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PRAYER CIRCLE
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8-22 January 2018
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We are excited to continue partnering with Baptist Youth's Amazing Journey project! More below.
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'Cast all your anxiety on him,
because he cares for you.'
1 Peter 5.7 (NRSV)
Happy New Year! Some of us are looking forward into 2018 with great expectation and anticipation. We know that God has great plans and we are open to joining Him in that! Yet, despite knowing God is at work, there are often niggling pressures, stresses and life situations that can rob us of our confidence, peace and joy. Often we come to God and lay our concerns out before him, but so often we do not leave them there. We continue to carry anxiety and weight that we cannot change.
Perhaps this year, we could lean into this verse? Perhaps we could learn to cast our anxiety on God. Literally throw it down, leave it there and trust God to cover it. Let God do the heavy lifting - He is so much stronger than we are!
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The devastating fire that left the Bible Society building in Zambia unsafe for use.
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Many of you prayed for the Bible Society in Zambia in February last year when a fire swept through their building leaving them with nowhere to work or store their Scripture.
The remaining issue, almost a year later, is their lack of warehouse space.
Remarkably, the Bible Society in Zambia purchase some 200,000 Scriptures each quarter which are then distributed. Some are sold, others are heavily subsudised, some are free distribution. Regardless, there are thousands of copies placed into people's hands each year. To help this continue, the team really need their warehouse back! They need space to store 200,000 Bibles at any given time and have plans in place to make this a reality.
Please will you pray that God will provide for the work that is needed to build a storehouse for Scripture. They currently have some 50,000 Scripture items that they simply do not have room for and that is just a fraction of the resources they often hold.
The fire damaged the building too badly to make it safe but praise God no-one was hurt and no Scripture was lost at the time.
Pray for funding, support from unexpected places and
faith to believe that nothing is impossible for God.
Pray that nothing will hinder the spread of God's Word, not lack of storage, funding or opportunity. Let's pray that God would pour out his blessing and
surpass the expectations of the team in Zambia.
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A participant having their photo taken in the Handwritten Bible 'frame'. |
Ugandan Bible Society is 50!
The Bible Society of Uganda was officially registered on 24th November 1968. Today's team will be celebrating their Golden Jubilee on the same date this year.
One of the ways they are celebrating this milestone in Bible work is by creating a
Handwritten Bible! They are re-writing the ESV (English Standard Version) Bible. The purpose is to increase Bible engagement. Over 31,000 Ugandans will directly participate in writing verses through this project, reading passages they may never usually turn to. The project was launched in November and will be taken to various locations in Kampala City and upcountry. Every district, tribe, gender and age bracket will be given the opportunity to participate. All funds raised through this special project will go towards a new Bible House for ministry in Uganda.
Give thanks for 50 years of opportunity in Uganda and pray that there will be many more years ahead. We pray that God will use the Handwritten Bible project to raise funds and awareness for the Bible Society. More importantly, we pray that God will
bring His Word alive as people engage with it in this unusual way. Many people will be taking part as they write a verse or more, pray that they will be compelled by the Spirit to read more of the Bible and that their hearts will be drawn closer to the one who breathed out the message.
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Changing Young Lives in Armenia
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Girls who attended the Summer Camp in 2017. Pray that they continue to grow closer to Jesus.
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One of the priorities for our colleagues in the Armenian Bible Society is helping children and young people discover God through His Word. They partner with other organisations to ensure that Scripture is available to young people who need it. They run Bible Theatres that visit schools, orphanages and Summer Camps. They host Bible Quizzes, host lectures and distribute Scripture. One opportunity that they have to share the Bible is through Summer Camps. Last June, they arranged a camp for 30 girls from different nationalities and churches and for many of them, it was the opportunity to let the Bible touch them in a new way.
Along with the Bibles and material received by the girls, the activities led to transformation in many of them. "Before the camp I would say I was 50% atheist," says Camilla, 15. "It isn't so easy to change an atheist, yet the camp did it! Now I believe in Jesus Christ, I am fully a Christian."
"Most of all I liked the conversations with the clergymen representing different Churches," adds Anahit. "Thanks to them, we understood that all of us, independent of denominations, believe in and love our Lord Jesus Christ".
Athurina, 16, says: "I gained knowledge about the Bible. But I also made some precious friends..."
Praise God for the work in Armenia to reach young people with the Gospel and for partnerships that create wonderful opportunities. Pray for the team in 2018, that they will see many more openings into schools and orphanages. Pray too that they will be blessed to see more young people coming to faith through their Summer Camps.
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NEWS at HOME
Travel
8-12 Jan - Catherine will be attending the Europe/Middle East affinity group in Athens where she will meet with other Bible Society Leaders from these regions. Pray that this will be a blessed time of renewing friendships and beginning new ones, a time of strategic planning and vision, encouragement and sharing.
17-18 Jan - A delegation from the Presbyterian Church in Ireland will be visiting
Bible Society projects during their visit to Lebanon.
Speaking Engagements
Tue 9 Jan, 8pm - Leah is at Churchtown Presbyterian, Maghera
Tue 16 Jan, 8pm - Leah is at Gilnahirk PW
 Amazing Journey (AJ)
Please pray for AJ visits to the following schools:
Mon 8 Jan - AJ4 will reach 240 pupils in Rosetta Primary
Tue 16 Jan - AJ4 will reach 180 pupils in St Bernard's Primary, Castlereagh
Thu & Fri 18-19 Jan - AJ1 will reach 500+ pupils in Carnmoney Primary
 AJ is a brilliant series of interactive exhibitions that are designed for primary schools. Run by the Youth Department of the Baptist Churches in Ireland, AJ is booked by churches who approach schools to arrange the visit. The Amazing Journey has a number of presentations that can visit schools on an annual basis or as often as desired. The presentations cover differerent aspects of the Bible, but link together to give the children a knowledge and flavour of the world's best selling book! Bible Society NI partners with AJ by providing Scripture portions for each child and New Testaments where requested.
Find out more about AJ here.
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Daily Bible Reading Guide
The Daily Bible Reading Guide
is a resource that we produce each year, simply to help people read the Bible in a structured, regular way.
This is made available
free
to individuals and
churches and is always popular. We still have some copies available.
If you would like a copy, call in and pick one up, or if your group or church could make use of them, please do get in touch.
If you can't arrange for someone to collect your Reading Guides, we may ask you to cover the postage cost.
Order by phone 028 9032 6577,
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If you have any questions, give us a ring on
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