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Gift of Love From the Inside
Pastor Willy Dengler recently visited
NSW at the invitation of Bible Society
which helps fund his World Hope
Ministries outreach into prisons of South
Africa. In particular he wanted to thank
the inmates at Kariong for their recent
gift which had inspired others to give.
“Everywhere I go, I tell people in
churches how the inmates of a juvenile
correction centre in Sydney, sent me
$200 so I could buy Bibles to give to the
inmates in South African prisons,” Willy
said. “Whilst that’s not a huge amount,
people are inspired that inmates in one
prison wanted to help those halfway
across the world in another,” said Willy.
Following his visit and the
presentation of certificates to those
inmates who had contributed to the
original donation, the inmates pledged
another $165 so that more Bibles could
be provided for South African prisoners.
Schools with a Difference
Last December our youth department took a team
of young people to Fiji for an amazing 12 days full
of life changing experiences as they ran children’s
ministry in remote and urban parts of Fiji. In
each place they had the opportunity to share the
Gospel and give each child their very own Bible.
What did the team members think of the trip?
“Overall I had an awesome time and I would
definitely go on mission again with the Bible
Society. I learnt things about myself and my
abilities to work with children”. While another
reflected “I met the most amazing people, had the most indescribable
experiences, I feel that I have grown closer to God and a little bit closer to
discovering His plan for my life. I now know it is spreading the Word and
working with children – just gotta figure out where to get started”.
In December this year we will be heading back to Fiji, for another
Schoolies Trip. If you would like to find out more about this trip visit our
youth website www.biblesocietyyouth.org or email Mark Brown at
mbrown@biblesocietynsw.com.au.
Come with us to China
You are invited to join the Bible Society Team
on a Bible Distribution Trip to China in October
this year. You will have the opportunity to visit
the Amity Printing Press in Nanjing and help
distribute 10,000 Bibles to our Chinese brothers
and sisters in remote towns and villages within
the provinces of Jiangsu, Henan and Shaanxi.
You will visit local Churches, Bible Seminaries
and meet local Christians and so gain a better
appreciation of the opportunities, challenges and
needs facing the Church in China today.
There
will also be ample opportunity for sightseeing
and shopping. If you would like more information
on the trip contact David Lim on 0417 403 393 or
email dlim@biblesocietynsw.com.au.
Riding High in the Soutehrn Highlands
Bike 4 Bibles has been the Year 8 Mission Project
since 1997 at Southern Highlands Christian School,
Bowral. As part of the biblical studies units that
emphasis the Great Commission, Bike for Bibles
has been a practical way for the 14 year old
students to exercise their faith by trusting God to
use them to raise money for a variety of overseas
Bible Society projects.
Over the last 12 years some 356 students have ridden a total of 17,120 kms and raised an amazing $17,000.
Well done Year 8 and a big thank you!
If your school would like to make a real difference through
Bike for Bibles then contact Jim our Bike for Bibles Co-ordinator
on 0429 663 966 or email jblaxland@biblesocietynsw.com.au
A Man of the Book
Archbishop Mark Coleridge,
of the Catholic Archdiocese
of Canberra and Goulburn is
a Bible Scholar and a man on
a mission. In a recent Easter
message entitles ‘Let there be Light” he encouraged his
listeners to read and pray the Bible every day. He tells of
an encounter with a young leader from China who came to
Australia for World Youth Day. This young man became a
Christian at 15 and when the Archbishop met him he was
a 22 year old lawyer who had made great sacrifices and
suffered much because of his faith. He was asked, if he
had the chance, what he would say to the Synod of Bishops
gathered for World Youth Day. He replied that he would
tell the Bishops to “order” every Catholic to read the Bible
every day! When asked why, he replied simply that this is
the only way to get to know Jesus, and that knowing Jesus
was everything in the Christian life. The Archbishop went
on in his message to say that he sought to echo these
beautiful words of that young man at the International
Synod on the Bible held in Rome in October 2008
Signing Up for Jesus
Churches across NSW are signing up for the biggest
evangelical outreach this state will ever see. From September
15th this year, over four million people will see and hear
Bible Society’s ‘Jesus. All about life’ campaign.
The campaign will use prime-time media, including
television, radio, billboards
and the internet to encourage
people to find out more about
Jesus by visiting a web site
or contacting a call centre.
Each enquirer will receive a copy of the ‘Jesus. All about life’
response book which contains the Gospel of Luke.
Churches are encouraged to sign-up for the campaign
online at www.jesusallaboutlife.com.au. For $100 they’ll
receive promotional material, a list of specially produced
resources to help them reach out tot heir community and be
able to interact with other churches in their area.
The campaign has the support of the major denominations
and in Sydney will be run in conjunction with the Anglican
Churches ‘Connect 09’ outreach.
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