Good News for everyone
ISSUE 3 2017
INTERACT
Mission-hearted Sharing life words in Indonesia A Escolha Vida! Changing perspectives in Brazil
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CONTENTS 04 08 10 12 14 A Escolha Vida!
Changing perspectives in Brazil
News
The latest news from the Lifewords global family
Mission Hearted Sharing life words in Indonesia
Calm in the Chaos Reaching young people with hope and healing
Lifewords and you Sharing the Bible all over the world
Issue 67 / 3-2017 Editorial team: Jess Bee Danielle Welch Steve Bassett Photographs: Lifewords unless otherwise stated Design: S2 Design & Advertising Ltd Print: Yeomans Creative
Lifewords is the operating name of Scripture Gift Mission (Inc), registered charity in England and Wales, 219055. Registered office: 1A The Chandlery 50 Westminster Bridge Road London SE1 7QY Interact is free, available three times a year from your nearest member of the Lifewords global family of organisations (see page 14)
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WELCOMe
“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10, NIV
Welcome to a new-look Interact magazine! For ten years, in most places where we work, we’ve been known as SGM Lifewords. As we approach the 130th anniversary of Scripture Gift Mission’s work around the world, you’ll see that we’re changing to use the shorter and more digital-friendly version of our name, Lifewords.
Danielle Welch Executive Director UK & International
Our historic ministry of sharing the Bible remains unchanged. In fact, that’s why Lifewords is such an exciting name for us. We believe that the Bible is for everyone. More than that, we want people everywhere to experience its life words as good news for their lives, and for the world. All our work is about giving people a way in to this book of books, “so that they may have life – and have it to the full”. In this issue of Interact you’ll read how the Bible is being used and shared to bring good news to life for teenagers in Brazil (p.4–7), for islanders in Indonesia (p.10–11), for young people facing a confusing and sometimes scary world (p.12–13). Our prayer is always that life words transform. That good news is experienced fully as liberation, hope, and change – not just as words on a page. Thank you for being a part of this mission with us. Your gifts and prayers help remove many barriers that separate people from receiving life words – including the barrier of cost. We can offer Scripture as a gift to whoever needs it, because of your generosity. Thank you. In Christ,
Danielle Welch
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Escolha Vida!
Children from Missão Criança Jardim Paraiso
When political institutions fail and rates of violence, crime, and drug use soar, young people need a new and better story to live by. Jess Bee reports on the first pilot of Choose Life in Brazil – helping to shape lives through the Bible’s life words. In southern Brazil a group of children play a game as part of a lesson. They’re talking about how they can do things for other people. One child suggests giving a food basket to their friend’s family where the father is unemployed and the mother experiencing health problems. The rest of the class agree, excitedly planning to gather items from their own homes to fill the basket. Another child has an idea to take their guitars and visit an elderly couple, to play them music and to pray with them. The next morning the class go out and visit the two families, putting what
they’ve talked about into practice. “It was wonderful,” says Eunice Deckmann, the class co-ordinator. “Everyone was happy. I was really emotional as the children knelt in the elderly couple’s home and prayed so spontaneously, thanking and asking God to bless them.” These children attend classes at Missão Criança Jardim Paraiso, a children’s mission in Joinville, in the Santa Catarina region of Brazil. The mission works with 330 children and has two groups of 10 between the ages of 9 and 12 working through the Choose Life curriculum in the afternoons.
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A new context Initially developed for use in East Africa, Choose Life (a values-based curriculum teaching positive decision-making) is now being piloted in teaching settings in Brazil. Choose Life has always been about empowering young people to make good choices for themselves and their communities. Now in this new setting it is offering an alternative perspective for young people growing up in an increasingly unstable nation. Over the past few years Brazil has seen huge political and economic turmoil with widespread corruption, loss of trust in politicians and austerity measures that have turned the clock back on improvements that had been made in poorer communities. The crime and violence which had been significantly reduced in the past ten years through various programmes and interventions is on the rise again, leaving young people with few values on which to model their lives. Crime, violence and drugs are again becoming a part of everyday life. Clenir Santos, from Lifewords Brazil, has been observing Choose Life (Escolha Vida, in Portuguese) being used in these new places. “Choose Life helps children to talk about these things,” she says. “When I spoke to the facilitators everyone said, ‘Wow, this is really what we need now’.”
and most have siblings who have a different father to them. One of the girls in class has an 18-year-old brother in prison because he stole something to give to his mother on Mother’s day. Cristiane Santos, one of the facilitators, explains how Choose Life is making a difference to the children and the way they view the world. In the past the children would always talk about guns and death because this is their experience of everyday life. “The Good Samaritan re-telling was brutal,” she says. But now they use more positive role-play scenarios to demonstrate the values in the Bible stories they are reading. The programme’s interactive and collaborative approach is also making a difference in the lives of the teachers as they see the children consider what life words mean for them. “I expected to teach but I see we learn much more with what the children bring,” says Cristiane. “Usually we expect to pass things on to them but in fact I am receiving much more than I expected. The choices I make day-to-day reflect what we are learning here. I need to make some decisions that choose others. The children and I are learning together.”
“I was really emotional as the children knelt in the elderly couple’s home and prayed so spontaneously”
The children pray with an elderly couple
Changing attitudes Joinville has a population of 600,000 people and proportionally is as violent as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo – every day someone dies or is shot. It has the highest number of homicides in the state of Santa Catarina. The children in the class experience violence in their homes 5
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“I learned with Choose Others that we need to choose others and always help”
Shaping values In another project in Joinville, César Oliveira facilitates Choose Life with two groups of children aged 6–13 years old. The project, Ecos de Esperança has three shelter homes and a community centre for 300 children. César grew up in this project and is now helping the children he works with consider how God’s values can impact the way they live. “I am enjoying Choose Life, especially for reflecting on how we think,” he says. One of his classes has been looking at the Choose Others booklet and as a result brainstormed ideas of how they could demonstrate their gratitude to the project through raising money. Some collected cardboard with friends and sold it. Others made a piggy bank from a shoe box and asked for change in school and
the project. “I learned with Choose Others that we need to choose others and always help,” said Rafael, one of the children. “We collected cardboard and things to raise money for Ecos as they have been helping us for many years. It is very cool here. They give us this space and we can only say thank you.” Impacting lives Missão Morro do Meio, another project, is developing Choose Life in one of the schools they work with in Joinville and also through a church community programme. A popular part of the Choose Life lessons are the role-plays – a device used throughout the teaching to help young people explore how values shape choices, and to rehearse their own decisions. “In the first lesson they were ever so timid,”
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says Julita, one of the facilitators, “but in the second they all wanted to talk. They now tell us things like: ‘I always lost my patience having to help my little brother but now I am helping,’ and ‘I helped a lady in the supermarket pick up her shopping’.” The children are even becoming examples in their homes where the pattern of a father who drinks and physically abuses the mother is very common. “These children are making a difference through their attitudes,” says Julita. The openness and confidence demonstrated by the children in the role-plays is also allowing them to build deep relationships with each other and the facilitators. One day, after class a girl came to Julita and said she needed to talk. It was about a situation at home with her father who was drunk. As the girl opened-up to her Julita realised the bond of trust they now have with the children.
Working together Choose Life is made possible in Brazil, through partnership with the Brazilian Baptist mission board, and with Norwegian Mission Alliance. If you would like to lend your support to this partnership, please consider making a gift at www.lifewords.global, towards the costs of student booklets, teacher manuals, and training. Thank you!
“They were excited and talkative, offering their ideas and keen for more lessons”
A new path “In observing the lessons I saw a real enthusiasm from the children for a different way of thinking,” says Clenir. “They were excited and talkative, offering their ideas and keen for more lessons. For these children guns and violence are an everyday reality but Choose Life is offering them a new path, one which they are walking with enthusiasm. Instead of death they are focussing on life and hope.”
Pray Pray with us for Choose Life in Brazil, that God’s truth, love and hope would inspire children, teachers, families and communities to reframe their thinking and the story that they live by.
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world NEWS Easter outreach
Ahead of the Easter season last year, Lifewords UK partnered with CPo and oNE frIdAy to create a Bible booklet based on the 14 Stations of the Cross. This year more than 30,000 people received a copy of One Friday. Hundreds of groups, churches, organisations and individuals used the resource with their communities to invite people into the Easter story in new, creative and engaging ways. These included “walks of witness”, outreach services, family events, and a community fair. one group from London even displayed booklets (and the accompanying posters, based on the booklet artwork) in their local town hall. One Friday features beautifully illustrated paintings from artist Jenny Hawke and narrates the final events that took place over the last 24 hours of Jesus’ life as told in the gospels. The final page then invites readers to visit a church on Easter Sunday and continue their Easter journey. College staff member Joseph George shared 1,000 copies of One Friday with students at rhyl College and rhos-on-Sea campus. “The booklets and artwork attracted a lot of attention,” said Joseph. “Many students came to ask what it was all about which gave me the opportunity to explain the Easter Story. Some were even keen to give me their interpretation of the pictures, which encouraged further conversation.”
Healing and hope in Nairobi Since 2013 Lifewords’ Pavement Project programme has been bringing transformation and new life to girls in Nairobi’s Majengo slum. Through a partnership with one Lamb – a project that works with communities to end child prostitution – Pavement Project is helping girls know that God loves them and cares about their future. “Most of the girls in Majengo are affected by Esther prostitution and other forms of sexual abuse,” says Esther, the Pavement Project worker at one Lamb. She tells the story of one young woman, Mary*, who is 14 years old. “She had been raped several times by different men and abused by her step father on many occasions. By the time I met Mary she had attempted suicide several times and she had low self-esteem,” says Esther. “I started using the green bag with her – at first she wasn’t ready to open up and talk about herself but after hearing about the love of Jesus she slowly started opening up and asking lots of questions. Now, she prays when we have sessions and she has become very cheerful and open.” 8
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* Name has been changed.
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© dIrECT rE
Growing Wildflowers
Shared Hope’s JuST conference
Last year Interact reported on a new Bible resource for women in sexual exploitation. Wildflowers: Flourishing in the Chaos was created in collaboration with women through writing workshops and one-toone conversations. Now a year on we have several organisations from all over the world who are interested in using the resource. The booklet uses Bible verses and commentary from the women who helped write it to offer hope, acceptance and recovery. Shared Hope International plans to use it at a conference in New Orleans in October with women who have experienced human trafficking. The JuST conference raises awareness of juvenile sex trafficking and works to end it in local communities. Nancy Winston, Senior Director at Shared Hope International explains more: “Over the past five years we have had a focus on increasing survivor participation so they can feel the support of a network of other survivors and develop as leaders through the example and influence of others in the anti-trafficking movement.” Each of the survivors will receive a copy of the booklet. The Lifewords Bible resources team is planning to translate the booklet into several languages so that even more organisations in different parts of the world can offer women a way in to the Bible, that will bring hope and good news for their lives. Please pray with us for the expanded reach of this important resource. find out more at justconference.org. © dIrECT rELIEf
Mercy Path
In June renate Boss from Birmingham launched Mercy Path, a new charity working with vulnerable children in Sierra Leone. Lifewords gave renate 4,000 Bible resources to share with these young people and the community that they’re part of. At the time of writing Mercy Path has already reached over 300 children living in poor conditions or experiencing abuse. with a focus on child labour and the mistreatment of children within families and communities, Mercy Path makes children aware of what constitutes child labour and abuse so they can seek help. It also supports young girls to prevent them from becoming victims of female genital mutilation. “Thank you to Lifewords for supporting Mercy Path,” said renate. “All the different booklets are great but we are particularly excited about the story in Who Cares About Me?” Mercy Path has already seen real fruit from their work and they hope to reach more than 3,000 vulnerable children in the future. “I cannot thank you enough,” says renate. “you did the greatest thing by supplying us with these Bible resources.” find out more about Mercy Path by visiting www.mercypath.org and www.facebook.com/ mercypath. 9
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Mission-hearted When a dive trip becomes a mission opportunity. Lifewords Australia-New Zealand Director, Dan Hardie, reports on a lesson learnt in Manado, Indonesia. Lifewords Indonesia has one core ministry: to equip people for personal evangelism through the Bible’s life words. Indonesia is a country with a vast population (more than 250 million). Christians are significantly in the minority, yet so many we meet are passionate about sharing the good news they know of Jesus. Lifewords works with groups of churches (often whole synods at a time) and mission schools to help equip people for sharing their faith, wherever they find themselves. Earlier this year, I found myself in Indonesia for one such training opportunity. Lifewords had been invited by the GMPK Synod to come to Manado, one of the main cities on Sulawesi Island, to train workers from 120 churches for personal
evangelism, using Bible booklets and The Visible Story tools (a Bible programme for oral storytelling). The training was led by Lifewords Indonesia Director, Pak Gunar – and Pak Ferdinand, a local Lifewords volunteer. A surprise gift Manado is not a location many of us will ever visit – though it is on the fourth largest of Indonesia’s islands (just east of Kalimantan). Crowded, noisy, dirty, friendly, it’s a place that is indicative of Indonesia. Now, I love anything to do with water – and I think perhaps news of this had gone ahead of me. As soon as we arrived in Manado, a day ahead of the first training, Pak Ferdinand offered to take me on a
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local fishing boat on the one-hour journey to Bunaken, for a dive trip. Soon we were aboard an old timber transport boat with about 30 locals. Our boat was the daily supplies carrier for the village, transporting fish, coconuts, avocados, and high school students to the city each morning – returning in the early afternoon with fuel, bottled water, rice, and even the odd motorcycle. Once we’d landed in Bunaken, we headed for a tiny fishing boat that would take us to the edge of the reef. Pak Ferdinand was going to watch from the boat as I dived. As we set out, I noticed Pak Ferdinand was carrying a box. “What’s in the box, Pak?” He laughed, “It’s a gift! I hope it’s OK with you. We have to make a slight detour before diving.” The real reason Here was the reason Pak Ferdinand had volunteered to come with me! For him, a trip to Bunaken Island meant an opportunity to bring Scriptures across on the boat, and share them with school students and the village church. The contents of the box were revealed – a few hundred Bible
booklets. We went (unannounced) to the local school, hoping they would receive our gifts. The head teacher did more than that! Classes were stopped, and all 120 students gathered so that Pak Ferdinand could speak. He was funny, passionate, and kind. Everyone was attentive – even the Muslim staff. When Pak Ferdinand opened the box he’d carefully carried all this way, the teachers gave all the students You Matter and Little Book of Help. The young people took fifteen minutes to read individually, and Ferdinand sat to explain further to some students. It was a really special moment. And then we were off again, Pak Ferdinand smiling broadly as he finished what he came to do. My dive now seemed less important! I had just seen Lifewords’ core ministry in action – equipping people like Ferdinand, who are determined never to miss an opportunity to share the Bible. Why? Because they know that the mission is urgent, and there is no better story, no greater good news in the world, than these life words.
Pray We’re so thankful for volunteers like Pak Ferdinand who are passionate about the Bible and helping others read and understand it. Pray with us for the ongoing work in Indonesia.
PS. The dive was also awesome!
Pak Ferdinand on the boat (left) and sharing Bible resources in the school (right)
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Calm in the Chaos In May when a terror attack struck Manchester, UK, God’s Word helped start conversations about peace, stability and hope. Beverley Agyeman reports. Derek Alder stands in St Ann’s Square in Manchester alongside hundreds who have gathered to pay tribute to those affected by the terror attack at a music concert that took place a week earlier. The mood is sombre, grief is tangible. Derek, a former British Red Cross frontline worker, is here to offer support and to share God’s message of peace and hope with those – many of whom are young people – trying to comprehend this attack on their city. Just a few days earlier Derek was at the Big Church Day Out festival in Sussex where he came across the VerseFirst stand. The project is an initiative of Lifewords UK and Lifewords Australia/New Zealand. This year VerseFirst produced Little 12
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Book of Chaos which is designed to help young people facing stress, anxiety and depression. Derek spoke to the VerseFirst team and shared his plans to travel to Manchester to offer support to a hurting city. He took 100 copies of Little Book of Chaos, Little Book of Help and Little Book of Faith.
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Hope and healing In Manchester Derek shared the booklets with those he met. “I’m grateful for these booklets from VerseFirst because it’s an incredible way to open up conversations in such sensitive situations,” he said. “As I chatted to people in the city centre – most in their early to late twenties – they told me that the ‘past week had been full of mixed emotions’.” He spoke to a group of young men who took an interest in Little Book of Chaos: “Even though I don’t know what’s in this book, I’ve got hope that somehow it’ll ease my mind,” said one. Derek continued: “After speaking with people from different backgrounds, cultures and experiences in life, it was truly touching to know that differences don’t matter. I spoke to them about real life situations mentioned in Little Book of Help such as money, friendship and work, and we all agreed that anyone can go through times of trouble. What matters is how we respond. They were very eager to take copies for themselves.” Back at the vigil in St Ann’s Square, Derek chatted to more people: “To my surprise, I started seeing smiles,” he said. “Some told me they don’t believe in God but were interested in Little Book of Chaos so took some copies. One man in particular shook my hand, thanked me for caring about them and said, ‘It’s touching to meet someone who has such a deep concern for people to travel 200 miles and share a reassuring message with hurting people, through these beautiful booklets.’”
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At Big Church Day Out festival
Reaching young people For young people the world can be a confusing and chaotic place – the pressure of everyday life is increasingly augmented by external events that can make all of us feel unsettled and uncertain. Little Book of Chaos helps to open up conversations about how these things have an impact by looking at issues surrounding pressure, self-worth and mental health from a biblical perspective. Little Book of Chaos and the earlier titles in the Lifewords “little book” series – Little Book of Faith and Little Book of Help – are available free from www.versefirst.com.
Pray We thank God for Derek and those who support people affected by terror attacks all over the world. Praise God that love conquers fear and that light shines in the darkness!
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GET INVOLVED Lifewords and YOU
Inspiring Prayer in Havant How can the Bible’s life words help people connect with God? St Albans in Havant invited people to come and pray at Pentecost, using Lifewords resources. Here’s how they got on. In June, Churches Together in Havant held a whole host of Pentecost events. St Albans church in West Leigh opened their doors for the week, inviting schools, other churches, and the wider community to come and pray. Dotted around the building at prayer stations were 150 copies of Inspiring Prayer (a Lifewords resource, with Bible words and prayers), with copies for visitors to take away.
A typical school visit went something like this: Revd Canon Karina Green started with a talk to each group of children about why people pray. Then the children split into small groups (with one adult to help) and moved round the prayer stations. They lit candles, wrote things on scraps of paper to throw in the “sorry bin”, and stopped at the “wailing wall”. They put stickers on a big map of the local area, and prayed for people living on their street. They talked about people in trouble, in hospital, people fleeing from war and conflict – and they used Inspiring Prayer pages like “A prayer against violence”, and “A prayer for healing” to respond. Knowing “how to pray”, and being afraid of doing it “wrong” are big barriers for people – but prayer is also such a natural place
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A big thank you! We asked you to help us make a new resource, Little Book of Chaos, freely available to young people struggling with mental health issues – and you did!
for people to start connecting with God, reaching out beyond ourselves and our own thoughts and ideas. Karina recommends using Inspiring Prayer to help people take a first step with God: “The booklets are great,” she says. “Being aware of diverse backgrounds and life experiences, and not assuming we’re all on the same wavelength is key, and that’s what Inspiring Prayer does.” If you’ve been inspired to use Lifewords resources then let us know! Your story could inspire others to step out and share good news in a fresh way. Find out how to get in touch with your local office opposite.
Little Book of Chaos – part of our VerseFirst project – is a biblical response to issues of depression, self-worth, anxiety and the hard times that life brings. We needed £2,750 to print the first 10,000 copies in the UK to give to mental health charities, youth workers, parents, teachers and you. A total of 34 donors gave to help us not only reach but exceed our target, with one donor giving to cover the full amount. A huge thank you to everyone who gave, prayed and shared this campaign over the last few weeks. Now 10,000 young people struggling with the ups and downs of life will be able to receive a free copy of Little Book of Chaos, all thanks to your support. Find out more and order copies of Little Book of Chaos at www.versefirst.com.
CONTACT US Get in touch with the Lifewords global family. Find us online at www.lifewords.global, or contact your local office. Australia
+61 437 705 947 australia@lifewords.global Brazil
projectoc@lifewords.global Canada
+1 683 6482 info@sgmcanada.ca Kenya
+254 20 2730100 kenya@lifewords.global Indonesia
+62 816714983 indonesia@lifewords.global India
+91-80-25296587 india@lifewords.global Poland
europe@lifewords.global UK & International office
+44 (0) 20 7730 2155 uk@lifewords.global 15
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Outside/iN Welcome into the Christmas story
OuTsIdE/In This year let the Christmas story turn your church, your community, even your world, OUTSIDE/IN. The Christmas story is full of unlikely characters. Those on the edges are drawn to the heart of the action. Everyone is invited in. We hope you’ll join us in finding ways to share that invitation this year – to welcome people in to the good news of the Christmas story. Order OUTSIDE/IN to give away at Christmas services and events, and see the rest of our Christmas range at www.lifewords.global.
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