Here is this month's Bible-a-month Extra. Read on to find out how millions of Bibles are being printed in China...
 

January 2018: China
Christians in China have been through very difficult times. This month your support will give someone in China the Bible that they've longed for.

  Gu's Story 
ChinaCountry

China is a vast country, diverse in its cultures and geographies. Its huge land mass gives space for the deserts of Inner Mongolia, the Great Wall climbing across the mountain peaks, the expanse of rice fields in the south, and the streets of Shanghai filled with its 24 million people.

This beautiful country is home to over 1 billion people. More and more people are moving to the large cities in the east of the country, with still large numbers living in rural mountainous and arable areas. For many the price of living is too high and the numbers of families living in extreme poverty are great.

China is officially an atheist country, but restrictions put in place by the government are relaxing and people are being given more freedom to practice their faith. There are now five State permitted faiths in China: Catholic, Protestant, Taoist, Muslim and Buddhist. The Christian Church in China is growing with an estimated growth of 500,000 to 1 million people each year.
Bibles for China's MillionsProject

As more people become Christians in China, the demand for Bibles is growing. There are many millions of people who are so eager to own God's Word for themselves - people who have been Christians for years and people who have only just discovered the grace of God. There are people in China who desire to own God's Word and yet they simply can't afford to buy a Bible.
The China Partnership of Bible Societies is involved in ground breaking work to make the Bible available to everyone in China.
For years there has been a strong partnership between Bible Societies and the Amity Printing Company in Nanjing. Amity is printing Bibles in China. This huge printing press had its 30th anniversary last year and celebrated the printing of over 160 million Bibles in that time. 70 million of these Bibles have been delivered to homes in China.

Bible Societies are working with Amity by paying for the paper that is used to print the Bibles. A £500 bale of paper will produce about 600 Bibles. Providing this paper means that Bibles are able to be sold at a reduced price or freely distributed. If people in Northern Ireland keep raising this money, Bibles will keep being printed and given to people in China.
Printing at Amity is only the start of the incredible journey of the Bible in China. There are amazing things happening when the Bible is shared. Read Gu's story below or take a look at the China Partnership website here.
Gu Zhi Zhong's StoryStory

Gu is 72 years old. He has been through some very difficult times but he has experienced tremendous grace from God, and recognises the presence of His Word during challenging times:

"I discovered that the Bible was of great help to me. After my wife died, I had a heavy burden to bear and struggled hard to raise four children. But I found great comfort and strength in the faith, amidst all the hard work and difficult times. Before I became a Christian, I was in poor health, but after my conversion, I became much better."

God performed a miracle in Gu's life and now he is keen to share his faith with others. In 2000 he was run over by a van:

"When the wheel rolled over me, I cried out, 'Lord, help me!' Amazingly, I was able to get up, completely unharmed! I said to the bystanders, 'It was Jesus who saved me!'"
Seven eyewitnesses of the accident became Christians!
"They had seen what happened, they heard the prayer I cried out, and they heard me say that it was Jesus who saved me. They had seen the miracle right before their eyes, and said, 'It must be very good to be a Christian.'"
Gu wants to see more people become Christians so he is attending lay preacher training to learn how to share the Bible with others.
Pray Pray

Please pray for this work...

  • For more Bibles for the growing population of Christians in China, and for the funding to provide them.
     
  • For each person who receives a copy of the Bible; pray that they will read and understand the Word of God.
     
  • For the huge amount of work being done by the China Partnership. The work includes Bible-based literacy classes, the translation of the Bible into minority languages, and equipping pastors and lay preachers at seminaries.
What will your £5 do? Give

This month your gift of £5 will give someone in China the Bible that they've longed for.   

Thank you for your contribution as a Bible-a-month partner. If you would like to make an additional donation to this project you can do so online or by text.

Make an online donation now or text BAMC18£5 to 70070

We really appreciate the regular donations given through Bible-a-month. A simple way to give regularly is by setting up a direct debit. If you would be interested in finding out more about this then please get in touch with Bible Society NI using the contact details below.
Bible-a-month Extra

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