CLC World Magazine 2014 - Issue 3

CLC W RLD clc.org.uk/clcworld

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2014 / 3

Romania

Philippines

Pakistan

USA

France

Korea

India

Colombia

Belarus

Italy

Italy

India

Korea

Philippines

Christian books CHANGE lives!

USA

Romania

Poland

Result: CLC renews its focus on global

PUBLISHING! Canada

Poland

Italy

Bringing glory to God by making evangelical Christian literature available to all nations so that people may come to faith and maturity in the Lord Jesus Christ.

TIONAL

INTERNA

Book-signing with bestselling children’s author, Bob Hartman, at our bookstall during CliffFest2014 in Derbyshire, UK.

CLC International (UK)

7-8Interview Author

291 Abbeydale Rd, Sheffield, S7 1FJ Tel: 0114 2812136 Mission Website: www.clc.org.uk Retail Website: www.clcbookshops.com

Publishing 5-6 CLC Summit in Korea

National Director:

ukdirector@clcbookshops.com

Finance Office:

financeuk@clcbookshops.com 51 The Dean, Alresford, Hampshire, SO24 9BJ Tel: 01962 733342

For Overseas Opportunities:

office@clcinternational.org

Registered as a charity in England & Wales (1015793) and in Scotland (SC037939)

chance 10-13 Last generation AHA

by Kyle Idleman

19-20 Book Excerpt

21-22 Reviews

personnel@clcbookshops.com Tel: 0114 2812136

18 CLC Poland

Personnel Enquiries:

15-16

clcworld@clcbookshops.com

14 New Shops

Editorial: For magazine feedback or to SUBSCRIBE to CLC World (Single or Bulk)

Getting involved

50 countries

around the world!

UK 23 CLC2014 Highlights

Amanda Lutes, CLC World Editor

We’re impacting thousands of lives daily in over

17 Testimonies 9 Christian Novels

Kenya Antigua & Barbuda Austria Martinique Bangladesh Mexico Barbados Mozambique Belarus Myanmar Benin Netherlands Bolivia Pakistan Bulgaria Panama Burkina Faso Papua New Guinea Canada Philippines Central Asia (3) Poland Chile Portugal Colombia Romania Cyprus Russia Dominica Sierra Leone Ecuador South Korea France Spain Germany Swaziland Guadaloupe Switzerland Hungary Thailand India Trinidad and Tobago Indonesia United Kingdom Italy United States Côte d’Ivoire Uruguay Japan Venezuela

From the editor:

“Sorry, I can’t stop right now - I’m in a rush!”

Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.

1 Timothy 4:5

How often do we hear that phrase or perhaps say it ourselves? Too often I’m sure. Within an ‘instant’ society where everyone can be reached 24 hours a day, we are bombarded by drama, adverts, etc.

Everyone is telling us about a new ‘must-have’ or quick fix that will surely make our life better. The more we hear it, the more it must be true, right? Wrong!

However, as the saying goes, you are what you think.

The more exposure we have to these things, the more likely these thoughts are going to start to take root.

In our need to ‘rush’, even our relationships are suffering. When was the last time you had an enjoyable conversation with a friend or family member without your phone interrupting you repeatedly? Even our churches can feel less like a ‘community’ at times and more of a ‘volunteers needed’ notice board, focusing on the numerous ‘vacancies’ rather than our relationships with one another. How long has it been since you called your church leader or a fellow church member just to chat instead of to arrange something with them?

With so much going on, it’s not all that surprising that sometimes we just have to ‘shut down’ everything around us in order to keep ‘sane’. If you are like me, you are also ‘selfish’ with your free time, choosing to do the things you love during those occasions. Here’s a challenging question: How often do you dedicate some of that free time to focus on growing in your

Christian faith? (I admit that I do less than I should.)

So what can we do to stop this trend of being too busy, to stop, grow and share? Things are not necessarily going to ‘slow’ down just because we want them to – but we can start to make some changes to our routines that will greatly impact our lives and our relationships. Here’s some suggestions from our CLC USA Director, David Almack: • Commit to spending significant time with the Lord in prayer and meditation every day.

• Choose a selection of Christian books that will truly edify and enlighten, not just entertain you.

• Try to drastically reduce the time spent indulging in other forms of entertainment like TV, movies, etc.

• Plan to deal forthrightly with the greatest time stealer—social media. Set regular times to check in and respond to posts but stay off it for the rest of the day! (Now that will be a challenge for me!) , in your bold plans so that you can • Include others enjoy reading and sharing together. These times of discussion will not only build up your faith but also your relationships.

Remember: Our thoughts greatly impact our

lives—the more ‘good’ we put in, the more ‘good’

will come out!

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy— meditate on these things. Phil. 4:8 3

“When I read, it’s a chance to sit down with a great thinker or a great historian or an adventurer—or even an apostle—and absorb their wisdom. I don’t know how many historians and philosophers I will ever have a chance to meet in this life and I certainly won’t meet an apostle, but through great books, a reader has a chance to gain immeasurably from the experience and counsel of those more gifted. Good books are great road maps for life.”

-Joni Eareckson Tada

Introducing the Personal Growth Library

9781619581715

Each of us can gain so much from reading the works of great Christian writers. We encourage you to start your own library of classics that have changed lives and offered inspiration to readers through the ages.

To help you begin your library, we have compiled a carefully selected list of recommended books, chosen for their depth of wisdom and their power to transform hearts and lives.

Retail book experts, members of The Parable Group nationwide, gave us their best recommendations from years of listening to reader feedback and watching first-hand the impact of these books on lives.

Our prayer is that this guide may assist you in building a personal library to deepen your walk with God, as well as help you choose books to lend to others so they can do the same.

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CLC Publishing Summit in Korea In May six of the larger publishing teams in the CLC world and CLC Pakistan, which is just getting started in publishing, gathered in Korea for the first-ever CLC Publishing Summit. Here is some of what we learned during those days together: Korea – CLC has been publishing books in Korea for over 40 years. Their focus has been on producing academic materials for the fast-growing Seminary and Bible College community. Given that the Presbyterian Church is one of the largest evangelical groups in Korea, the emphasis has been on translating and publishing books by reformed authors. Over the decades the team has published 1500 books and they currently have 800 in print. CLC Korea is the largest publishing house in the CLC world; and operates from a beautiful four story building in downtown Seoul. They have recently built a new and larger warehouse space to house the books they have published. With the growth of the evangelical church in Korea, the team is now looking to expand their publishing emphasis beyond the academic niche they have developed so well. It was great to see two of the books that they acquired from CLC Publications in the USA being featured in their showroom.

Colombia – The team in Colombia produces the Spanish language materials for the rest of the CLC world and has 150 titles in print. They publish as many as twelve new titles each year and work with many of the largest evangelical publishers in the USA to get high quality content. We have a special relationship with this team and have given them first right of refusal to publish any of our titles in Spanish. Over the years this has been a fruitful partnership and many of our new titles are quickly translated into Spanish and made available to the public. The work in Colombia is growing so fast that they have recently purchased a sizeable new warehouse to house the books they publish and distribute.

India – The team in India has reignited their publishing efforts in the last seven years. They are the second largest publishing house in the CLC world with over 600 titles in print. More than half of these are in the Tamil language. The team leader, Christopher Robert, has led the way in re-establishing their English language publishing initiatives. We have worked very closely with him and many of the titles that CLC USA first acquired are now being produced for the Indian market at very affordable prices. In the last 18 months they have launched a growing e-commerce website that is filling orders from all over the country.

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Myanmar – CLC has been publishing books in the Burmese language since 1992. Today they have over 200 books in print and have published some very important books including the Lion Bible Handbook and the Purpose Driven Life. Jacob Mung, the team leader, has worked sacrificially with his team to make evangelical Christian literature available in this country that is closed to outside missionary influence. One local pastor has said that Jacob’s efforts have changed the trajectory of Christianity in his country. They are now beginning of creating the first ever Burmese Language Study Bible. Ideally it will be available by 2017.

UPDATE: Thank God for the provision of a POD (Print on Demand) system that has been given as a gift to CLC Myanmar.

The machinery arrived safely in Yangon in July and someone travelled to Myanmar to instruct the team in how to use the The Mung Family equipment . Praise the Lord for this wonderful gift and pray that it will be used well.

Pakistan – CLC publishes books in the Urdu language in this predominantly Muslim country. They are currently working on two books by Lee Strobel, including The Case for Christ. Given the small number of evangelicals in the country, they have required external subsidy for publishing work. It is a dangerous place to work and our team members have had their lives threatened in the past.

Despite this, they minister on a daily basis to Muslims that visit our bookstore.

Philippines – The CLC team in the Philippines produce books in both Tagalog and English. Today they have nearly 300 titles in print and are working on as many as twenty new books a year. It was exciting to hear their desire to produce more books by local Filipino authors. They have worked closely with CLC USA to get rights for English language printing and have made many of our new books available within a year of their first publication in the USA. At the conference, we were challenged to consider doubling our publishing efforts over the next nine years and to help a number of new countries get their publishing efforts started for the first time. What a blessing to worship, dream and plan together.

A wonderful time spent praising God together, learning from one another, and encouraging each other.

Some of the 800 titles Korea has in print!

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Sarah Williams (CLC Wholesale UK) interviews author Adrian Reynolds about his new book, And so to bed...

In our fast-paced world, sleep often seems like a struggle. We tend to think of it as a rare luxury to be chased or a necessary inconvenience to be cheated. Whether you stare at the ceiling waiting to finally doze off or dose up on coffee to stay up working late, we feel like we’re constantly battling with sleep.

But what does God think about sleep? In his new book And So To Bed, writer and pastor Adrian Reynolds takes us back to the Bible and shows us what our Creator has to say about His good gift of sleep. We asked Adrian to tell us more…

Sarah: You mention in the introduction to And So To Bed that a sermon by C. J. Mahaney got you thinking about sleep. Can you tell us a bit more about how your idea for the book developed?

Adrian Reynolds: Pastorally, I was aware that many people find sleep a struggle. Most pastors notice this as people nod off in their sermons. But it all became much more personal when my eldest daughter was very seriously ill for a long period of time. One of the symptoms was that she was unable to sleep and it was shocking to see how that lack of sleep made everything else worse. I remembered that the Bible is not silent on the subject and determined to unearth some of its treasures – first of all for her, but it helped me too and people in our church.

While reading the book, I was struck by how much the Bible has to say about sleep. Were you surprised by anything you discovered when researching and writing this book?

I think it’s a key Bible theme that runs from start to finish. I think what I loved most was that sleep is a good thing. The world tends to think of sleep negatively. It’s macho to stay awake all night and, like Margaret Thatcher, to be able to “survive” on 4 hours sleep. That’s not a biblical attitude. Thinking of sleep as a “sweet” gift transformed my view of night-times.

In this book, you also show how sleep can help us understand the gospel itself. Do you see this as a book to give away to a friend?

I wrote it primarily for Christians, but I tried to make it accessible enough for anyone with no Biblical knowledge. But you’re right: sleep does teach us about death and so I want all kinds of people to read it.

Do you enjoy the writing process and do you have a particular writing routine?

I do enjoy writing, but have very little time! I work full time for The Proclamation Trust and also serve as Associate Minister at my church, so spare time is limited. The trustees graciously give me time to write – I therefore write in blocks and bursts. It does mean that there are several unfinished books on my desk just waiting for another burst!

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What other titles would you recommend for people interested in a Christian perspective on sleep?

The reason I wrote the book is that I found no other Christian books. There are plenty of secular books which contain good and important wisdom; but nothing explicitly Christian. David Murray in the US is starting to think through these things: he may write soon, but in the meantime there’s lots of information on his Head, Heart, Hands blog.

There have been a number of recent books in which a similarly basic, everyday matter is explored from a Biblical perspective (e.g.

The Everyday Gospel by Tim Chester, True Friendship by Vaughan Roberts, Crazy Busy by Kevin Deyoung). Why do you think we find it so hard to apply the gospel to our everyday lives?

The New Covenant life is quite different from the Old Covenant life. The law regulated pretty much all of life. Under the New Covenant we are often given principles to apply (e.g. generosity in 2 Corinthians 8-9 replaces tithing in the law). That means we have to apply godly wisdom to get from principles to practice. Some people would prefer law! But I prefer the way of the Spirit-filled life even if it means we have to think more and work things through. That’s how God has made us!

How have Christian books played a role in your life as a believer? Do you have an all-time favourite?

I love books! I’m a bookshop owners dream. My wife will tell you I own far too many. I tend to read quickly but the mark of a good book is that I slow down and read again. There aren’t many books I’ve done that with. The most helpful book I’ve personally read is Pleasing People by Louie Priolo. It really hit the mark for me. I also love Jeremiah Burroughs’ The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. It’s an old Puritan book so can be hard work, but William Barcley has written a modern summary in The Secret of Contentment.

What are you reading at the moment?

I’m just getting ready for a big conference so I’m reading about ten books which are possible stage recommendations! But most time is being devoted to Taking God at his Word by Kevin Deyoung and What is the Meaning of Sex? by Danny Burk. Both are excellent.

Are you planning any further writing projects in the near future?

Half-finished is a church history book which is a gentle and accessible overview of church history for non-historians. I’m also working on the next volume in our PT Teaching series, Teaching Ezra.

Adrian Reynolds is Director of Ministry at the Proclamation Trust and also serves as associate minister at East London Tabernacle Baptist Church, London.

Sleep is part of our created humanity, a good gift from God to be treasured and enjoyed; an earthly picture of a spiritual reality. In this reflection on sleep, Reynolds shares what the Bible has to say about sleep and rest, and how that can impact not only your night but your life. He includes his suggestions for turning off and enjoying rest.

Author: Adrian Reynolds

9781781913673, £4.99

Available in our shops & online at www.clcbookshops.com

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Christian Novels:

Recommended reads that edify, encourage & entertain!

Bridge to Haven - F. Rivers Set in the mid-20th Century America, we have a story of abandonment, tragedy, sadness but also romance, hope and redemption. Abra, the main character, in search of her identity, as so often happens, finds herself at the mercy of scrupulous characters. Find out how love and persistence, faithfulness and trust can bring healing and hope.

Murder Simply Brewed - V. Chapman In the breath-taking, beautiful countryside farms near the Amish Artisan Village, tradition blends with technology and modern lifestyle.

This is the setting where two lovely ladies - one Amish, one ‘Englischer‘ - start investigating the death of the coffee shop manager and other events that the police discarded as routine incidents and local hooligans.

Join them on a discovery of truth, friendship and romance.

Esther Dowey, CLC Bookshop, Inverness

Ane Cotovan, CLC Website: www.clcbookshops.com

9781782640998

9780764211713

9780310326168

9780764210891

9781414391397

9780764212437

If you’ve never read a Dee Henderson book, now is the time to start! Dee has a wonderful way of blending crime, mystery and challenging personal faith situations into a novel that commands your full attention and encourages you to question and respond to some very challenging topics. Yes, there is always a touch of romance and fantasy to the books but in this editor’s opinion that just makes them better!

Dee is at her best when she writes stories that are interwoven so you truly get to know and fall in love with her characters. This new series is no different; each can be read as a stand alone but are more enjoyable if read in this order: Full Disclosure, Unspoken, Undetected.

Amanda Lutes, CLC World Editor

Making Marion - B. Moran So refreshing to read such good quality fiction based in Britain!

This book takes ‘running away to the circus’ right into the heart of England. An excellent concept executed exceptionally.

The storyline is gripping, dark in places, but ultimately enjoyable and moving. A triumph!

Joy McIlvoy, CLC Wholesale, Customer Service

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The last chance Children matter! They are a vital part of the church today, and as such, they should demand the highest quality teaching, care and resources.

Some recent research highlighted the risk to the survival of the Church if it fails to convince this younger generation to attend in the future. On the positive side, the research shows that churches with a high ratio of children to adults are twice as likely to be growing. So as Christian publishers and suppliers, we must even more urgently seek to feed these young minds. Discussing the Written by Lynette Brooks, Director of Publishing at CWR

Bible, Dr Richard Chartres Bishop of London, recently said that ‘Too few children have the opportunity to hear and reflect on what this life-changing book contains ... sharing Bible stories is as vital now as it has ever been’. There is therefore an urgent need to focus on children, young people and their parents and to identify how the Church can best invest in resources that actively encourage young people to explore faith.

Did you know that three in ten young people are unaware that the story of 7

the birth of Jesus came from the Bible?

Or that a similar number of children have never read or heard about the Crucifixion or Adam and Eve?

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generation

www.cwr.org.uk

The Bookseller bestseller charts clearly

children. Together with our Activity Bibles

show that the children’s book market

and other children’s publications, tens

continues to outpace other publishing

of thousands more children are reading

sectors. Last year the children’s publishing

biblically–based books.

world grew its market share for the seventh consecutive year – accounting for 32% of

It has also long been CWR’s aim to ‘feed the whole family’. In 2015, our daily Bible

revenue generated by the top 50 books.

reading notes YP’s will turn 40 years old,

Harper Collins reported 2013 as the third

Topz will turn 30 years and our latest

consecutive year of growth, Waterstones

offering Pens continues to grow through an

declared children’s publishing to be a big

increased breadth of product. Thousands

priority and Blackwells have indicated they

of children and young people still read

are re-emphasizing the profile of children’s

daily notes, providing them with a strong

titles in terms of stock and space, placing

biblical foundation to their faith and a daily

more titles at the front of stores.

encounter with God and His Word, whilst

In response, CWR continues to build on its resources for children. The Topz Secret

hopefully creating habits for a lifetime.

Have I convinced you of the benefits of

Diaries and Topz Secret Stories (written

publishing for children yet? I hope so, but

by Alexa Tewkesbury) have sold close

I’m not out to convince you by numbers.

to 100,000 copies and a further 70,000

Each number has a name and is a child’s

children have benefited from our other

life changed, and that’s why we do what

undated Topz publications. Our award-

we do – and why you do what you do. It’s

winning 50s series, by Andy Robb, has also

why children and children’s books are an

made it into the hands of almost 100,000

absolutely vital part of church life.

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New Bookshops for 2014: Going where the Lord leads...

Occasionally we are asked, or the opportunity arises, to take over an existing Christian bookshop. We carefully consider these possibilities for growth where others have been the pioneers in establishing the work.

In the first half of 2014, we have taken over 4 existing bookshops and this figure could increase before the end of the year.

Ibagué, Colombia In February, CLC Colombia took up responsibility for 2 bookshops in the city of Ibagué. These shops were previously run independently, by people who were faithful customers of CLC Colombia Wholesale.

Surabaya, Indonesia Around the same time, CLC Indonesia took on the lease of a small bookshop in a large shopping centre (The City of Tomorrow Mall) in Surabaya. This had previously been a family-run business and the request for CLC to take it over was an unexpected, but welcome, surprise as the team in Indonesia were already looking at possibilities for bookshops in shopping malls!

Carrs Lane Bookshop Birmingham CLC UK already has an established bookshop in Birmingham but recently they agreed to open a second bookshop in the UK’s second largest city (with a population of just over 1 million), when another Christian bookshop chain no longer wanted the premises. The property (in the photo) is owned by, and attached to, a church.

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“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

Ask the Lord of the harvest to send more workers into His harvest field.”

Matt 9: 37 - 38 CLC is a charity whose heart is all about keeping Christian literature and outreach on the High streets of our nation and around the world. We thank God that in the midst of so many changes our ministry is growing!

Nearly all of our centres need more workers, and no, not all the duties are sales-related. We have plenty of ‘behind-the-scenes’ roles that might be the perfect fit for your skill set whether that is social media, maintenance, displays, administration, or something else entirely.

If you are passionate about the Gospel message and have a desire to reach your community, why not join a ‘family’ that loves serving the Lord, their community and making a life-transforming impact around the world? Whether you are looking for voluntary or paid work, or even something in-between, here are just a few of the many opportunities we currently have available: SALES ASSISTANTS:

Urgent needs in Birmingham & Sheffield The mission needs reliable, diligent and enthusiastic sales assistants for our busy bookshops. Immediate start is available for the right person. These opportunities are offered as volunteer (aka missionarysupported) positions or as employment. Main tasks and responsibilities can be found on our website.

BOOKSHOP MANAGERS: Urgent need in Canterbury We need full-time Managers, on a voluntary (missionary-support) or employed basis, for some of our bookshops. Ideally you will have some retail or management experience along with a passion for customer service and a heart for missions. Knowledge of Christian books and an understanding of the Church in the UK would be an advantage. Experience is not essential as full training will be given.

VOLUNTARY PART-TIME WAREHOUSE OPERATIVES Alresford, Hampshire Do you live near Winchester? Are you fit, observant, quick, flexible and interested in part-time volunteer work? How about joining our busy, yet friendly, warehouse team as they daily serve hundreds of Christian bookshops? If you are good on your feet, and a quick learner with an eye for detail and procedures, why not contact CLC Wholesale?

For more details about these opportunities or to apply visit your nearest CLC centre or go online:

www.clcbookshops.com/vacancies

For enquiries, email us at personnel@clcbookshops.com To learn more about our ministry visit our new mission website at

www.clc.org.uk 15

Let’s make a difference

together !

International Opportunities: office@clcinternational.org UK Opportunities: personnel@clcinternational.org Financial Giving (UK): financeuk@clcbookshops.com Join our Prayer Focus Team: office@clcinternational.org

I require more information about: O How I can support a CLC missionary O Leaving a legacy for CLC International (UK) O Setting up a Standing Order O Available CLC opportunities to serve in: City/Type of Work: .................................................

Please use my gift for: O CLC Support Fund (for all missionaries) O CLC property maintenance / upgrades O Wherever needed O Specific person or CLC team: Details: ..................................................................

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Please do not send cash through the post. Make cheques payable to CLC International (UK) and send to the address below. Any questions? Please contact us!

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Are you a UK taxpayer? If so, you can make your donations go further by completing

this declaration. We can claim giftaid tax relief of 25p on every £ that you give. Please tick all that apply: I would like to giftaid this donation I would like to giftaid all future donations until further notice I would like to giftaid all previous donations for the charity’s current financial period & the previous 4 years I confirm I have paid or will pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax for each tax year (6 April to 5 April) that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all the Charities or Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) that I donate to will reclaim on my gifts for that tax year. I understand that other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify. I understand the charity will reclaim 28p of tax on every £1 that I gave up to 5 April 2008 and will reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 that I give on or after 6 April 2008

O O O O

Thank you for your consideration & support of CLC International (UK) CLC Finance Office, 51 The Dean, Alresford, Hampshire, SO24 9BJ Email: financeuk@clcbookshops.com Telephone: 01962 733 342

Online giving can be done quickly and securely through Stewardship© website listed below:

my.give.net/clcuksupport/Donate/GiftDetails

CYPRUS: We gave a Bible to a Turkish Cypriot lady who visits our shop for school stationery for her daughter. One day she came and said: ‘I have been reading the Bible and I came to see you today not to buy anything but because my heart is for Jesus and I want to learn more about His death and resurrection.’ So we shared the gospel with her and she promised to come again to talk more.

PANAMA: A drunken man, unshaven and with long hair, entered the Albrook Mall bookshop; he wanted to order a book. A CLC colleague attended him while, at the same time, he was praying for the man. I realised then that it was a man whom we had known to be involved in Christian ministry many years ago. We shared some encouraging words with him and assured him that he was not alone - we were his family and we cared for him.

A few days later he returned for his order and he was totally lucid and sober. He has since returned numerous times to CLC and we can see the power of God to help people in need of love and attention.

SCOTLAND: It is always good to be able to share the gospel with customers and this year we had a Muslim man from Saudi come in to find out what the bookshop was about. He was amazed to find great Christian resources and an Arabic Bible. He came in several times to read books and to ask questions. We pray that he might come to know the Lord. Lots of good seeds on fertile ground!

Bookshop Testimonies CENTRAL ASIA: On a regular basis, there is a table with free books and tracts outside the bookshop.

Although we rarely know who takes this material, this year a girl took a book and, as a result, became a Christian. Only six months later did she return to the shop to tell her story! Another time an elderly man took a tract and read it. He was so excited that he came into the shop, holding the tract, saying ‘this is the truth!’

USA: A couple that had lost their 32-year-old son just 2 days previously, came into our bookstore.

They were shopping for thank-you cards for those who had expressed sympathy to them. We were just getting ready for our afternoon prayer time and so they joined us. They were ministered to by the others in the group and they thanked the Lord in prayer that they could be there for this time. What a privilege to be able to comfort them in their loss.

ANTIGUA: One of our customers has made it her ministry to give out the Love Languages Bible to any family member getting married. She says that her own marriage ended in disaster and, when she had no-one to turn to for help and advice, she found answers in this Bible. Now she gives the Bible to others, trusting that it will help them avoid going through the difficulties she suffered.

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CLC Poland

Poland is not an easy place to do ministry, especially for evangelicals. A quote from the well-known book, Operation World, is very insightful on this issue, “There are more evangelicals in Saudi Arabia than in Poland. Most Poles are resistant to the gospel due to either their cultural Catholicism or their spiritual apathy.”

In that same book, the evangelical population is estimated to be about 0.3% of the total number of people living in Poland. CLC began work in this needy country shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and has struggled at times through the years. Just a couple of years ago, Gary Chamberlin, CLC’s Regional Director for Europe, was not sure that the ministry could survive.

To God’s glory, much has changed in a short time. Today CLC operates two bookstores – one in Wroclaw and the other in Katowice. In addition, they have begun publishing books. Initially they produced some popular books by Roy Hession like The Calvary Road and more recently they have published several titles by the renowned evangelist, Franklin Graham. CLC USA made funds available to the team in Poland so that the Franklin Graham books could be completed in time for the recent crusade and meetings that were held there.

In Warsaw about 20,000 attended over the two days and about 4,000 people went forward to accept Christ. Over 2,500 attended the meeting in the Katowice Cathedral and about 300 received Christ as their Saviour. Our team were privileged enough to attend and provide a bookstall for this event and what a blessing to see so many come to know Christ. (See photo above.)

The CLC team in Poland is committed to publishing many more evangelical Christian books in the Polish language in the years ahead. There is a great need for these resources and an interested audience. Even though the population is largely Catholic, they are open to reading evangelical Christian books. Please pray that God would use these vital resources to open eyes, transform hearts and change lives.

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AHA

by Kyle Idleman

ISBN: 9780781410496 RRP: £9.99

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Book Reviews: Encouraging Spiritual Growth...

Fruitfulness on the Frontline by Mark Greene Review by Bonnie Brooks

ISBN: 9781783591251

Price: £8.99, 208pp

A life that is fruitful and effective for God: in his book, Mark Greene explores how this could be achieved by Christians in everyday situations. He illustrates his ideas with various accounts from people who have identified their God-given, day-to-day opportunities to make a difference in the lives of those around them. The author provides a framework of helpful points for readers to turn to, both for reflection and inspiration for further growth. Humour, wisdom and biblical truth are intertwined with practical advice to make this a refreshing read and a useful and reassuring guide to anyone who wants to realise the potential each day offers.

Prayer Warrior by Stormie Omartian Review by Jean Mintoft

ISBN: 9780736953665

Price: £9.99, 240pp

This is a very useful book for any Christian who has a heart for praying for others and for interceding for situations in the world. The author covers many basic principles in the first part of the book. These include: Christians are in a war; we have authority in Christ over the enemy; we fight under God’s command; and we need to use spiritual, scriptural weapons. We are reminded that we must seek to see things from God’s perspective and not fight against individuals. All these topics comprise a useful springboard for effective praying. The second part of the book contains 20 prayers which all prayer warriors should be familiar with and able to use regularly as the Spirit prompts.

This book is easy to read, thoroughly scriptural, and would be ideal to introduce young Christians to effective intercessory prayer.

Lord and Saviour: Jesus of Nazareth by Alister McGrath Review by Rev. Brian Butler

ISBN: 9780281068371

Price: £8.99, 117pp

Alister McGrath is one of the most prolific Christian writers around. His last book was a biography of C. S. Lewis (and excellent it was.) This book on Jesus is one of a series on ‘Christian belief for Everyone’ (indeed very similar in size and format to Tom Wright’s series on ‘The NT for everyone’). The book starts with the very human portrait of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel. But it also looks at the much more difficult question of the Incarnation—and no one could want a simpler treatment than this one. And finally, the Atonement, and how faith in Christ impinges on our human life. The book would be hugely helpful to someone who is sincerely wanting to know what Christianity involves, but also to the Christian wanting to understand Jesus better. In addition, the book is immensely readable.

Opening Up Revelation by Roger Ellsworth Review by Andy Hunt

ISBN: 9781846254093

Price: £6.00, 160pp

A short introduction that has been a genuine pleasure to study with, Opening up Revelation is both informative and challenging. Each short chapter is thought provoking without being dense, perfect for a busy morning, while readers with more time will find helpful guides for further study. Group leaders will also discover supplementary questions which, I have found, provide excellent springboards for Godfocused discussion. Throughout, Ellsworth gives the reader a real confidence that they can meet with God and find His comfort and direction in this traditionally more opaque book of the Bible.

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Book Reviews: Inspiring Biographies...

Faith on the Streets by Les Isaac

Review by Bob Clark, CLC UK Trustee ISBN: 9781444750096 Price: £13.99, 206pp Tweets, testimonies and town-by-town change? What will Les Isaac come up with next?

In more detail than his first book Street Pastors, he goes back to the beginnings of the initiative on the streets of Brixton, even before the Ascension Trust and Street Pastors became a known charity. His heart for evangelism in his community, is clear from the start, and anyone wanting to make an impact for Jesus, where they live, can learn a lot from this man's compassion.

Split into four sections, each one with a 'The night I meet a Street Pastor' testimony, lays out the reason, the calling, the practicality and the outworking of the ministry.

Getting our hands dirty is Les' call and numerous scriptures illustrating this lace the chapters. The church in action, working together, crossing social boundaries and lowering denominational walls... all these things are brought about by passionate, committed, trained individuals wanting to make their towns and cities a safer place when the 'night-time economy' comes out to play.

Relevant 'tweets', sprinkled through the book, bring short, sharp focus on the results of long nights of serving.

Practical details of setting up a local Street Pastors charity are here, with links to various other 'hands-on' organisations. As a Street Pastor myself, I thoroughly recommend this book, but beware... it comes with considerable challenge—to walk and/or pray into the early hours!

Resurrection Year by Sheridan Voysey Review by Rev. Wilma Brock

ISBN: 9780849964800

Price: £9.99, 224pp

Resurrection Year is a very honest and heart-warming book about loss, pain and grief, but also about hope, faith and love—the love between two people and the love of God. It is part autobiography, part prayer and part apologetic. It tells the story of one couple who faced heartbreak but then asked God, `What next?’ The author lets us in on his pain to see how God works to stretch and grow him and his wife—and us. God can use our darkest experiences and lead us to new beginnings. There is hope, there is resurrection.

This is a book which will help those who are struggling with loss and are facing the darkness with unanswered questions. A compelling read.

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi Review by Rev. Brian Butler

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ISBN: 9780310515029

Price: £10.99, 296pp

This is a deeply moving and fascinating story. It lives up to its sub-title, ‘A devout Muslim’s journey to Christ.’ What impressed me was how deeply Islam permeated this man’s life—from family relations, to food, to devotion, to deeply held beliefs. It made me understand in a new way how incredibly difficult (and costly) it is for a Muslim to break away from Islam—let alone embrace the Christian faith. But in this remarkable story every step is documented, with frequent reference to the Koran, to the deep discussions, the personal agony and the slow dawning of the light of truth. His family rejected him, and he had to break with his culture, his past and his religion. This is a book one longs to place in the hands of anyone who trusts Islam, and anyone who has any sort of desire to befriend Muslims. They will find much that illuminates and enriches their understanding.

2014 CLC UK: The highlights so far...

AWARDs: CRT is the annual Christian trade show in June for booksellers, publishers, producers and suppliers in the UK. Among the many well-deserved plaques and recognitions at the gala dinner, CLC is greatly honoured and encouraged to be in receipt of two awards: CLC Wholesale was named Distributor of the Year for the third time in succession, and CLC Bookshops was recognised as Retail Group of the Year— an award last won in 2012.

Both awards are a fitting recognition of the effort, commitment and dedication of our staff, which includes quite a number of part-time volunteers, to get reliable Christian resources into people's hands so that lives are transformed and the Kingdom of God advanced. We continue to take steps to improve our service through our warehouse and bookshops, and it is fulfilling to know that those taken so far have been well received.

UK CONFERENCE: First and foremost, thank you all for your many prayers while we were at our CLC UK annual conference in May. It was an amazing time of unity, fellowship and seeking God’s direction for our future. After many years of ‘struggling with the crops,’ it was a real blessing to see a field of healthy fruit throughout the meetings and prayer times. Despite the many challenges ahead in the ever-changing literature market, we all left the conference truly feeling God’s blessing and a sense of renewal for our ‘mission’ purpose:

We enjoyed having Alexa T. and Lynette B. from CWR.

We loved that many of our retirees were able to attend!

To bring glory to God by making Christian literature available to all nations so that people may come to faith and maturity in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We were also privileged to have quite a few visitors and guest speakers this year. Children’s author, Alexa Tewkesbury, as well as Lynette Brooks, from CWR, shared with us the importance of children’s books that help children engage with God. We also had Paula Renouf from the charitable book trust, Speaking Volumes, share with us more about their ministry and how we can better work together. It was a very informative and encouraging conference, with the important reminder to continue to look ‘up’ as we move forward.

ANSWERED PRAYER: A highlight of conference this year was an answer to prayer for our Inverness team and their Highland Bookmobile ministry.

We spent time as a family around the new book van, which arrived in January, in prayer and thanksgiving. Praise God!

Our very spacious new book van for the Highlands!

Praising God together!

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