstances that Bunyan wrote one of the greatest Christian books ever—The Pilgrim’s Progress. Still read today. Spurgeon said he read it fifty times! Bunyan was born in Bedford in 1628. He worked as a tinker, mending pots and pans. But England was in turmoil, and in 1642, Civil War erupted and England was plunged into a great period of uncertainty and turbulence, which culminated in the execution of King Charles I. Peter Morden’s beautifully and lavishly illustrated book tells Bunyan’s story, and although it is a history book, it makes Bunyan’s colourful life exciting for today’s readers.

God is Not Mad at You by Joyce Meyer ISBN: 9781444749960Review: Jean Mintoft Publisher: Hodder Faith, 256pp

This is the latest of Joyce Meyer’s many books. In this case, she addresses her teaching to those Christians who suffer from guilt and shame, who try to please God by performance and never seem to feel that God really loves and accepts them, which are far more common problems than we imagine. Joyce’s teaching is positive and encouraging as she majors on God’s mercy and the immensity of what He has done for us in Jesus. She clearly expounds how righteousness could never ever be earned, and encourages Christians to run to God with their sin and not move away. This is a clear message which is underpinned by numerous biblical verses, and would be valuable not only for “fragile” believers, but for any Christian who wants to be reminded of the basics of their faith.

Following the Breadcrumbs by Philippa Hanna ISBN: 9781780780870 Review: Claire Ison, CLC Coventry Publisher: Authentic, 296pp

Not knowing much about Philippa Hanna before picking up this book, I was slightly sceptical about what lay inside. I feared the usual mushy, woman—style autobiography, lots of looks but no real substance. But here is a biography and a person who I can relate to and could actually see myself being a mate with. She is honest about the ups and downs of her journey towards God and through the doubts and uncertainties of what becoming a Christian might mean for her future self. It’s refreshingly nice to read a biography and actually hear myself say ‘me too’. I especially enjoyed the chapters where she tells the stories of her working in the local ‘Workingmen’s Clubs’ and her dealing with her colleagues at the bars she worked at. This is something a modern Christian can understand.

Archbishop Justin Welby: The Road to Canterbury by Andrew Atherstone ISBN: 9780232529944Review: Neil Wardrope, CLC International Director, Publisher: DLT, 128pp

This is a highly readable account of the life and ministry of Justin Welby up to his appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury. It is an unauthorised biography in that no material is supplied by Justin Welby himself, but the author was given wide access to family, friends and former colleagues. Welby is described as someone as equally at home in the oil industry as he is dealing with church issues. His financial management experience is brought to bear on various projects within the church, and he is quoted as saying: “everything to do with money is merely theology in numbers”. He was reluctant to enter the Anglican ministry, but both he and his wife sensed an overwhelming call of God. Welby’s spirituality is very eclectic. His early encounters were through Holy Trinity

Brompton, he has many links with Vineyard and New Wine, and yet he retreats on a regular basis to the calm of a monastery. He insists that the external form of worship is less important than the spiritual reality. An excellent book and an unexpected page-turner.

RRP: £8.99

RRP: £9.99

RRP: £13.99

RRP: £7.99

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Remembering my stepdadC. S. Lewis’s stepson, Doug Gresham, gives a very personal refl ection on his stepfather, fi fty years after the death of the man he knew as Jack.

I never knew ‘C.S. Lewis’, the name on the spines of the books, for the living, breathing man who fi lled my young life with his presence was ‘Jack’. My fi rst encounter with him was extraordinary. I was an 8-year-old American schoolboy, ‘straight off the boat’, brought to Oxford a short while after arriving in the strange land of England. I was being taken to meet the man who, as far as I was concerned, actually knew High King Peter of Narnia and the great lion Aslan. But in the kitchen of his house, The Kilns we were greeted by a slightly stooped, balding, round-shouldered being with long nicotine-stained fi ngers and teeth, dressed in the shabbiest clothes I had ever seen. Despite my initial dismay, Jack soon emerged from my imaginary C.S. Lewis to become a real friend and a much-loved stepfather. In today’s world, many will have diffi culty believing in the real Jack. He had grown up with the nineteenth-century belief in honesty, personal responsibility, commitment, duty, courtesy, courage, chivalry and all those great qualities society now needs so desperately to recover. Jack also had come to understand a great deal about humanity. He was no stranger to suffering: he lost his own mother at the age of nine; he fought in the First World War, and lived through the Second, losing friends in both. He learned to love and to lose, and suffered their respective agonies. No one could have blamed him had he closed himself off and become the cloistered scholar, as is often depicted. Instead, he plunged once more into love and pain by marrying my mother, who was already dying at the time. He faced the pain of loving one whom he knew was unlikely to be with him very long, and also took on the responsibility for my brother and myself. Was C.S. Lewis a great scholar? Undoubtedly. Was he a great writer? No honest scholar today can doubt that for a moment. Was C.S. Lewis a great teacher? That, I think, is also unquestionable. A great theologian? Many of today’s fi nest Christian scholars strongly believe so. Although he would never have laid claim to any of those titles, nor perhaps even have accepted them from others, he was all of those things and a great deal more besides. You see, while C.S. Lewis was a great scholar, a great writer, a great teacher and a great theologian, Jack was a great man.

Jack

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CLC UK PROJECT: ‘Shop-in-a-box’Although we are greatly encouraged that the Church in Africa is growing so incredibly fast, the book famine continues to be unrelenting. High costs add to making Christian books too expensive for the majority. In response to this, in 2010, CLC UK began coverting shipping containers into bookshops that are then placed on the grounds of a church or friendly business. Each container is properly fitted out and stocked with dependable, relevant and affordable books, Bibles and other resources, thereby becoming a sustainable retail outlet. Two members of staff are then trained in evangelism and Christian retailing, and the project even covers their pay for six months. All this is done for just under £10,000! We replenish stock through our existing supply chain and have established that the lower set-up and overhead costs have given people of all ages access to affordable Christian resources. Please continue to pray for the necessary contacts and support needed for this ministry.

Manager Wilfare Malemo inside Eldoret ‘Shop-in-a-box’

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