50,000/Year | One Million in 20 Years
Nearly 50 leaders from top Christian colleges around the U.S. recently met for the Evangelism Initiative 2012 at Dallas Baptist University. Led by several BGC staff, the event was designed to inspire leaders to be catalysts on their campuses such that evangelism would become a way of life for students, staff, and faculty. The goal of the evangelism initiative is that one million students would develop a lifestyle of evangelism in the next 20 years.
The Lost Continent? Archival Research Lecture
Dr. Hans Krabbendam, assistant director of the Roosevelt Study Center in the Netherlands, recently delivered the annual BGC archival research lecture. The text of his lecture, The Lost Continent? The Discovery of Europe by American Evangelicals,1940-1980, as well as photos of the event can be found on the Archives page >>
After World War II, American Evangelicals and Europeans responded quite differently to the changing position of religion in society. Krabbendam examined the confrontation between the two groups, showing when, why, and how Americans took to Europe to spread the gospel. The event was held September 27, 2012.
Bible Translated into Kimwani after 23 Years of Work
The Mwani people of northern Mozambique have been folk Muslims since the time of the slave trade, and most have never had the opportunity to hear the good news. Very soon, after 23 years of work, they should have the scriptures in their hands, in their own language, Kimwani. A team from Wycliffe Bible Translators (which includes past BGC scholar June Dickie) has lived with the people, learned their language, reduced it to writing, taught the people to read it, and translated a variety of books, Bible studies, the JESUS Film, and 34 books of the Bible. The text is being printed in South Korea. The translators are now seeking to establish “listening groups” using solar-powered audio Bibles. The number of believers is still very small, so please pray that God would use his word in Kimwani to reach deep into the heart of many.
BGC Scholar Publishes Fiction Book
BGC scholar Jeremy Sieberhagen recently authored a children's fiction story of a young horse and how he comes to understand and trust the great Tangri, Creator God. It is a story of confidence and exploration, of perseverance in hardship, of trust and friendship. It is a story that teaches that we are all loved and created by God. The book can be purchased through Koozzz Publishing >>
Evangelism outside the Box 1.0
Nathan and Vera Beck, former BGC scholars and current missionaries in the Czech Republic, wrote to us about a new evangelistic outreach in their area using Lego blocks. Lego Project Outreach is organized by the Brethren Church in the Czech Republic to reach out to non-Christian children. The event is typically run in churches. For three days, children come together in the afternoon to build a large Lego city with thousands of Lego pieces. The project has two goals: (1) to point out God as the creator of the universe, who made us in his image and gave us creativity and (2) to teach important biblical principles for life. The hope was to invite the kids into church youth groups, where they could explore the gospel on a deeper level. For some of the children, this was the first time they had ever heard about God.
Evangelism outside the Box 2.0
Girma Gebremedhin, a recently-graduated BGC scholar, has become involved with Berea Teleconferencing. Berea Teleconferencing, a ministry run by a group of committed Ethiopian Christians living in North America, has three main focus areas: (1) encouraging and equipping Christians through Bible Study, worship, teaching, and prayer; (2) encouraging God’s people to be part of God’s mission all over the world; and (3) discipling Christians unable to attend church services. Each day, hundreds of people log in to the site from all over the world or call a number from their cell phones which allows them to hear a “message of the day” and interact with site coordinators by phone. Girma was invited by a friend to join the ministry and has seen the eagerness of many Christians to learn God’s word. Girma has led 35 people to Christ in the past four months as a result of this ministry.
BGC Scholar Speaks at Charles W. Colson Memorial Service
Chaplain Danny Croce, a former Billy Graham Center Colson Scholar, participated in the Charles W. Colson Memorial Service on May 16, 2012, in Washington D.C. at the National Cathedral. Of Croce, Colson once said, "People often ask what my legacy will be. The answer is simple. Apart from my ...family, it will be the living monuments of God’s grace, the people who have experienced a complete new life, and I’ve been privileged to be a part of. At the top of the legacy list will be Danny. He and I have a special kinship, and as I watch him grow in Christ, I rejoice, and I feel pride—the right kind of pride, that is. This is the man whom God anointed to do great things, to be a witness to our culture, to reach out to the poorest of the poor, and to give hope—new hope, indeed—to the 1 out of 32 Americans today who are either in prison or on probation. What’s the answer to the staggering prison problem in America? More Danny Croces." View the Memorial Service >>
Building a Bridge to Freedom Training
Institute for Prison Ministries (IPM) director Karen Swanson and Thomas Beckner, founder of the American Chaplaincy Training School and instructor in the IPM School for Correctional Ministries, led a week-long “Best Practices: Building a Bridge to Freedom” training for volunteers and corrections staff in Hawaii. The event was sponsored by Fishnet Ministries. A wide arrange of topics were taught bridging faith-based organizations with corrections and the community. In addition, four prisoners from the Women’s Prison Transforming Life Community were granted the opportunity to attend each day. They offered insights that brought a practical application and understanding of working with offenders. The training covered such topics as Thinking Errors, Evidence-based Practices, Motivational Interviewing, Bridges Out of Poverty, and More God, Less Crime.
BGC Scholar & Family Complete The Jesus Storybook Bible in Haitian Creole
Former BGC scholar Matt McCormick and his wife, Pam, recently completed the translation of The Jesus Storybook Bible into Creole. The McCormicks have been serving in Haiti for five years. They are now in the publishing phase. Read more >>
New Website for Christians Desiring to Reach Muslim Neighbors for Christ
How should we respond to the growing Muslim population in North America? With fear…with indifference….or with faith? In order to help Christians navigate these issues, the Coalition of Ministries to Muslims in North America (COMMA) has developed a website. It includes wisdom for reaching out to your Muslim neighbors, testimonies from Muslims who have accepted Christ, and other helpful resources. COMMA brings together people interested in reaching their neighbors for Christ. Muslim Evangelism Ministries, an authorized program of Wheaton College and an affiliated program of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, provides leadership to the coalition. Visit the website >>