2018 CLC World Issue 1

clc.org.uk

clcbookshops.com

RLD CLCWW RLD CLC 2018 Issue 1

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THE GOSPEL

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2015 N /E1

My old self has been crucified with Christ.

It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.

Galatians 2:20a (NLT)

You are surrounded by people who need to know about Jesus’ love. Is something holding you back?

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Children’s Resources from Crossway

Exploring the Bible, 9781433556869

This simple, gospel-centred, 365-day Bible reading plan guides children through key passages of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, helping them see and appreciate the big-picture storyline of Scripture.

The Biggest Story 9781433542442

ESV Following Jesus BibleÂŽ 9781433545528

ESV Holy Bible for Kids Large Print 9781433550973

Available in-store at CLC and online at clcbookshops.com and clcbookcenters.com.

In this issue:

11-22

4-6 CLC Int’l News

7 Book Excerpt

A Tribute to Roger Page

30 Mozambique Bible Project

CLC Dominica

From the Editor

Amanda Lutes

Dear Reader Welcome to CLC World! This free mission magazine enables us to share with you, our faithful supporters, current news, testimonies, as well as prayer and praise points, illustrating how we are daily impacting thousands of lives in nearly 50 countries.

26 - 27 Surviving The Storm

24-25

29

8-9 CLC USA Fundraising Banquet

28 Book Excerpt

How To Get Involved!

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As I began looking over my schedule for the New Year, I was struck by how quickly Easter will be upon us. Having just celebrated our Saviour’s birth, I expected more time to get ready for Easter. However, the surprise quickly wore off, and I began to think about how best to share the Good News story in 2018.

The truth remains that every unbeliever around us needs to know about God’s amazing grace, love and mercy.

By accepting Jesus’ death, resurrection and great love for us, and by repenting for past mistakes, we become a child of God. And that’s just the beginning! From that point on, we begin to build an incredible relationship with Someone who loves us unconditionally for infinity. How is that not the best news ever?

Still our story isn’t finished! As our relationship with Jesus deepens, our love for Him grows. Our heart’s desire is to be more like Him. As we allow God to work in us, changing us into His likeness, we begin to reflect His love and light to others. His Spirit in us guides our actions, speech, hearts and minds. He enables us to share this great love with those we meet. We, in effect, become the Gospel story: My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me (Gal. 2:20 NLT). If this is true in our lives, the question remains, will this be the year we let something hold us back from being the Gospel?

CLC International

Mission Site: www.clcinternational.org

CLC International Office (UK):

291 Abbeydale Road, Sheffield, S7 1FJ

UK Mission Site: UK Online Shop: Personnel Enquiries:

clc.org.uk clcbookshops.com

personnel@clcbookshops.com

UK Headquarters & Finance Office:

Unit 5, Glendale Avenue, Sandycroft Industrial Estate, Sandycroft, Deeside CH5 2QP Email: gerald.sidery@clc.org.uk

CLC International Office & USA Headquarters:

701 Pennsylvania Avenue, P.O. Box 1449 Fort Washington, PA 19034

USA Mission Site: USA Online Shop:

clcusa.org clcbookcenters.com info@clcusa.org clcdonations.org

Inquiries: Donations: For Overseas Opportunities: To Subscribe:

missions@clcusa.org clcworld@clcusa.org

office@clcinternational.org

CLC Ministries International is registered as a not-forprofit 501(c)3 organization in the United States and as such can accept charitable donations and provide tax deductible receipts

clcworld@clcbookshops.com

CLC International (UK) is registered as a charity in England & Wales (1015793) and in Scotland (SC037939)

For Overseas Opportunities: To Subscribe:

Magazine Editor: Amanda Lutes, Global Communications Director

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Myanmar:

Praise God with us!

Give thanks to the Lord that the first-ever Burmese Study Bible is now in print! For many generations in Myanmar, there were strict restrictions placed on religions, and the Christian Bible itself was prohibited to print, distribute or own. In the year 2014, the Lord helped us change that by giving us a licence to publish Christian books. Since then, we have published over 200 titles, and even though the Lord has greatly blessed us, we were still a bit hesitant to ask for permission to publish the first-ever Burmese Study Bible. However, after much prayer, we submitted our formal request for approval in October 2017. A month later, the Lord once again reminded us how much He is in control by granting us official documents, allowing us to begin publishing and distribution in Myanmar. Join us in thanking the Lord for His provision. Please continue to pray for the funds still needed for any outstanding invoices.

Colombia:

IVP/WEC’s ‘Pray for the World’ is now in Spanish!

To celebrate CLC Colombia’s publication of this helpful international prayer resource, the team dressed up as if from different areas of the world.

Please pray that this new release will greatly impact pray-ers in the Latin speaking helping them Thisworld, CLC USA BookLink to intercede in prayer for those around shipment is the nowworld. on its way to CLC LIBERIA

From Austria With Love: New shelving for CLC Romania

Praise God for the recent refurbishment of the Brasov CLC bookshop in Romania. Workmen were able to incorporate fixtures and fittings sent on to them from Armin and Edeltraud Heuman when the CLC work closed in Graz, Austria. Ronela Micula and the team are very grateful for this gift and for the help carrying out the renovations. Ronela shared that it was not easy to find tradesmen because these days many have left the country to find work elsewhere. Praise God with us for His provision.

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Thailand:

Puerto Rico:

Bible Donation from CLC “What an honour and privilege to be a blessing to so many families in Puerto Rico after the devastation hurricane Maria left behind. CLC Ecuador, CLC Colombia and Editorial CLC (Miami) in a joint effort donated 1,000 Bibles. Ricky Feliciano of Pura Vida Distributors in the island has been the channel to facilitate God’s Word to families. Thank you Lord!” Alfonso Guevara (Sales and Marketing Director for Editorial CLC, the publishing department of CLC Colombia)

A New Bible Project CLC Thailand is currently raising the initial funds to print and ship 3,000 copies of an easy-to-read Bible in Thai. We are so thankful to God for the Bible League who did the translation. CLC in South Korea are helping to arrange both the printing and shipping. Praise God for the ways the CLC International family can help each other! Please pray that this more affordable and understandable Bible will make a huge impact in the Thai church and through outreach ministries. Please pray for the logistics and funding of this new Thai Bible.

Mozambique:

Bible project update: Last December, 10,000 copies of Bíblia Para Todos (Bible for Everyone), a new economy Portuguese Bible, arrived in Mozambique. We praise God for this joint project with the Portugal Bible Society that has allowed us to publish a Bible that will be understood by so many. Most Mozambicans are taught Portuguese in school as a second language to their local dialect. We are so thankful to God that this project continues to be so widely supported by CLC teams and CLC World readers alike! Even though the Bibles are now in the country, CLC Mozambique still needs to pay for the outstanding printing and shipping costs. To learn more about this project and why your donation will be a gift that keeps on giving, please turn to page 30.

Blessed by our location: The Maputo shop in Mozambique is very blessed to be located in a local Bible & Theological Seminary. Throughout the day, many students stop in e​ nquire about books, discuss t​ heological concerns ​and ​sometimes ​pray with our team. What a privilege to be a part of the spiritual journey of so many future church leaders. Here is a lovely photo of the Maputo team.

Newly married: Johane joined the Maputo team early in 2017, and he has recently married his sweetheart, Nercia. They are such a blessing to the ministry of CLC. Nercia often volunteers her time and assistance. Please pray that this young couple will seek the Lord’s guidance as they start their journey in life together.

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Scotland Book Launch

Dundee manager Mark-Anthony Buchanan shares: ‘Recently, staff and volunteers at the Dundee CLC Bookshop welcomed Solas—Centre for Public Christianity for the launch of their latest publication, Why We (Still) Believe, edited by David J. Randall.

Solas is a media and training ministry that helps Christians publically communicate the Gospel.

Scheduling events at Christmas time can be challenging as often we find ourselves clashing with other carol services and events. This book launch was no exception. However, it was a pleasure to bring contributors Rev. David Robertson, Andy Bannister (Director of Solas) and editor David Randal together to introduce and discuss this important addition to our apologetics section.

Following Why I Am Not an Atheist, which found its focus highlighting unbelief in atheism, Why We (Still) Believe gives a more positive account of why friends and members of Solas believe in Jesus and hold firm to their Christian faith.

Every chapter brings a new issue to the table.

Among the issues are evangelism, the Church,

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preaching and humanity. Each contributor offers a unique perspective complemented by their own expertise.

This new book will provide Christians with newfound courage and confidence. It highlights the importance of listening in evangelism. Listening opens new doors that allow Christ’s Gospel message to reach the hearts of unbelievers.

In today’s culture where the Church is attacked from every angle, it is vitally important that we practice good apologetics based on biblical truth.

While doing so, we also must remember to be gracious.

Good partnerships with organisations such as Solas allow our bookshop to remain a focus of Christian presence on the High Street. Please pray for Christian bookshop teams across the country, that they continue to confidently approach other organisations and churches, engaging them not only in meaningful dialogue, but also supporting each other in communicating the gospel of Jesus Christ in the public square.

Are Old Wounds Holding You Back?

An excerpt from The Seven Wounds of Christ by Fred Hartley III (see Author’s Preface) Let’s face it—we are bruised and bleeding people.

Though our wounds have come to us in ruthless and unexpected ways—whether financial, emotional, marital, moral or physical—we have each walked our own path of pain and have our own ways of dealing with suffering. Some of us pick our scabs obsessively only to make them bleed again, while others of us try to look the other way in denial. Sooner or later we need to face the music, no matter how bad the music sounds.

Wounds require attention.

the objectivity of our study.

Each chapter contains three parts. The first is titled Christ’s Surrender. Too often we bundle the wounds of Christ together in a single unjust violent incident and thereby miss the fuller impact of His suffering.

In reality, each of Jesus’ wounds corresponds to a separate voluntary choice of surrender by Christ.

He willingly submitted Himself to seven distinct experiences of extraordinary pain, each one for a distinctive redemptive purpose.

The second part is Our It is always easier to face Healing. Every wound of Christ our wounds when we know corresponds to a wound in there is a cure. The wounds you and in me. While all seven of Jesus do just that. Jesus’ of Christ’s wounds reflect wounds are not for religious the completeness of His people but for wounded atonement, looking at each people. There is nothing one individually will help us religious about the cross. appreciate what Jesus did for Jesus was not crucified us and also appropriate it. in a church between We will end each chapter with two candelabras; He was the final part, A Twenty-Firstnailed to a cross that stood Century Healing. This section between two thieves. For will provide an honest and this reason, this book is not accurate real-life story to so much for religious people illustrate how Jesus’ wounds but for people willing to face bring healing today. In the their wounds. The words last book of the Bible, we are of the Hebrew prophet told of followers of Jesus who Isaiah explain well the truth 9781619582583, CLC Publications (2017) “triumphed over [the devil] / that Jesus’ wounds were by the blood of the Lamb / and by the word of their meant to heal ours: “Surely he took up our pain / testimony; / they did not love their lives so much and bore our suffering.... He was pierced for our / as to shrink from death.” (Rev. 12:11 NIV) All eight of transgressions, / he was crushed for our iniquities.” these real-life stories dramatically illustrate that (Is. 53:4-5 NIV) Jesus’ wounds are our wounds, and Jesus’ wounds offer us healing as well as victory.

His wounds are for our healing. Somehow as we God wants to heal us, and He also wants us to be walk the Via Dolorosa, our paths of pain converge overcomers. with His path of pain. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves! We will discover our healing as we move A person could certainly read The Seven Wounds of forward one step and one wound at a time.

Christ in a single sitting—it should take less time than watching a full-length movie. I recommend, This book will take us on a step-by-step journey however, reading this book in just over a week, a along the Via Dolorosa, where we will investigate single chapter each day. Take your time. Chew on each of Jesus’ seven wounds at the places where it. Let it soak in. Don’t just read it—think! If you are He received them. We will begin our discussion of in a small group and want to use the book for a each wound with a medical explanation of what stimulating eight-week study, group application Jesus experienced. Yes, a down-to-earth scientific questions are included at the end of the book for explanation. We want to initially understand Jesus your convenience. as the man of the first century in order to maintain 7

FOLLOW THE PATHWAY OF OBEDIENCE, AND YOU WILL BE USED

BY GOD FAR BEYOND YOUR OWN POWERS

CORRIE TEN BOOM, AMAZING LOVE

Is God Asking You To Implement Change?

David Almack (CLC USA) shares how God blessed his team for their openness to change I knew something was wrong, but we were not sure what it was. The 2016 fundraising banquet seemed like it had gone really well. The speaker was dynamic, the music was good, the food was delicious and the feedback was great. Despite this and all the hard work we had put into preparing for the event, the results were not what we had hoped for. Looking back, it was the least successful fundraiser we had held for many years.

Something had to change, and we knew it.

As we began planning for the 2017 banquet held in October, our committee met earlier than ever to begin brainstorming. The first few meetings were rough. We had been doing this banquet the same 8

way for so long that it was hard to ‘think outside the box.’ After many discussions, we agreed that we had done a good job of entertaining people in previous banquets but not such a good job of engaging them. One of the team said it best: “We have to connect with people’s hearts.” With engagement as our mandate, we decided to take a big risk and reinvent the entire event.

Our first change was maybe the riskiest. We decided to eliminate our silent auction. Held an hour before the banquet, this auction was a key part of our fundraising strategy. While many attendees enjoyed it, it failed to convey what we, as a ministry, were all about. After much

discussion, we decided to create an interactive CLC World event that would highlight our work in eight CLC countries. There would be one table for each country. We’d display each country’s artefacts, books, Bibles, images, maps, flags and fun facts on each table. Our creative graphic designer designed passports to be stamped as each attendee visited a table. When they completed the tour and had all eight stamps, they received a free book.

As we planned, one of our leaders suggested that if we wanted to engage our donors, we had to start by engaging our CLC members first. We decided to have two team members ‘adopt’ a CLC country and be responsible for collecting the artefacts and the display’s set-up. On the night of the event, they would then stand at their table, sharing about their country and stamping attendees’ passports. We then held a meeting with our entire team to explain the new concept and to ask for their feedback. We also held a group training session two days before the banquet and briefed everyone as a team. The momentum and excitement about the banquet were palpable in the days leading up to the big night.

the life of our ministry and recruited passionate storytellers to tell them. We decided to stretch out in faith and seek to fully fund the launch of the Africa Study Bible (NLT) in both Sierra Leone and Liberia in 2018. This would require $10,000 (USD). It was doable but not easy!

Our last decision was to ask our worship leader to pick songs to enhance the stories and help reinforce the ideas we were presenting. Little did we know that he would write original songs that were the highlight of the evening!

As we opened the doors that evening, people streamed in and adjusted very quickly to the new set up of exploring and learning. With surprisingly few technical glitches, the programme got underway after the dinner, and people were captivated. We were blessed to have one of the contributing editors of the Africa Study Bible share some of the unique features of this wonderful new resource.

Our second big decision was to create a theme for the night and to agree upon a compelling project to fund with an achievable but meaningful financial goal. Reaching the heart requires good storytelling, so we decided on the theme: Your Story Matters: How God empowers ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. We picked three compelling stories from

Right before we closed, a representative of the Bethel Deliverance Church and their pastor, Bishop Eric Lambert, announced a special presentation. To everyone’s surprise and delight, they made a donation of $5,000 (USD)! This incredibly supportive local African-American church had sent seventy people to attend the banquet because, clearly, they were engaged with our ministry objectives. With their help and the support of all who attended, God blessed us in such a marvellous way that we are now able to fully fund the Bible project! I can honestly say, lesson learned! Go ahead, trust God, take a risk and be willing to change. More importantly, engage your team if you want to engage your supporters.

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January 1st - 7th

Week 1: Global Praise Points Monday (1st) – Myanmar:

Praise the Lord that we have now completed the first ever Burmese Study Bible! Please pray for the Bible Dedication service that we have planned for January 6 at the Bethel Baptist Church in Yangon, Myanmar. We are planning for about 200 guests, so please pray that all our planning and preparing will lead to a day of thanksgiving to our Lord.

Tuesday (2nd) – Canada:

CLC Canada has recently re-allocated the space in the East Montreal store to accommodate the fixtures and inventory from Video La Bergerie (a ministry of CLC Canada that distributes DVDs in French and other materials). In doing so, they had to restructure the retail space to make room. Interestingly, they were so creative in this remodel that customers did not realise the store actually has less space. One customer even commented that he wondered if the store had become bigger. Let’s keep praying for Antoine Roberge, the National Director, and his team as they work hard to provide resources for this least Christian part of Canada.

Wednesday (3rd) – United Kingdom:

Praise the Lord for the development of our retail website. It has made a positive start even though there is plenty of work still to be done. The content on the site is continually growing, and we want to learn how to connect with our customers, not only to sell them Bibles and books, but also to encourage them on their spiritual journey.

Thursday (4th) – Indonesia:

Praise God for the opportunity to open a book kiosk near The Petra Christian University, which is well-known in Surabaya. Please pray that we will be given opportunities to share about our mission and reach out to many students in the area. Pray, too, that the Lord will bring about ways for us to partner with the university to further spread the Gospel.

Friday (5th) – France:

Praise the Lord that at the end 2017, our warehouse celebrated ten years in Montélimar. An Open Day was held on November 24.

We thank the Lord for good attendance. It is our hope that this event will encourage more local Christians and non-Christians to visit us regularly.

The Weekend (6th/7th) –Venezuela:

We praise our God because He has been faithful and has cared for us in the midst of our very challenging circumstances. Every day, the Lord has kept His promises. Even in the most difficult of moments, we have seen God’s provision. We thank God for being our Good Shepherd, taking care of every detail in our lives.

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January 8th - 14th

Week 2: Goals for 2018 Monday (8th) – Poland:

Please pray that we will have stability among our staff and good relationships so we can work together in harmony and with mutual respect. Please also continue to pray that our bookshop sales and those from our publishing house will continue to increase.

Tuesday (9th) – Colombia:

Our goal for 2018 is for God to allow us to be faithful and firm in our call to spread the Word of God in Colombia and in the places within our reach. We want to fulfil His purpose. The theme for 2018 in all of our projects will be Faithful and Firm to Our Call. All our activities will revolve around this motto. Please pray that the Lord will be gracious and continue to help us to stand firm.

Wednesday (10th) – Kenya:

We have three goals this year: first, we want to become debt free. Second, we pray that the Lord will help us to strengthen our ministry and outreach programmes. Third, we pray that the Lord helps us to increase our sales to create financial sustainability for our ministry. We praise God for the new workers who have joined our team. Now that we have the labourers, we hope for a harvest in 2018 that surpasses any previous year.

Thursday (11th) – Mozambique:

Please pray that we will continue to grow together as a local expression of CLC family and to glorify God in all that we do here to fulfil the CLC mission statement: “to make evangelical literature available to all the nations so that people may come to faith in Christ and grow into maturity in Him.”

Friday (12th) – Uruguay:

We ask you to pray for us as we need wisdom and innovation from the Lord to face 2018. New opportunities and ideas are required to help increase our presence in the country so that we can provide the best possible service to our community.

Pray, too, for our upcoming meetings with church leaders as we discuss hosting Thompson Bible Seminars for them.

The Weekend (13th/14th) – United Kingdom :

Our prayer for 2018 is that we adjust our work to the commercial and technological realities of the book world while taking advantage of the tremendous opportunities of eBooks, Print-onDemand and audio books. People are reading. People are buying books—but not necessarily through the traditional channels. We need to change to customers’ preferences, not the other way round!

January 15th - 21st

Week 3: Upcoming Events Monday (15th) – Belarus:

It is our dream to present to the public our selection of Bibles and Christian books at the International Minsk Book Fair from February 7–11. Last year, no Christian publisher or ministry was present, so we plan to find a way to have a booth this year. We are considering the option of sharing a booth with another ministry. Please pray that the Lord would direct us in this decision and guide us in our selection of stock.

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Tuesday (16th) – United States:

CLC Publications will be launching a new book entitled Wallpaper Worship in February. This book is written by a former worship leader in the Promise Keepers movement and is designed to help churches move their congregants from worship spectators to worship participants.

Wednesday (17th) – Kenya:

We have been invited by the Deliverance Church community to visit their churches throughout the country. Our plan is to promote, distribute and sell the Africa Study Bible along with a selection of other great Christian books and Bibles. Please pray for proper and adequate plans, adequate manpower, good reception and many sales. Please also continue to pray for the political situation in our country. After last year’s elections, our situation has been quite rocky. Please ask the Lord to help settle this unrest and improve the overall economy of our country.

Thursday (18th) – Sierra Leone:

This February we will be holding our 50th Anniversary celebrations, including a luncheon on the 11th and a Thanksgiving Service on the 18th. Please join us in prayer that these events will be successful and the name of the Lord will be praised.

Friday (19th) – Mexico:

During the month of March, we have scheduled some NTV Bible (Spanish NLT) workshops with Tyndale publishers in various areas around the country. Please pray for our partnership with Tyndale as we plan these events and also pray that these workshops will be well attended and well received.

The Weekend (20th/21st) – Benin:

Praise God that this June CLC Benin will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Please pray for the team as they begin to plan for this event. National Director Emmanuel Ledayo asks that we will continue to pray for the health of his team and that they will see a visible improvement in their sales.

January 22nd - 28th

Week 4: Evangelism & Outreach Opportunities Monday (22nd) – Cyprus:

For many years, we have received orders for Greek calendars that include a Bible verse and a daily reading. They have always generated good feedback from our customers. Customers have shared how the Lord used the calendars to speak to them about their situations. We are so thankful to God for the fact that more than 600 calendars were ordered for 2018 from individuals and Greek-speaking churches. As quite a number of these calendars are given to non-Christians, please pray with us that God’s Word will speak to their hearts.

Tuesday (23rd) – United Kingdom:

Please pray that every day the Lord would bring people to our shops that need to hear of the love of God, and also please pray for sensitivity and boldness for our workers to know how to share. We want to see people set free in their spiritual experience!

Wednesday (24th) – Chile:

We thank the Lord that every day there is an opportunity to share the Gospel in our shops. A young woman entered our shop because she was attracted by a title in the window display.

By her confusion, we quickly realised that she was not a believer, and she was struggling. She 13

didn’t know what to do or who to turn to. After listening to her story, we began talking, sharing and, finally, praying with her. She was very grateful for our attention and prayer. Believing that God had directed her steps to find us that day, she left the shop with a hope that God was at work in her life and that He would help with her situation.

Thursday (25th) – Mozambique:

Please continue to pray that the Lord will make us sensitive in speaking with the visitors to our bookshops, especially towards those who don’t yet know Him. Let us truly be a ‘light on the hill’ to the cities where we work (Maputo and Beira).

Friday (26th) – Kenya:

Our plan is to begin a Youth Talent Programme for 11- to 18-year-olds. Our hope is to nurture the talents of these young writers, illustrators, editors, poets and designers to ensure that they will thrive in the book industry.

The Weekend (27th/28th) – Mexico:

At the end of 2017, we were blessed by the opportunity to be in contact with the director of an evangelism ministry that is very much on fire for the Lord. We are planning to work closely together this year to develop a variety of workshops in our facilities. Please continue to pray for this exciting new endeavour.

January 29th - Feburary 4th

Week 5: Prayer Requests from the CLC World Monday (29th) – Poland:

Please pray that the books we have published in the past few years will continue to reach into new markets. Please continue to pray that new customers will discover these books that can bless and enrich their lives.

Tuesday (30th) – France:

May the Lord inspire us to continue developing our ministry and projects so that we may better serve our clients in 2018, both personally and professionally.

Wednesday (31st) – Venezuela:

Our prayer is that the Lord would continue to take care of the ministry in the midst of present difficulties, which may be the greatest we have ever experienced in all the years we have been in Venezuela. We pray that the work and development of CLC can be maintained over this time and continue to offer service to all the Venezuelan people as it has been doing for more than 40 years.

Thursday (1st) – Korea:

The spring semester begins in March here in Korea. Our hope is that many Korean students, especially seminarians, will make good use of our titles. Please pray our titles will be chosen as textbooks for as many seminaries as possible.

Friday (2nd) – United Kingdom:

Please pray for the ongoing work of the bookshops as we continue to adjust and learn about the rapidly changing retail environment. We are working hard to integrate our retail and digital strategies, but this is a challenge.

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The Weekend (3rd/4th) – USA Shipment to Sierra Leone:

Praise the Lord that the shipment to Sierra Leone left CLC USA’s warehouse on time in November, and it was scheduled to arrive in mid-January. Delayed shipments and customs clearance are quite normal, so please pray that it this is the case the team will soon receive these books. Pray, too, that the much needed Print-on-Demand supplies included in this shipment arrive in a timely manner. The team needs these supplies to best serve its customers. Thank you.

February 5th - 11th

Week 6: Working Together Monday (5th) – Mexico & Thompson International Bible Institute:

We give thanks to the Lord for the ministries that are such a great support to us. The Thompson International Bible Institute is one of these ministries. We have plans scheduled to host six Thompson Bible Seminars with them between January and March. Please join us in praying for their instructors and also for our team as we begin our planning. Pray also that the Lord will encourage many locals to accept the challenge of this Bible training so that they can better serve the Lord.

Tuesday (6th) – CLC USA & Tyndale House Foundation:

CLC USA will be participating in a unique conference entitled Africa Speaks in March. This conference is being sponsored by the Tyndale House Foundation and will take place in Chicago. Please pray that God will use this event as a catalyst to help build support for a flourishing Christian publishing industry in Africa.

Wednesday (7th) – Help for CLC Dominica from CLC Trinidad & Lifeway Global Resources:

We were thrilled to see God answer our prayer that would enable us to help CLC Dominica get back on its feet again after the devastating Hurricane Maria. The shop had to close for some time due to the destruction, but thanks to CLC Trinidad’s quick response, an emergency care package was sent to our manager, David Laudat, to help aid his family and co-worker. A huge thank you to National Director Sandra Robinson and her team for quickly preparing this support. We were also incredibly encouraged by a $6,000 (USD) donation of Bibles by Lifeway Global Resources. Thank you Father for your provision to our team in Dominica.

Thursday (8th) – CLC Caribbean & Operation Mobilisation:

During the autumn of 2017, the OM ship, Logos Hope, visited both the CLC islands of Antigua and Barbados. Their visit is a real highlight for our teams. Our teams enjoy the chance to partner with the ship’s team in reaching out to so many on these islands in ways that are generally beyond their financial means. We thank the Lord for His ongoing provision to them and also for the ministry of the OM ship and staff. (Event photo)

Friday (9th) – CLC & WEC Netherlands:

In November, Rudy Kuijer (CLC International Office) provided a CLC bookstall at a WEC meeting in the town of Voorthuizen (Netherlands). Please pray for God’s blessing on the relationships and plans that were initiated on this day. Later that same month, Rudy gave a presentation on the work of CLC at the WEC Bible School, Cornerstone. Please pray for the continued partnership between WEC and CLC missionaries around the world!

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The Weekend (10th/11th) – CLC Colombia & Churches:

Each year from January until March, many conventions are held by various churches of differing denominations in Colombia. Last year, the CLC team in Colombia was able to offer support to many of these events and was also given the great opportunity of setting up and running book tables during the meetings. Praise God for these relationships. May they continue to strengthen and bear even more fruit this year.

February 12th - 18th

Week 7: Ongoing Prayers & Concerns Monday (12th) – Mozambique:

Over the past year, we have been making additional efforts to support our bookshop in Beira with such things as more regular stock supplies and new titles. We would like to take this further in 2018. We would like to finally see the completion of the Beira shop remodelling that began in 2017. We hope for growth for CLC Beira in other ways. In the midst of all of this, please continue to pray for Jose Sacramento (CLC Beira) whose wife died unexpectedly last summer.

Tuesday (13th) – Burkina Faso:

Please pray for Sami Luc Noufe, manager of CLC in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and his family.

His youngest daughter, Daniella, has recently recovered from typhoid fever, and her most recent tests have shown signs of dengue fever. At the time of writing, Luc shared with us that Daniella is making positive progress as she follows the prescribed treatment. Your prayers for the family as well as the ongoing work of CLC at this time are much appreciated. Please also pray that the team will be able to keep their commitment for the faithful monthly repayments of a helpful loan they received from another CLC country.

Wednesday (14th) – Russia:

The last couple of years have seen a fair amount of growth in our publishing endeavours. We are beginning to see an incredible response from our customers and would ask for God’s wisdom as we research the best titles to translate and publish. May God continue to use our talents for His glory.

(Photo of one of their latest children’s titles)

Thursday (15th) – USA:

Along with reprinting Corrie ten Boom’s classic Amazing Love and Andrew Murray’s Secret Series, we will also be publishing: Wallpaper Worship by Danny Byrum, Surrender by John Stanley, Lifeblood by John Brandon and, finally, a study guide by Mina Kohlhafer for Rees Howell’s Intercessor. Please do remember CLC USA’s editorial team in prayer as they prepare these books for release.

Friday (16th) – Venezuela:

Our prayer continues to be for the economic, political and social situation of the country as they affect our entire city and organisation. We need God’s help and intervention since the country continues to deteriorate, with more people emigrating every day and inflation remaining so high that it makes it difficult or impossible to purchase basic necessities.

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The Weekend (17th/18th) – Central Asia (CA1):

We have a small shop in the capital city, but it is not easy for us to be self sustaining in this country.

We praise God that we are able to work through CLC Moscow to have a steady supply of materials.

We also have an apartment behind the shop that we can rent. That money helps us keep our shop open. However, we are having problems getting enough visitors and tourists to stay at the lovely apartment. Please pray that the Lord will provide people to stay there on a regular basis or that we would be able to rent it on a long-term basis as those funds are truly needed for the financial stability of our ministry there. ~ Gary Chamberlin, on behalf of Central Asia (CA1) February 19th - 25th

Week 8: CLC Publications Monday (19th) – Colombia:

We have some exciting new publications coming this year that vary from classics from Watchman Nee, A.W. Tozer and Larry Burkett to a collection of counselling books dealing with topics, such as single parenting, bullying and having an unbelieving spouse. We also have twelve children’s titles that were originally published in English by Copenhagen and Scandinavia publishing houses. We praise God for these opportunities to publish these muchneeded titles in Spanish to help a new generation grow in their faith.

Tuesday (20th) – Poland:

We are very excited about these new CLC publications from Poland: Found by Love by Rahil Patel, Baptism and Fullness of the Spirit by John Stott and, finally, Undaunted by Josh McDowell. Please pray that they will continue to make an impact in our customers’ lives like some of our previous titles have been doing lately.

Wednesday (21st) – Italy:

CLC Italy is looking forward to publishing into Italian these titles during 2018: Simplify by Bill Hybels, Boundaries by Dr. H. Cloud and Dr. J. Townsend, plus the biography of Josh McDowell’s life, Undaunted. They will also be reprinting More than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell since it has been out of print for some time, and yet it is a book that has been a great inspiration. Please pray for the team’s innovation in its shops and online store. The funds generated enable these publishing projects and, hopefully, others to be completed.

Thursday (22nd) – Belarus:

With the help of CLC Russia, we were able to publish Starter Bible and My Key Verse Bible in the Belarussian language at the end of 2017. This has already been a great blessing to Belarussian speaking families as they are the first high-quality children’s Bibles that have ever been published in our language. We have also received good feedback from our customers for our translated publication of Resisting Gossip by Matthew C. Mitchell. This book was first published in English by CLC USA

Friday (23rd) – Kenya:

Praise God that through our Print-on-Demand system we have had the privilege of assisting local authors to publish their culturally impactful books. Please pray that our publishing department will continue to strengthen and grow. It’s been a joy to watch how we have become relevant to the local authors. We hope for even better and improved processes and excellently manufactured products. Please pray for our upcoming ttiles, two of which are for teens.

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The Weekend (24th/25th) – Korea:

The current publication market in Korea has been shrinking with most Korean Christian publishers facing several difficulties, such as declining sales and a downturn in their business.

CLC Korea is no exception. Please pray God will guide and help us to continue to do our literary ministry this year, especially with the release of these new titles: Our Covenant Heritage by Edwin Nisbet Moore, Evangelical Disenchantment by David Hempton, Suffering and the Search for Meaning by Richard Rice, Embodying the Word by David Day and Puritan Portraits by J. I. Packer.

February 26th - March 4th

Week 9: Prayer Requests from CLC’s International Office Team Monday (26th) – Liz Patten, Regional Director for Africa:

As the Regional Director for Africa, I will be travelling for the whole of March (and possibly some of February) visiting the CLC African countries. Please pray for my health and stamina. As I am also the National Director for CLC Mozambique, please pray for the Mozambique team that they will “keep on keeping on” with much enthusiasm and drive while I am away!

Tuesday (27th) – Romualdo Macinas, Regional Director for Asia Pacific:

Please pray that we will continue to make an impact on the whole country and beyond by publishing relevant Christian materials. We seek God’s guidance in selecting titles. Please also pray for our importation processes as these international titles contribute to a big percentage of our sales. However, this is especially challenging for CLC Philippines at this time because of the devaluation of our peso currency. Please pray that our currency will soon rebound.

Wednesday (28th) – Necessary Travel for CLC IO Team:

All of our Regional Directors (RDs) travel a great deal. Gary Chamberlin, the RD for Europe, shares, “In 2018, I plan to finally visit Carlos in Portugal and Eva and Sotos in Cyprus. I also hope to return to Belarus after many years. I greatly look forward to these trips. What an encouragement to see how God is sustaining us in so many places, even where there are very difficult situations, such as in Spain and one of the Central Asian countries. Yet we will look expectantly to the Lord to intervene and bring stability into those fragile ministries.”

Please continue to pray for safe travels for Gary and our other RDs as well as our International Director, Gerardo Scalante. Gerardo visits many countries all over the world each year.

Thursday (1st) – Gary Chamberlin, Regional Director for Europe:

I am look forwarding to the CBA Marketsquare being held in Budapest during April. There will be two days of a (book) Rights Fair, a day of publishing training and an extra two days of training specifically for CLCers from many countries. It is our hope that all of the CLC European publishing countries will attend, plus Korea and Colombia. It’s so encouraging to see the growth of our publishing efforts. It’s also exciting to discover new projects that our teams can work on together. Please pray that the Lord would help us to find more such opportunities.

There is a strong sense of unity, real friendship and mutual respect and admiration among all of the attending participants. I praise God for this encouragement and for the wonderful, dedicated and sacrificial CLC colleagues I have across all of Europe.

Friday (2nd) – Humberto Urrita, Regional Director for Latin America:

We give thanks to God for the very active mobile bookshop ministry in Uruguay that travels to a number of areas located in the interior of the country. Please continue to pray for the safety of our mobile team, protection for our mobile bookshop and that these journeys will be fruitful in their introduction of the Gospel and the amazing resources we distribute.

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The Weekend (3rd/4th) – Gerardo Scalante, International Director:

As we head into the Easter season, please pray for the good health and stamina of our CLC workers around the world. Pray too for those who will be visiting our shops for Easter gifts as it is also a wonderful time of the year for evangelism. At this time, we find a number of nonbelievers and young Christians visit us to ask questions about Jesus and the resurrection. May the Lord guide these times of discussion. Please pray that our service to visitors and customers alike will be a real reflection of His love and sacrifice.

March 5th - 11th

Week 10: New Projects & Updates Monday (5th) – Chile:

You might recall that at the beginning of 2017, CLC Chile began distributing an evangelistic book pack that included Way to God by D.L. Moody and More than a Carpenter by Josh MacDowell. At the time of writing, the team was happy to report that two thousand packs had already been used for outreach. What a great way to get this precious literature into the hands of numerous unbelievers. May these books continue to light the Way.

Tuesday (6th) – Liberia:

Please pray for our team in Liberia that has begun planning a launch event for the Africa Study Bible this year. Due to concerns about the uncertainty around the elections taking place in March, the team is looking at a date in June. Please pray for the many details of this huge event to come together. We also praise the Lord that we now have the full funding needed to make these Bibles available, thanks largely to the generosity of those who attended the CLC USA Fundraising Banquet last November.

Wednesday (7th) – Mozambique:

Although we don’t have any publications planned as yet for 2018, it is our hope that we will be able to further develop the early stages of a partnership with a local Board member in Maputo for a Print-on-Demand system. Please pray for us!

Thursday (8th) – Canada:

We are working hard to develop a project that seeks to influence pastors to engage their audiences in good reading habits. We have joined together with the Francophone Christian publishing community to create this programme. Please continue to pray for us.

Friday (9th) – Sierra Leone:

We were truly blessed by the implementation of the Print-on-Demand equipment in June 2017. We praise the Lord that we have already printed over 5,000 books, including the 2018 19

Scripture Union daily devotionals. We are currently experiencing some technical challenges with the cartridges. We need and would value your prayers that God will give us wisdom in handling these challenges.

The Weekend (10th/11th) – Kenya:

In December 2016, we partnered with our first Children’s Home in an effort to establish book libraries for less fortunate children. Please pray for our team as we plan to select a second orphanage for this programme this year.

March 12th - 18th

Week 11: More Global Praise Points Monday (12th) – Germany:

During the G20 meetings in May (2017), we were very concerned for our shop and ministry because many black-clothed protesters caused a lot of damage in our area very close to the shop.

However, the Lord kept us safe. We were able to use our window displays for evangelisation, to be seen by those passing the shop. We were very encouraged when people took photos of our windows, and we later found ourselves featured in a Christian magazine article.

Tuesday (13th) – Thailand:

Praise the Lord for the recent opportunity to provide a young lady with her first Bible. She approached a CLC book table being held for a conference in the hotel where she worked. She said she was a Christian but had never had her own Bible. Pray that she will have a hunger to read it and to grow in her faith.

Wednesday (14th) – Mexico:

We thank the Lord for His constant provision and for the growth our ministry has had during the last three years. We also praise God for the opportunity to acquire a van for mobile ministry thanks to a donation we received via the CLC International Office.

Thursday (15th) – Belarus:

This year marks the 15th anniversary of when we opened our CLC bookshop in Brest. Praise the Lord with us! May God continue to develop our ministry. Please pray that each of our CLC teams around the world will always take the time to quiet our hearts so we can hear His voice and follow as He leads.

Friday (16th) – Chile:

During 2017, there was very little growth in the economy in Chile, but we thank God for His provision and for sustaining our ministry. We were very blessed in a variety of ways: having the quantity and variety of inventory available to meet customers’ requests; the arrival of an online payment programme, Webpay, which allowed for immediate online sales and growth; and, finally, the renewed encouragement for our website team led by Silvia Costero from Venezuela.

The Weekend (17th/18th) – Mozambique:

2017 was an exciting year for our small team! At the time of writing (early November), we have achieved 80% of the goals we set for ourselves for the year. We are especially thankful to God for His blessing for the Mozambique Bible Project—10,000 copies of an economy Bible (version “Bible for Everyone” in modern Portuguese) in partnership with the Bible Society of Portugal. We are expecting these Bibles to arrive in Maputo at the end of November 2017.

Our prayer for 2018 is that the LORD will surpass our expectations in the Bibles’ distribution to reach the length and breadth of the country!

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March 19th - 23rd

Week 12: Planning For Our Future Monday (19th) – Uruguay:

We ask for prayer that the Lord will direct us to the right person as we seek someone who has the administrative skills we need and feels strongly that the Lord is calling them to join our ministry. For the future of our mission, we need to continually invest in training and discipleship for Is God calling you to CLC? new members Please pray that the Lord will help us in our instruction.

Will you answer?

Tuesday (20th) – United States:

Please pray that God will help us to attract more missionaries who are willing to consider long term / indefinite service with CLC. We are seriously looking for members who feel committed to serving God through our Christian literature ministry.

Wednesday (21st) – Germany:

For some years we have been looking for a new shop to move into because there are plans to eventually tear down our current building.

Hamburg is an expensive city and the prices are always rising, so this has been a real challenge for us. Thankfully, our customers continue to offer us encouragement in our search.

Thursday (22nd) – Canada:

Esdras, our Distribution Manager, has just returned from being on paternity leave. Along with catching up with all that has happened during his absence, we are looking to reorganise our distribution sector so that we may begin to regain prosperity. Please pray for our team as we look at restructuring this department. Pray for Esdras, especially, as he settles back into his role and that he will find a healthy balance between these duties and his family life.

Friday (23rd) – United States:

A big decision needs to be made about the future of our Moorestown, New Jersey, bookshop. We need wisdom in determining if we should move and, if so, where we should move. Please ask the Lord on our behalf to give us the wisdom to make the best decision for future proofing our ministry in New Jersey.

The Weekend (24th/25th) – Philippines:

We are partners with the biggest chain of Christian bookstores here in the Philippines. They contribute around 80% percent of our total wholesale sales. We ask that the Lord will continue to guide us as together we serve the Christian community and reach out to many non-believers through Christian literature. May professional and personal relationships with them continue to strengthen and grow.

March 26th - April 1st

Week 13: Answers to Prayer Monday (26th) –Germany:

We are honoured by the many visitors to our shop who are looking for helpful books. Quite often we are blessed to be able to share time and the Gospel with them. There are so many 21

lonely people who are searching for the Lord that it feels like a great privilege to spend time with them and offer whatever helpful advice we can. Please pray that our time, advice and Christian book recommendations will help people come to faith and maturity in today’s society.

Tuesday (27th) – Côte d’Ivoire:

One evening last year, after a long day with very poor sales in Abidjan, a very simply dressed customer entered the shop and made a purchase which came to a greater value than we had taken during the whole day! We are thankful to the Lord for His goodness towards us. We also praise the Lord for the peace and stability in our country, without which we cannot serve God’s people in this nation (1 Timothy 2:2). Please continue to remember us in prayer, especially our shop in Bouaké as it is often the backdrop for armed demonstrations. Pray also for our customers’ safety as they shop with us. Unfortunately, many are now leaving the area.

Wednesday (28th) – Canada:

Praise God that by November 2017, we reached the break-even point in our sales for the first time in several years! This is a great encouragement to our team as we have been working extremely hard to improve our financial situation so we can continue and improve our ministry in Canada.

Thursday (29th) – Russia:

At the end of last year, we went through a mandatory computer (till) upgrade, which was quite adventurous. We found ourselves on our knees in prayer a lot, especially when we were left without any till in the shop for two days in our busy season! Through the whole process, however, we experienced a series of small miracles that led to our situation being resolved and improved. Praise the Lord with us!

Friday (30th) – Myanmar & Korea Partnership:

We give thanks to God for the joint effort between CLC Myanmar and CLC Korea that has allowed them together to publish an initial 10,000 copies of the Myanmar Study Bible, the first ever in the Burmese language! The Myanmar team were responsible for the translation and layout of the Bible along with all the paperwork involved to get government publishing approval. CLC Korea researched the printing costs. We are so thankful for their help in finding the right printer for this project, along with filling in the correct paperwork to obtain an official ISBN number for the Bible.

Please pray for the many Study Bibles we hope will find new homes this Easter!

The Weekend (March 31st / April 1st) – Jesus, the Answer to All Our Prayers:

All honour to God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; for it is his boundless mercy that has given us the privilege of being born again so that we are now members of God’s own family. Now we live in the hope of eternal life because Christ rose again from the dead. And God has reserved for his children the priceless gift of eternal life; it is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And God, in his mighty power, will make sure that you get there safely to receive it because you are trusting him. It will be yours in that coming last day for all to see. So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though the going is rough for a while down here.

These trials are only to test your faith, to see whether or not it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests gold and purifies it—and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold; so if your faith remains strong after being tried in the test tube of fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and Matthew 28:6 honour on the day of his return.

1 Peter 1: 3-7 (The Living Bible)

He is

RISEN (Just as He said!)

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Forgiveness

Is Not Optional Is the bitterness of unforgiveness hurting you, your relationships and your witness to others?

In Amazing Love, Corrie shares some incredible stories of her encounters with people from all walks of life. These real-life experiences illustrate how a childlike faith in the wisdom and love of God pushes us to forgive the seemingly impossible.

May this book inspire you to seek the Lord’s strength to forgive.

ISBN: 9781619582880

INTERNATIONAL

New edition available January 2018

WELL-LOVED AUTHOR & EVANGELIST CORRIE TEN BOOM 1892 - 1983

It is hard to overestimate the impact of the life of Corrie ten Boom. She and her family risked their lives by hiding Jews in occupied Holland during World War II. Arrested by the Gestapo and sent to Ravensbruck, the notorious Nazi concentration camp, she found for herself the victory that overcomes the world. Following her miraculous release from a Nazi concentration camp, Corrie ten Boom refused to give into the weakness of anger, claiming, “Forgiveness requires more strength than hatred.” For this reason, she began an international ministry of writing and speaking. Her extensive travelling to share Christ and counsel the hurting made her a worldwide witness, or, as she put it, a ‘tramp for the Lord.’

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A True Christian Gentleman A Tribute to Roger Page (1947 – 2017)

By Neil Wardrope, CLC UK Ministry Director

Have you got a minute?

This was the simple question that led to a 44 year marriage, an enduring relationship between Roger and Pearl Page, and a life together in CLC. Roger had joined CLC in October 1969 and was working in the London bookshop while living at the CLC headquarters ‘201’ in South Norwood.

Pearl joined CLC in February 1971 and was serving as the hostess in the headquarters. Roger and Pearl were married in July 1973, and Roger was asked to be the London shop manager.

In 1979, there was a need for a replacement Warehouse Manager in Alresford, Hampshire.

Roger and Pearl felt called to offer to serve there, moving down as a family in early 1980. Several of the trade reps that visited Roger in both London and Alresford have commented that they always felt treated with respect, and business was often accompanied by prayer.

In 1988, Roger and Pearl were asked to become UK leaders. In this role, they had responsibility for the countries overseen by CLC UK—Belarus, Poland, Sierra Leone and Tanzania. Seeing the work born in Belarus was one of their most precious memories. They spent many hours with the small team led by Gregory Torchilo—training them, encouraging them. Just last year, the current Belarus Director, Lina Pinkevich, was able to spend a week with Roger and Pearl.

At the end of their tenure as UK leaders, Roger again offered himself as Warehouse Manager.

There were suggestions at the time that the warehouse operation should close. In the light 24

of the recent move to Chester, it is just as well that it did not close! Under Roger, the warehouse grew and he remained there until his retirement in 2012.

For Roger, CLC was never a ‘job’ but a commitment to people. Two stories from Liz Patten illustrate this: First, he regularly ministered in Winchester Prison through his gifts of friendship and playing the piano. He once invited me to accompany him and bring a word from Scripture to a group of men there. That experienced marked me and showed me that the Word of God is relevant wherever you are. I marvelled at Roger’s dedication and commitment to go and minister so regularly to these men.

The second memory is a recollection of my first attendance at the ICRS trade show in the USA. Roger, by then the Manager of the UK Wholesale department, arrived ahead of me but still came to meet me at the airport. Roger not only looked after me during that rather overwhelming but thoroughly enjoyable experience, but he was clearly listening for God’s heart as we visited stand after stand and spoke with different publishers and suppliers. Many times—if not each time—he would suggest that we prayed together with our fellow Christian booksellers.

His sincerity and quiet care for people and His concern for God’s direction and glory shone through.

In retirement, Roger and Pearl have continued to play an important role in keeping the CLC retirees connected and praying.

Roger passed away unexpectedly November 24 from a heart attack. Since then we have received many tributes which have all borne testimony to Roger’s warm and loving personality, his graciousness, his ready smile and his love for his Saviour. Here is a selection of those comments: Roger was a lovely, gentle, encouraging man.

He was one of nature’s gentlemen.

He was the only buyer who would stop and pray before placing an order. A true man of God. Roger was thoughtful, gentle and caring. He was

always willing to go the extra mile.

A Great Man of God, always interested in how you were doing and an inspiration to us all. His love, grace and humility made a tremendous impact.

So you see, Roger’s life was not so much about what he did or what he achieved but rather who he was. It was even expressed in his wonderful piano playing, which many times led us to worship Jesus. To God be the glory for Roger’s life and all his years of service in CLC. He was an inspiration and a friend to so many of us.

With Love, We Remember:

Looking back at 2017, we can recall the loss of some dear CLC friends during the year – Eileen Coley, Norman Singleton, Ada Hiley and now Roger Page.

Three of these dear ones were also involved in UK national leadership roles, and we remain so grateful to God for each one of them. Please continue to pray for their families and friends.

UK Encouraging Stories:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) A few days ago, a new customer entered our CLC Bolton shop. The lady spoke to our staff.

She explained how she felt guided toward the shop and that she had been going through a difficult time. Our staff gave her advice and consoled her. But one of the big questions that our staff wanted to ask was, did she know Jesus? The answer was no. However, she was searching for him!

version—but Jan Burnham’s (CLC Sheffield) persistence got us the right Bibles in the end.

Now they have given their hearts to the Lord.

You really never know when your small part in the chain will have eternal consequences.

Praise the Lord!

Please keep all of these women in your prayers.

Our staff prayed with her and spoke with her about connecting with God. She has now accepted our Lord Jesus into her life and has begun her journey of faith. Praise God! Neil Wardrope, UK Ministry Director shares, We had quite an event in church recently with three African ladies singing us a song in Swahili. This was to celebrate their coming to faith the week prior. They had been attending our church for a few months when Sheena was asked to get some Swahili Bibles for them.

The first time we managed to get the ‘wrong’ Swahili—I think we needed the Tanzanian

We believe that CLC is not just a shop; it is a ministry, serving God. We would not be here without God or your continuing support. Thank you for letting CLC provide people with the resources they need. Doing so enables us to remain visible on the High Street to help those who are searching for the Lord.

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IF YOU LOOK AT THE WORLD, YOU’LL BE DISTRESSED. IF YOU LOOK WITHIN, YOU’LL BE DEPRESSED. IF YOU LOOK AT GOD, YOU’LL BE AT REST.

CORRIE TEN BOOM *Photo of Dominica

Are the storms in your life wearing you down?

God has not forgotten you! He will make a way for you, just as He did for CLC Dominica It is one thing to accept the sovereignty of God as an abstract intellectual concept. It is something entirely different to embrace this reality when you are in the midst of a storm. On September 18, our team on the lush and mountainous island of Dominica might have been tempted to wonder if God had forgotten them entirely when the lights went out during Hurricane Maria.

Only a few short weeks earlier, Hurricane Jose had passed just to the north of Dominica. While it missed them, it devastated the tiny island of Barbuda. Then, unfortunately, to everyone’s surprise and horror, what was supposed to be a tropical storm became Hurricane Maria in less than twenty-four hours. It passed right over Dominica. Hurricane Maria had turned Dominica’s 365 life- and joy-giving rivers into sources of death and devastation as everything washed away.

While the world learned the terrible tragedy the storm unfolded in Puerto Rico, no one heard from Dominica. All we could do was wonder who had survived.

The Dominica CLC bookshop had been established in 1948 and has struggled in recent years. David Almack (CLC USA) had just visited the team in January and was excited to work with them in rebuilding the ministry. Waiting to hear 26

from Davis, Dominica’s team leader, was a faithstretching experience for David. He explains: With all power, internet and phone service knocked out, we had no idea how to get in touch with Davis or how long it would take for him to get in touch with us. What little news we did hear was not encouraging. Most of the homes on the island had been damaged. The airport was closed. Boats were being sent from other islands to rescue people and bring much-needed supplies. It was over a week later that we finally got the wonderful news that Davis and his family were safe and so was our other team member, Tajya. While they were safe, the news about the store and their homes was not so good.

The country’s electrical grid was badly damaged, and the internet was not coming back online anytime soon. Along with many people losing their homes and all their belongings, a ‘river’ had literally run through the CLC shop. This recovery would take a long time, and the suffering of an already-impoverished people would be acute.

God, however, had not forgotten the people of Dominica or our local team. Even as the storm hit, He was making a way where there was no way.

People and governments all over the Caribbean and even in the United States began to respond to

the impassioned pleas of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit. Help began to arrive. The CLC Trinidad team arranged for two barrels of much-needed food and supplies to be sent right away. People around the island opened up their homes to one another and made shelter available for as many they could. Clean-up began. The resilience of the people of Dominica was remarkable. They had been knocked down but not out.

Two months later on November 15, CLC Dominica reopened. Although it is not a big space, it is sacred ground! Over the years, miracles have taken place as people’s lives have been touched by the power of the Gospel revealed in the printed page. Even though Davis still did not have electricity, internet service or much undamaged stock, he cleaned the shop as best and fast as possible so he could reopen.

David Almack shares: Amazingly, he (Davis) was able to use his mobile phone for texting, and we began to work together to get Christian resources to this devastated place.

We knew that when people go through a crisis

like this, they often turn to God and have many unanswered questions. With little else Davis could do at home, this was also a perfect time to do more reading than normal. As shopkeepers, (and as Christians!) at times our role is simply to help answer some of people’s difficult questions.

The Bible and other great Christian books make this easier. With a generous donation from our partners at Lifeway Global Resources, we (CLC USA) were able to send a large shipment of Bibles. and many other resources will follow. Surviving a storm like this “puts flesh on our theology” as we understand that we serve a God who really is there no matter what we face.

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Are You Ready To Say ‘Yes’ To God?

Wess Stafford, President Emeritus of Compassion International, shares why he believes in saying ‘Yes’ to God Thousands of times a day, we stand at the crossroads of saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to choices that come before us— click here, buy this, support that. We’re hyper-stressed from over-packed lives that cry out for us to stand ever vigilant, deciding what and how much we can say yes to and still maintain a balanced and purposeful life.

In reading Luis Bush’s The Yes Effect, you will take a joyful journey into the lives of amazing people across the globe who have realised their potential and God’s will by saying yes to the right things at the right time for the right reasons. For some, the yes decision means simply their quiet, timely blessing of one other person who desperately needed their hug, prayer, encouragement or rescue. For others, their yes moment has led to transformed communities—even nations. As you’ll soon read, a thoughtful, prayerful and obedient ‘yes’ leads to an adventurous, faithstretching odyssey that culminates in joy. The world is blessed and the kingdom of God expands as faithful people say yes to those whispered invitations from God that may seem uncomfortable, impossible, illogical, too sacrificial or even dangerous.

By saying yes to God, we join the long procession of those who have gone before us, not only our parents and grandparents, but all the way back to those brothers and sisters in faith from the early church.

ISBN: 9780802415936

I believe in the power of saying yes to God’s invitations in our unique places and pursuits. I believe in listening for opportunities to say yes. I believe in being open to the adventures God has planned for us.

By the end of this book, I know you will too.

LUIS BUSH is a prominent strategist and the originator of the 10/40 Window Movement, which has brought into focus the region of the world with the greatest human suffering combined with the least exposure to the gospel. Born in Argentina and raised in Brazil, Luis has traveled the world over for the sake of the Great Commission. Over the decades, through work with Partners International and AD2000 & Beyond, he and his network of catalysts have mobilised millions of believers to impact the world through devoted prayer and a lifestyle of service.

CLC World Reviews: Our Recommendations The Selfish Gospel: Be Transformed By Giving It All by Freddie Pimm Review by: Eddie Olliffe, CLC World Reviewer

ISBN: 978178359517 4, 160pp, IVP

The Selfish Gospel is an important title to read in my opinion as we urgently need more teachers of the Gospel. Focused on evangelism along with being dedicated to Christian discipleship, Freddie Pimm helps readers handle the steps from conversion to discipleship. This is always a significant part in every Christian’s life and needs to be handled with care. Working as a junior doctor in West London, Pimm attends St Alban’s Church in Fulham, where he preaches regularly and helps to lead the student work. I found this book to be a very good read and believe it will be a valuable book for any Christian in the church.

Mike Pilavachi, co-founder of Soul Survivor, also recommends this book.

Taking off the Mask by Claire Musters Review by: Dr. Wilma Brock, CLC World Reviewer

224pp ISBN: 9781780781914, Authentic Media

Taking off the Mask is a compassionate and important book about the need to discover authentic Christian honesty and to challenge the ‘I`m fine’ culture in church today. Claire Musters confronts the shame factor attached to perfectionism, giving an honest account of her own experience in discovering authenticity. In a well-structured and easy-to-read book, she discusses the various reasons why we wear ‘masks’ and invites us to join the journey of freedom. Musters provides practical and biblical steps to help us access God’s original design of who we were always meant to be. This is a challenging and crucial book that will help all those who read it.

Searching the Scriptures by Charles R. Swindoll Review by: Brian Lutes, CLC World Reviewer

288pp ISBN: 9781414380667, Tyndale House

Searching the Scriptures has been written for those who desire to understand and apply the messages of God’s Word. In it, Charles Swindoll presents a detailed, four-step study method, along with what he considers essential study aids. In addition, he emphasises five necessities for absorbing Scripture’s truths as well as five techniques for sharing the Good News. As Christians, we need to know, apply and share the Word with others. As the author states, “It is both our privilege and our responsibility to do so.” If you are passionate about your faith, you will find this book to be both beneficial and enjoyable.

The Forgotten Cross by Lee Gatiss

Review by: Jean Mintoft, CLC World Reviewer

112pp ISBN: 9781783970704, EP Books

The Forgotten Cross is a small book, subtitled Some neglected aspects of the cross of Christ. In down-to-earth language, it is easy to read in spite of the weighty theological issues discussed. The author, Lee Gatiss, maintains the importance of the cross because of Jesus’ dying in our place, which is sufficient for our salvation. However, Gatiss maintains that because we are saved, our lives need to be different. The difference needs to be seen in our attitudes, our separation from the world, suffering, self-giving service, success and sanctification. This is a challenging little book with short chapters. It is practical and would be of value to any Christian.

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Imagine what it would be like not to own even one Bible—How would you grow in your faith or share in your Bible study? If you are a church leader, how would you preach or teach from the Word of God? For many of us, we can buy a Bible online or by visiting our local Christian bookshop any time we want. Yet, this is not the norm in a lot of countries around the world. Many people cannot buy a Bible so easily, nor can they even afford to buy one. Mozambique is one of those countries.

Mozambique is a large African country with an area of 309,413 square miles (more than three times the size of the UK) and a coastline of more than 1,500 miles. In this vast country, there are only a few Christian bookshops, and CLC has two outlets—one in the capital Maputo and the other in Beira. Economically, Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world.

The Difficulties of Distributing Bibles in Mozambique: The Language—Although the majority of Mozambicans speak one or two local languages, children learn Portuguese in school. However, the Portuguese Bibles that are available are translations that are not easy to understand for someone for whom Portuguese is their second language. They are also difficult for those with a poor level of reading skills The Price—There are no Portuguese Bibles printed in Mozambique. They all have to be imported either from Portugal or Brazil. The publishers in those countries source the Bibles from printers in India or South Korea.

Inevitably, this increases the price of the Bible by the time it gets to Mozambique, and this is not helped by the local bureaucracy and currency fluctuations.

A Simple Solution?

There is a Bible translation—The Bible for Everyone—that is written in an everyday Portuguese language. This version of the Bible is perfect for a project that seeks to make the Word of God available to the greatest number of people in Mozambique possible. For this reason, we have teamed up with the Portugual Bible Society and have set the goal to raise enough funds to print and ship 10,000 Bibles to Mozambique. Any donation that we receive will bring us closer to this goal of 10,000 Bibles.

Raising sufficient funds to pay for the first printing and shipping of 10,000 Bibles will enable us to sell the Bibles for a modest and affordable price in Mozambique while retaining sufficient funds to re-print a further 10,000 Bibles. The demand is great, and we want to provide a continual supply of Bibles and not be dependent on ongoing subsidies.

The actual cost of printing, transporting and importing each Bible is just over £3.00 (GBP) or $4.00 (USD) per copy. Please pray and consider whether you could be a part of the solution by donating to this project.

Thank you for partnering with CLC in this great project to make the Bible available to those who can least afford it.

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If you live in the UK, you can even donate instantly by text now!

Simply text MOZA22 £5 to 70070 For more details on ways you can give, see our donation form.

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Be the Gospel

Let evangelism be WHO you are... not what you do!

ISBN: 9780802414977

ISBN: 9780802415936

ISBN: 9780802412904

Great resources that will help you to be more aware of the many ways you can share the Gospel in your daily walk with God.

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