The Bible Matters Newsletter for April/May 2012

Transcription

1 The Bible Matters Newsletter for April/May 2012 A Word from Wood Your giving and prayers are helping transform the lives of many through God s Word. As you have been so faithful in your partnership, I wanted to share with you some of the latest. With your support, gotandem continues to provide thousands with encouragement specifically designed to meet them right where they are. As one person recently described a message received through gotandem, It was as if God reached down His almighty arm and handed me a note. I cannot thank you enough for all that you are doing to keep us on the air. Thanks to you, an increasing number of people in the midst of their day-today lives are encountering God through this multi-channel discipleship tool. In fact, gotandem is having such an impact, that Back to the Bible recently received the NRB Most Creative Online Initiative Award from the National Religious Broadcasters. It is with great joy that I share this award with you, our ministry partners. Without you, gotandem simply would not be possible. A similar discipleship strategy, MoBible, is utilizing mobile phone technology to share God s Word in countries around the world. During a recent trip to prepare for launching MoBible in Nepal, our CEO, Dr. Arnie Cole, heard from Christian leaders about the importance of this discipleship tool, especially now as the church is rapidly growing in this nation. Of course, as technology opens new avenues to help people engage the Word, our radio ministry continues. From those who have recently tuned in to those who are long-time listeners, so many are grateful for these ongoing broadcasts. I cannot thank you enough for all that you are doing to keep us on the air. Your prayers are vital to these endeavors. As you intercede for this ministry, please remember that we are praying for you, lifting up your requests and praises to God. What an encouragement it is to know that we can approach Him with confidence in His abundant grace, overflowing mercy and great faithfulness. r Memorize with us! Cut out this verse and post it on your mirror or fridge. See the reverse side for the radio schedule. My son, do not despise the LORD s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights (Proverbs 3:11-12 ESV). If you ever miss a BttB broadcast, you ll find them all online, anytime, for free. Go to

2 What Listeners Are Saying As you have kept us on the air, people everywhere are receiving the assuredness that can only be found through the living Word of God. Here s some of how listeners are responding: I hear your broadcast every morning at 9am. The clear Bible teaching is truly a blessing for me and makes my day. I love you guys. I listen to your program every morning. And I m only It helps me a lot :) I am 90 years of age and my deepest desire is that my remaining years will count for our Lord. I became a Christian through Back to the Bible many years ago. My delight is to give out tracts containing God s Word and of the hundreds I have shared, only three people have refused to accept one. I have learned so much from your broadcasts and your study guides. They are my favorites of my The clear Bible teaching is truly a blessing for me and makes my day. gotandem Receives National Recognition Bible study lessons. I m so thankful you are on the air and preaching God s Word. God bless you and your staff. Thanks for your teaching of God s Word. It helps me to see things from God s point of view. I pray that God would be glorified. Looking forward to keep hearing you on the radio here in Maine! God bless. Please stay on the radio!! I listen to you every weekday morning at 6:30am on WAFT and have Bible study before work. Thank you! I would like to thank you for praying for family and friends. I thank God for having Back to the Bible. I always listen to your station every night when I m going home. It always gives me strength and enlightenment in walking in the Lord. Thank you so much for spiritual knowledge that you shared for us. r In recognition of gotandem, Back to the Bible recently received from the National Religious Broadcasters the NRB Most Creative Online Initiative Award. NRB President and CEO, Dr. Frank Wright had this to say, Based on their solid Bible engagement research, Back to the Bible has developed a vital tool to help people grow deeper in their relationship with God. By allowing Scripture to permeate people s routines through cell phone calls, text messages and s all at the time of the users own choosing gotandem is a bold, new initiative to reintroduce the Bible back into our culture. This recognition is a testimony to your ongoing support. For it is you, through your giving and prayers, who are reintroducing the Bible back into our culture. Dr. Wright describes what he appreciates about the features of gotandem. I love the idea that in The gotandem addition to [a morning quiet time] you can also website is almost too have these devotional good to be true. moments provided... throughout the day through gotandem and all of continued on next page On the Radio Themes for Apr/May Broadcasts Finding Hope in Jesus Resurrection The Search for Significance Postcards from Paul Prodigals and Those Who Love Them Amazing Women of the Bible Learning to Manage Temptation If You Fall, Don t Stay Down Apr. 2 - Apr. 6 Apr. 9 - Apr. 13 Apr Apr. 27 Apr May 4 May 7 - May 18 May 21 - May 25 May 28 - June 1 Schedule may be subject to change. Listen anytime by going to backtothebible.org Please call for information on ordering CDs or supplemental resources of programs.

3 gotandem Receives National Recognition... continued its efforts. You can actually receive a text message and a verse by phone and you have so many different touch points... the only [real] opportunity we have to grow in grace, to grow in the Lord is to be engaged in His Word and gotandem is so strategic in its thinking about how we can do that. [People often ask] what does it mean to walk in the Spirit? You know the Spirit is the author of the Word. And so when you re walking in the Word, you re walking in the It was as if God reached down His almighty arm and handed me a note. Spirit. It s the Spirit of God informing your life throughout the day. I really love what you re doing. I m really excited about your outreach and the way in which you give us tools that we can be disciples throughout the day. I know we re supposed to do that... but we need these tools to remind us. So you do us a great service. I really am encouraged as I think about the outreach of gotandem and the leadership of Back to the Bible. You are indeed helping provide a vital tool to people who are seeking to grow in their daily discipleship. Here are a few of the recent notes of gratitude: I sent an to all I could concerning gotandem... I enjoy it personally! (I also enjoy praying with Jessica [during the encouragement phone calls].) I plan on using gotandem for my son who is going to college next year. Thanks so much for your program. All I know is that the very first message I got was absolutely right on for what I was struggling with that day. It was as if God reached down His almighty arm and handed me a note. And the God that I worship arranges for things like that all the time. The problem is not that He doesn t speak to me, it s that I m not always receptive to His Word, even when it comes hand-delivered! Thank you, thank you, thank you. The gotandem website is almost too good to be true. r Launching MoBible in Nepal In February, CEO, Dr. Arnie Cole, and International Director, James Kanaganayagam, travelled to Nepal to prepare for the launch of MoBible in this nation. This discipleship tool, which is already utilized in several countries, delivers daily passages of Scripture directly to cell phones. When the phone rings a person need only pick it up and listen. Cole reports, The purpose of MoBible is to reach the unreached, marginalized people living in cultures dominated by Islam, Hinduism or Buddhism. This discipleship tool helps those who desire to know God personally by enabling them to engage the Bible through their mobile phones. Thousands will be able to hear God s Word, come to faith in Jesus Christ and begin a journey of personal spiritual growth by engaging the Bible. This strategy is designed to effectively share God s Word in nations such as Nepal, where 75% of MoBible will fill a great need of the Nepali church. the women and 44% of the men are illiterate, yet almost half of the population uses mobile phones. The report goes on to describe a meeting with Christian leaders in Nepal, including the director of Back to the Bible s ministry in this nation. Kanaganaygam states, The leaders all welcomed MoBible as a ministry that will meet a need that is not currently being met by the church or other organizations. They saw it as a positive use of mobiles (cell phones) for young people and also an effective way to help those who are illiterate engage the Bible. These leaders see a great need for discipleship and follow-up in Nepal. They lamented the fact that while many accepted Christ at evangelistic rallies, these new believers would fall away within a month due to the lack of follow up. While there are some follow-up material and correspondence courses now, MoBible will fill a great need of the Nepali church. continued on next page

4 Launching MoBible in Nepal... continued For the past few years the government has moved completely away from making it illegal to be a Christian. According to our advisory board, church planting and growth in Nepal is on a record-breaking pace. One evangelist stated, So many people are coming to the Lord, they are falling through the cracks. In a recent rally attended by more than Staff Focus: Pam Ovwigho 10,000 people, 1,000 people came forward to accept Christ. Sadly, within less than 30 days we lost track of all those who came forward. With such a great need for discipleship resources, please pray for the Christian leaders in Nepal and all the efforts to launch MoBible in this nation. r Pam Ovwigho is the Executive Director of our Center for Bible Engagement. She designs and carries out research studies on Bible engagement and spiritual growth. When describing her work to others, Pam will often say, I ask people a lot of questions about what s working and what s not in their spiritual lives and help design things to move them closer to Jesus each day. Pam and her husband, Ramsome, have been married for 12 years. They have four children: Gloria (9), Charis (8), Serena (6) and Garen (4). We like to travel and play basketball and I enjoy making beaded jewelry and crochet. We also find ourselves spending a lot of time in the car driving our kids to all their activities. Pam goes on to share how she got started with Back to the Bible: While I was working at the University of Maryland studying poverty and family violence, I had this idea that my research skills could somehow be used in ministry, though I didn t know exactly how. Not long after I began praying about this, I received an about Back to the Bible starting the Bible Literacy Research. I sent a reply indicating that I was interested in helping and heard back from Arnie Cole. When we talked, we realized my skills complemented his team s, and I started helping in a consulting role. Almost three years later, while I was still working at the University of Maryland, I received an from Arnie indicating that there were great opportunities around the corner. I was soon on my way to Lincoln, Nebraska and received an offer to work full time here. It s so exciting to be a part of what God is doing through Back to the Bible. I really enjoy working with the inspirational, encouraging, and creative staff. I can clearly see how Back to the Bible is helping people move closer to Jesus daily, people from all different backgrounds, not just the already reached. As someone who wasted many years not walking with Jesus daily, my heart s desire is to help others avoid that trap. I feel so blessed that the Lord has chosen me to play a small part in it. r Thank You! As the above ministry updates highlight, you are making an incredible difference. Because of you, people everywhere are growing in God s Word. Thank you for your faithful support and perseverance in prayer. I look forward to the ways that God will continue to work through your partnership. May He bless you. P.O. Box Lincoln, NE (800) By His Grace, Woodrow Kroll

5 Prayer Matters May/June 2012 In response to your feedback, we ve adjusted the schedule of Prayer Matters to accommodate the delay sometimes caused with the mailing schedule. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:16). As spring begins we enjoy a wonderful reminder of the beautiful new life God has given us! What an amazing thing that we can come before Him the Creator of the universe and all that is within it with the concerns of our daily lives. Thank you, thank you for praying with us for the needs below. And remember... we want to pray for you too! Please simply use the enclosed card to send your requests. Thank you for partnering with us to impact the world with the Word of God! WEEK 1 Apr 29 - May 5 WEEK 2 May 6 - May 12 WEEK 3 May 13 - May 19 Prayer Focus: Salvation and Discipleship On the Air ~ Prodigals and Those Who Love Them Each gotandem Spiritual Growth Encourager has the privilege of investing in the lives of hundreds of individuals each week. Please pray for their own encouragement as they seek to offer biblical encouragement and spiritual support to so many. Prayer Focus: Staff On the Air ~ Amazing Women of the Bible - Ruth Karmin, Tiffany and Jenna each play a critical role in providing administrative support for the ministry. Please join us in giving thanks for their unique gifts. Prayer Focus: New Materials On the Air ~ Amazing Women of the Bible - Esther We regularly hear from listeners who are earnestly praying for the salvation of family members and friends, and we invite you to join us by lifting up the names of 7 specific individuals who need the Lord Jesus throughout the week. Pray for Martin, Nancy, Paula and Pete as they work diligently to deliver Back to the Bible each day. May 15 is the release date for Unstuck: Your Life. God s Design. Real Change., from Back to the Bible CEO Arnie Cole and author Michael Ross. The book demonstrates how the research from the Center for Bible Engagement proves that the Bible is the only way to help people get unstuck spiritually and features true stories of people whose spiritual lives have been turned around by faithfully engaging God s Word. Pray for Arnie and Mike as they begin their next book focused on how the Bible can help us overcome temptation. WEEK 4 May 20 - May 26 Prayer Focus: Financial Stewardship Study On the Air ~ Learning to Manage Temptation Pray for Matt, Jenna and the rest of the Back to the Bible Foundation team as they seek to respond to the tremendous interest in Stewarding Your Stuff, a financial stewardship study that examines the different opportunities for impacting the world for Christ with the resources He s provided, today and long after we ourselves have entered into eternity.

6 WEEK 5 May 27 - Jun 2 WEEK 6 Jun 3 - Jun 9 WEEK 7 Jun 10 - Jun 16 WEEK 8 Jun WEEK 9 Jun 24 - Jun 30 Prayer Focus: Finances On the Air ~ If You Fall, Don t Stay Down The last several years have been financially turbulent for many of our ministry partners, as well as for Back to the Bible itself. Please pray that the ministry would finish the fiscal year in a strong position so that it might continue to meet the demand to expand Back to the Bible radio, gotandem and MoBible reaching more and more people with the truth and hope of the Gospel. Please pray for Bryon, Sean and Mark as they begin the process of evaluating budgets for the upcoming fiscal year that begins July 1. Prayer Focus: Faithful Stewardship On the Air ~ The 20 Most Important People in the Bible Please pray for our accounting and mail team, Sean, Back to the Bible seeks wisdom and the Lord s will as Mark, Carol, Lisa and Barry, as they focus on making we set our priorities by faith for the new budget year. sure that the ministry acts as a faithful steward of the Pray that God would give us clarity and direction as gifts and resources the Lord provides through our we seek to glorify Him. partners. Prayer Focus: Refreshment On the Air ~ The 20 Most Important People in the Bible (cont d) Dr. Kroll and Tami thoroughly enjoy the privilege Ben, Jack and Paul log many miles traveling around of sharing God s Word each day, but the recording the country to meet with ministry partners and share process isn t always easy. Pray that God would give the work of Back to the Bible with others. Please pray them both the wisdom and energy necessary to for safety as they travel and for the Lord to bless their continue to create faithful and fresh programs. conversations. Prayer Focus: New Technologies On the Air ~ The 20 Most Important People in the Bible (cont d) Providing resources online is a key component to reaching people today with the gospel and encouraging them as they grow spiritually. Please pray for Mark, Christian, Anil and Jody as the ministry examines how to utilize the latest technology to spread the truth of the Bible across the world. Prayer Focus: Outreach On the Air ~ The 20 Most Important People in the Bible (cont d) As International Director, James works with partners Pray for Tyler, Jamie and Nate as they create around the world to share God s Word through Back innovative video content to share via social media to the Bible and MoBible. Please pray for the many new such as Facebook and YouTube designed to point opportunities that God has presented internationally people to the Bible. for expanding His kingdom. Your faithful, specific prayers for each radio teaching series are so appreciated. May the Lord bless you!