Global News

Bible Society Looks for New Leader

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:44:49 UTC

With present Chief Executive Rev Mark Brown advising the Bible Society Board that he will not be taking up the option to extend his contract from March next year, the search has begun to find his successor.

“Mark Brown has had a major impact in the 30 months he has been Chief Executive of Bible Society New Zealand. He has led us through a significant period of change and he has helped future-proof our organisation with a fresher, younger profile and approach,” said David Harrison, chairman of the Bible Society Board of Management.

“Mark remains fully in charge until March next year but we are starting the search now so as to give us the time to make sure we get the right person to follow on from Mark and then to appoint him or her in time to have a seamless transition.”

“Bible Society has been greatly blessed under Mark’s leadership and there is a real momentum to the mission, both domestically and internationally, that we want to build on".

“We anticipate naming Mark’s successor later this year,” said Mr Harrison.

Tokelau NT launch

Fri, 29 May 2009 23:09:01 UTC

Long Wait Ends in Joyous Celebration

“For the 160 years that Christianity has been in Tokelau we have had no Bible. But God has been very good and gracious and today we give heartfelt thanks that we have the New Testament in our heart language.

These emotion-charged words from Ioane Teao, the secretary of the Tokelau Bible Translation Committee (TBTC), at the dedication service of the New Testament translation in Porirua, near Wellington last Saturday.

Bible Society CEO, Mark Brown, told the 350-strong congregation that bringing God’s Word to a people in their own language “is at the very heart of Bible Society mission.”

After the clergy present had gathered to bless the new translation, Mark Brown made a special presentation of the first of the New Testaments to have come off the press to Ioane Teao in recognition of his many years work as the principal translator. Much to the delight of the congregation he then offered Ioane a berth on the yacht Seahawk when it delivers the first consignment of 500 New Testaments to the Tokelau Islands on July 11.

Dr Stephen Pattemore, United Bible Societies Translation Consultant, has worked closely with the project since its inception thirteen years ago. He told the congregation that the translation of the full Bible is now in draft form. “I hope that we will be dedicating the full Bible in Tokelau in about three years time,” he said.

Once the three hour church service of dedication and thanksgiving ended, the celebrations continued for another three hours in another part of the church with feasting, singing, dancing and praying.

And the enthusiasm for the New Testament was evidenced in the fact that over 1500 copies were sold or ordered during the day to those who attended the celebrations.

Photo: Denise Landau MPIA

The Tokelau Bible translation team (l to r): Ioane Teao (secretary of the Tokelau Society for the translation of the Bible and principal translator and project coordinator), Mrs Matafele Pereira (translator, OT), Dr Iuta Tinielu (translator OT), Mr Loimata Iupati (translator, NT and OT).

Photos: Denise Landau MPIA

Tokelau NT launch Translation Documentary - View the video clip below.

Photos available – please email:
epike@biblesociety.org.nz
or
scrawford@biblesociety.org.nz

Note to media: other photos are available on request.
Contact:   Stephen Opie
                (NZ Coordinator for Bible Society translations)
                FP: 0800 424 253 ext 837
                P: 04 5500 837
          M: 027 349 8088
                E: Stephen.Opie@biblesociety.org.nz

Joy Cowley Writing Tarore Story

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:48:57 UTC

Award winning author, Joy Cowley, has teamed up with Bible Society to write the remarkable story of Tarore.

In 1835, Bible Society published 100 copies of the Gospel of Luke in Maori. In 1836, missionaries gave one of these Gospels to a young Maori girl, Tarore, at a mission school near Matamata.

Tarore’s subsequent acceptance of the Christian faith and her murder at a young age had a great impact upon the Maori people with many coming to faith as a result.

The Tarore story will be published and distributed free to 110,000 children through Christian Religious Education (CRE), formerly known as Bible in Schools. It will also be distributed to up to 30,000 school children in Catholic primary schools.

The book will contain selected verses from the Gospel of Luke, and it will be illustrated using a series of eighteen paintings depicting the story created by Waipawa artist, Mary Glover Bibby, in the 1920s.

Bible Society CEO, Mark Brown, says, “Not only will the children learn something about the beginnings of Christianity in this country, but they will also have the same opportunity to experience the life changing message of the Gospel that Tarore did.”

Bible Society all a Twitter

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 04:11:46 UTC

Twitter is the latest internet sensation. In short it provides a way of communicating quickly to a group of people, termed ‘followers’. This is achieved through writing short messages (known as tweets) which once published are instantly received by your ‘followers’ on either their mobile phone or on their computer. The challenge is that you only have 140 characters for the message, so brevity is a must. Bible Society have recently set up a Twitter account called Bible4U which provides most days, a short Bible passage plus the occasional inspirational message.

Become a twitter follower and receive daily Bible tweets at: http://twitter.com/Bible4U

Scripture now in 2,479 Languages

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 20:15:15 UTC

Although it may mean having only one book of the Bible or, conversely, a full Bible, there are 2,479 languages which had access to Scripture as at 31 December 2008, according to Bible Society’s worldwide registration figures.

This is an increase over the previous year of 25 languages that now have some portion of Scripture.

This figure includes 451 languages which have a full Bible - 13 more than the previous year – and there are seventeen languages that received a New Testament for the first time in 2008.

Included in the New Testaments that will be registered for the first time this year, is the New Testament in Tokelau. The dedication of this New Testament will take place in May at Porirua near Wellington, where most of the translation work has been done.

According to SIL International (formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics), there are 6,912 known living languages in the world which means that there are still 4,433 languages that have no Scripture whatsoever.

“Bible Society is currently working on more than 650 different translations worldwide,” says Mark Brown, CEO of Bible Society New Zealand, “but clearly there’s still a lot more work yet to be done to bring the Bible to people of all languages and nations.”

4 March 2009

Contacts:    Errol Pike
                  Bible Society New Zealand
                  Phone: 04. 5500843
                  Email: epike@biblesociety.org.nz

Or       Stephen Opie
           Bible Society New Zealand
           Phone: 04. 5500837
           Email: stephen.opie@biblesociety.org.nz

Two New V-Ps for Bible Society

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 20:12:43 UTC

Archbishop David Moxon and Bruce Murray QSO, were elected as the two new Vice- Presidents of Bible Society New Zealand at the National Council meeting in February. Peter McKenzie QC was re-elected to serve for another year as President.

Archbishop Moxon is the Bishop of Waikato, Senior Bishop of the New Zealand Diocese and co-presiding Bishop in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. Born in Palmerston North, he was educated at Massey and Canterbury Universities and also at Oxford University, England. He was ordained a priest in 1979 and ordained Bishop in 1993. He has been heavily involved in liturgical education and development and has been at the forefront of development in local shared ministry.

Bruce Murray has been an officer at the Tawa Baptist church since 1965 including as Bible Class Superintendent for 11 years and a member of the NZ Baptist Christian Education Committee for 7 years. His life-long career as a teacher culminated in his being awarded a QSO for services to education in 2002. He was for 13 years Principal of Tawa College, near Wellington. Bruce is also well-known as an opening batsman for the New Zealand cricket team and was a member of the first New Zealand team to ever win a test series (against Pakistan in Pakistan). He is currently President of Cricket Wellington.

4 March 2009

Contact:        Errol Pike
                    Bible Society New Zealand
                    Ph: (04) 5500843
              epike@biblesociety.org.nz

NZ Supports Martyr's Widow

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 20:08:15 UTC

In October 2007 the Bible Society bookshop manager in Gaza, Rami Ayyad, was abducted and murdered. It is believed his death was motivated by anti-Christian sentiment.

He left behind his wife Pauline, who was pregnant with their third child at the time, and two sons.

When Pauline eventually gave birth she named her daughter Sama which in Arabic means 'heaven'.

“Because that is where Rami is,” explained Pauline, “and I wanted his daughter to have that special link to him through her name.”

Bible Society New Zealand CEO, Rev Mark Brown was quick to act when he heard of the family's tragedy. He encouraged Bible Society staff to donate to a trust that had been set up for Pauline and the education of her three children. He also mentioned it in one of Bible Society's publications. This brought an immediate and generous response from the New Zealand Christian community.

The result so far is that New Zealand has contributed $21,000 to the trust fund.

“When I phoned Pauline a month or two ago to ask how she is getting on, she was so grateful for the support,” said Mark Brown.

‘It means so much to me’ she said in saying thank you to the New Zealand people. ‘Your support and your prayers have really lifted me up. Thank you so much’ she said.”

Mr Brown said that because Christians here and throughout the world had been moved to give to the trust fund, its total now stood at nearly $150,000.

4 March 2009

Contact:    Errol Pike
                Bible Society New Zealand
                P: (04) 5500843
                E: epike@biblesociety.org.nz (alternative: scrawford@biblesociety.or.gnz)

Photo of Pauline Ayyad available on request.

Sons of Korah bring acoustic Psalms to Auckland

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 02:29:00 UTC

Sons of Korah bring acoustic Psalms to Auckland

Internationally acclaimed Australian band - Sons of Korah are joining with Bible Society New Zealand for two exclusive concerts in Auckland on March 20 and 21. This will be the first NZ concert showcasing music from their new album, RAIN and also the first time the full band of all five members perform together in New Zealand.

Concerts take place Friday 20 March at Greenlane Christian Centre and Saturday 21 March at Windsor Park Baptist Church, Mairangi Bay.

Sons of Korah showcase a diverse and unique acoustic sound. Each show will take audiences on a timeless musical drama exploring the Biblical Psalms, which have influenced Christian and Gospel artists across the world.

“We believe the Psalms portray spiritual life in all facets and dynamics. Our music is not only intended for Christians, but is an honest and meaningful entry point into exploring the sometimes complicated world of faith” said Matthew Jacoby of Sons of Korah.

Sons of Korah put the Word of God and music together in a dynamic and captivating way in order to lead the listeners into an impacting encounter with the heart of the Bible. Their rich harmonies, along with a wide range of instrumental textures and contrast between light and dark will give audiences a once in a life time experience.

According to research undertaken by Bible Society New Zealand, 68% of all New Zealanders own a Bible, and yet only 23% of Bible owners pick it up and have a read at least once a month. Despite the ready availability of Bibles in many different English versions, most New Zealand Christians do not see engaging with God through Bible reading as a priority. Bible Society’s Bible Engagement Advocate, Stephen Opie, believes Sons of Korah offer a new and unique way to directly share the Word of God with those who might otherwise not connect with their Bibles.

“With music which has the ability to appeal to millions, Sons of Korah are destined to touch many lives” says Bruce Peterson, Bible Society Events Manager.

To ensure accessibility, tickets are priced at just $10 for adults and $5 for children and will be available from Manna Christian Stores in Greenlane, Manukau and Henderson as well as Windsor Park Baptist Church, Mairangi Bay. Door sales will also be available. Both concerts start at 7pm, so be early to avoid disappointment.

The Sons of Korah Auckland tour is proudly presented by Bible Society New Zealand.

Click here for more information

Bible Society encourages future Christian influencers at Parachute

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 22:35:33 UTC

Bible Society encourages future Christian influencers at Parachute

25,000 people, 2,500 new Christian packs, 500 kilometers, 30 degrees, 13 team members, four days, 1 mission: to encourage as many Parachuter’s as possible to get back into their Bibles. Late in January, the Bible Society team travelled the more than 500 Km from Bible House in Wellington to Mystery Creek near Hamilton to mix and mingle with more than 25,000 kids, youth leaders, mums and dads, and even grandmas. Parachute is the biggest annual event on the New Zealand Christian calendar, and the biggest gathering of Christian youth in New Zealand.

That’s why Bible Society had to be there. With Bible engagement rates at an appallingly low rate, particularly among youth, Bible Society wanted to spread its passion for God’s Word on the dusty makeshift streets of the Parachute music festival.

But just how to effectively spread the message of the transformative power of the Gospel into a youth culture not so keen on hearing it was the question. The solution was to get them to share the message with each other. So Bible Society took a miniature film studio to Parachute where more than 120 people from 7 years old to 60 shared their hearts and thoughts on the Bible and what it meant to them. The clips were then feed back onto the big screen in the Bible Society tent for others to see them.

God abundantly blessed our presence by making the film studio a huge success and the messages recorded greatly inspirational. Many shared how their journey with God had grown the more they devoured their Bible. Some shared that they didn’t know much about the Bible at all. Through rap, rhyme, drama and even sign language, when Parachuters got in front of the camera, all inhibitions seemed to fly out the canvas window.

The film concept, as well as the orange saturated lounge the team had created, birthed many fascinating discussions with people about their Bibles. Specific resources designed to encourage and help people get back into their Bibles were given out and received with enthusiasm. Many pointed out in the ‘Dusty Bible’ booklet (a resource aimed at encouraging people to dust of their Bibles and bring it back to the top of their list of daily priorities) their resonance with some of the main reasons why people have turned away from Bible reading.

Meanwhile, as hundreds came and enjoyed the new Bible Society experience, The Lounge, Parachute’s dedicated area for new Christians and those that just needed someone to talk to was in full swing. Bible Society’s sponsorship of The Lounge meant that conversations between the trained counsellors and young people at risk could take place in a comfortable environment, on couches rather than the wooden planks and concrete blocks of previous years. Bible Society donated 2,500 Bibles and resources for the many new Christians making commitments at the festival. The Lounge is now an integral part of the festival for Parachute who want to do more than just fill ears with good sounds. Their heart too is to share the love and truth of Jesus Christ, especially with the many thousands of non believers who attend the festival each year.

Parachute is fast becoming a key event for Bible Society. With so many opportunities to share and encourage tomorrow’s Christian influencers, it’s paramount Bible Society brings the message of the transformative effects of Bible engagement into the heat and dust of Mystery Creek each year.

Click here to view some of the most encouraging clips recorded at Parachute ’09.

Bible Society New Zealand appointed as co-distributor of Tyndale House Publisher

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:07:23 UTC

Bible Society New Zealand are pleased to announce that we have just been appointed co-distributor for the Bible range and Bible reference books published by Tyndale House Publishers, Illinois ,USA. We are delighted to now be able offer to New Zealand one of the world’s most popular Bible translations, the NLT (New Living Translation).

The NLT Bible is famous for its readability and accessibility and is popular amongst readers new to the Bible as well as those who have been reading The Bible for many years. This is a great fit for Bible Society as our mission is not only to distribute Bibles as widely as possible within New Zealand, but to see lives transformed by God as they engage with God’s Word.

We will be ready to accept orders and enquiries for this new range very soon.

A Vision for a New Contemporary Maori Bible Translation

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 01:14:59 UTC

On Wednesday 17 December, Maori church and community leaders gathered at Poroporo Marae in Whakatane to celebrate the launching of Te Kawenata Hou, the newly reformatted edition of the Maori New Testament.

At the launch celebrations, Bible Society CEO Reverend Mark Brown shared Bible Society's thoughts on a vision for a new contemporary Maori Bible translation.

“For many years, Bible Society has been receiving requests for another Maori translation, a translation in contemporary, everyday Maori language that a modern Maori reader will identify with,” he said.

The current Maori Bible was last revised in 1952. While the 1952 edition will always be considered a Taonga, the language is far removed from everyday Maori language now spoken in homes, at places of work and in schools.

"The vision would not be to replace the 1952 edition, but to have a contemporary Maori translation that will sit alongside it. Something that a young Maori reader can open, and begin reading as if God was speaking to him or her in their own everyday heart language,” Reverend Brown said.

However, Reverend Brown said that it cannot be just Bible Society’s vision. He explained that the vision must also come from the Maori church and its leaders. He offered Bible Society’s full support, including project coordination as well as help with funding and translation expertise.

It is expected that the project would take 13 years to complete.

The first Maori New Testament was printed on William Colenso’s small press at Paihia in 1837 and the first ever edition of the full Maori Bible was published in 1868. Since then, there have been four revisions of the full Bible at intervals of 21 years, 36 years and finally 27 years up to the 1952 edition. Mark pointed out in his speech that it has now been 56 years since the last revision.

Watch the video of the launch celebrations.

You can download Reverend Mark Brown's full keynote address below.
Click on the green arrow and download the PDF version of the speech.

New Zealand Bible Society releases new Maori New Testament

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:30:26 UTC

On December 17, Bible Society will launch a brand new version of the Maori New Testament at a special event at Poroporo Marae in Whakatane.

Te Kawenata Hou (The New Testament) is a completely reformatted version of the existing 1952 Maori Bible text.

After considerable discussion and consultation with various groups in the Maori Christian community, Bible Society began work in 1999 to reformat the 1952 text. The aim of this undertaking was to present the text in a more readable format, opening it up to newer generations of Maori speakers who are more likely to encounter the printed Maori word in the context of paragraphs and macrons. Bible Society’s mission is to get the Bible into hands and hearts and feels strongly that Te Kawenata Hou will help more Maori people encounter God through the Bible.

The new version includes paragraphs (existing editions have each verse on a new line), speech marks, section headings, book introductions and most importantly, macrons on long vowels. While the 1952 text has not been changed, it is presented in a more familiar and contemporary way making it easier to read. It is a diglot (Maori in the centre columns with the English text of the Good News Bible in the outside columns).

The first Maori New Testament was published in 1837 with the full Bible coming 31 years later in 1868. Since then, the text has been revised three times, in 1889, 1925 and finally in 1952.

During the nine year project, the advice of Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Maori (The Maori Language Commission) was sought and followed. Bible Society also worked with a commission set up by Te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa, the Maori Anglican communion.

Work continues on reformatting the Old Testament and the fully reformatted Bible may be available within the next two years.

6 NOVEMBER 2008
For more information or comment please contact:
Stephen Opie
Bible Society
Phone 384 4119 ext 9837
Email Stephen.opie@biblesociety.org.nz

Bible Society proudly supports Parachute

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:03:44 UTC

Bible Society proudly supports Parachute '09

We are very excited to announce that Bible Society will be an official sponsor of Parachute '09.

Parachute Music Festival is an icon on the Kiwi summer calendar. With attendance expected to be around 28,000, it has mainstream appeal and media coverage, but has never shifted from its focus: to connect people to Jesus through music.

Having more than 100 local and international bands over 4 days on 6 stages, with a tent city, seminars, speakers, amusement rides and crazy fun in the sun, Parachute ‘09 is a key opportunity for Bible Society to partner with Parachute Music, an organization that shares a similar mission and values. Our partnership with Parachute Music will help us reach new and existing Christians, aged between 18 and 40 who are seeking guidance and information. It will allow us to introduce young people to Bible Society’s ministry and mission as well as talk to them about the importance of connecting with God through their Bible and prayer.

Bible Society Lounge

Bible Society will be the key sponsor of The Lounge.

The Lounge is a safe place at the Festival for people to share their problems or talk about their spiritual journey with trained facilitators who offer counseling, guidance, support, prayer and advice. Approximately 2,000 people make a commitment to follow Christ at the Festival each year, with 2,500 making the commitment last year. Many of these new followers at some stage visit the lounge to talk about their journey of faith and any other issues they may have. We will offer visitors to The Lounge a free New Testament along with resources to help them read and engage with God through it.

Visit our Film Studio and win cool prizes

We’re setting up a ‘film studio’ in the Festival Village where we’re inviting people to record a short video testimony sharing their thoughts on why the Bible is important in their lives.

We’ll share these clips with other Festival goers with the aim of empowering young people to encourage each other in their faith. And once the Festival is over we’ll include the most encouraging clips on our website. Prizes will also be given to the most encouraging and outstanding clips throughout Festival weekend. Find out more

The studio will also be a base point for contact if people want to know more about us, the Bible or need help reading their Bible.

Getting more Bibles into young hands and hearts

Our support of Parachute and The Lounge is synergistic with our mission and our support of Parachute’s mission and will enable us to provide relevant resources to a younger audience who often struggle to read their Bible.

Together we will assist in helping thousands of young New Zealanders engage with God through his Word.

We hope this is the beginning of a long and blessed relationship with Parachute.

A New Look for Bible Society New Zealand

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:02:08 UTC

Like all successful organisations we seek to remain relevant and match the changing needs of all those whose lives we aim to connect with the Word of God. We are fulfilling an important mission, perhaps the most important there is - delivering the Christian message of hope! So we want to present Bible Society in a way that connects with all our audiences now and into the future.

We aim to present Bible Society to this and future generations in a way that communicates our purpose, and captures our and their passion. So we're redesigning all our materials, and how we offer them, to enable us to deliver God’s message by the most direct, resourceful and relevant means, in a language that people can understand and in a format that directly suits their lives.

Please watch the video below to see our new brand expressed

Our Logo

Our logo is the key building block of our brand, the primary visual element that identifies us.

Our logo represents:
• the turning pages of the Bible,
• a sunrise, communicating light and hope, and
• the transformation of hearts through the progression of colour and shape of the pages.

Better equipped to fulfil our mission
Our new brand will ensure Bible Society stays as relevant as possible to the lives of all who want to connect with the Word of God. Our new brand will help us reach more people and so better achieve our mission of getting Bibles into people’s hands and hearts.

Bible Society and Catholics Cooperate in Translation

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 22:27:03 UTC

Bible Societies worldwide and the Catholic Church have worked together over the past 40 years to complete 134 separate Bible translations.

Bible Society world head, Rev Dr Miller Milloy, thanked the Church for its help but emphasized the scale of the task yet to be done.

Speaking to the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican this month he said "it is surely to the shame of all churches and all Christians that, with 7,000 languages in the world, only in 438 of them is there a translation of the complete Bible."

Earlier in the Synod the UBS and the Catholic Biblical Federation signed a new Joint Partnership on Bible Ministry, which is further evidence of the growing collaboration between the two organisations.

Rev Dr Miller Milloy

Contact: Errol Pike, The Bible Society in New Zealand
Phone 0800 424 253 or epike@biblesociety.org.nz

Bible Society at Samstock 2008

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 02:38:52 UTC

Samstock is a Christian Music Festival held each year in Mosgiel, Otago and attended by around 750 young people from all over the South Island. It’s an event put together by young people for young people who come together to hear local, national and international bands and hear the gospel message expressed through the creative arts.
As a major sponsor of this great event, Bible Society was represented this year by Stephen Opie (Bible Engagement Advocate), Bruce Peterson (Projects and Events Manager), Silke Hendel (Marketing Manager) and our Otago/Southland Regional Services Representative Stephen White.
We were able to introduce young people to Bible Society’s ministry and mission as well as talk to them about the importance of reconnecting with their Bibles. We handed out over 350 Real Life New Testaments to teens who wanted one for themselves or wanted to share God’s Word with someone else.
We also held a text translation competition asking people to re-write 2 or 3 verses of the Bible into kiwi text language. Visit Stephen’s Blog to read more about it and see the amalgamation of the best entries.

Our overall competition winner, Sophie from Mosgiel, receiving her Audio Bible.

Sophie’s Samstock story

This year was my first time at Samstock, having just moved to Mosgiel, so I was really excited to check it out. I love the atmosphere of music festivals; everyone’s so relaxed and just keen to have a good time, and Samstock was certainly no different! Samstock was a chance for me to hang out with the sweet kids from my new youth group and get to know them a bit better, as well as listen to some incredible music. It’s always so inspiring to be able to hear what other musicians are doing, and the way they’re using their music to share what their faith means to them. I love it when a whole bunch of students who are passionate about God get together to just hang out. There’s something really special about that.
I was keen to enter the Bible Society’s Txt Translation competition, because I love the idea of translating the Bible into language that is easy to understand. Jesus is so relevant to our culture today, and it helps if the language of the Bible is too! I was so stoked to get the txt telling me that I’d won an audio bible. I had said to Mum just the week before that I really wanted to get one so I could put it on my iPod and go running while listening. It’s often hard to fit reading the Bible into my day, but with an audio bible, I can listen to it on the bus, in the car, and anywhere really. I’m so grateful to the Bible Society for their generosity, and for the way they’re reaching out to young people and helping us to understand the life-changing stuff in the Bible. I just hope now that my audio bible reveals more about God to me, and how the message of Jesus holds hope for the world. And I’m praying that I’ll be challenged, inspired, and changed.

Story reported by Sophie – Samstock supporter, Mosgiel

Pope Benedict Kicks Off Bible Readathon

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:58:54 UTC

The Pope kicked off a week long continuous reading of the Scriptures on Monday 5 October which will be broadcast in it’s entirety on television. More than 1,200 people including celebrities and people of all Christian confessions will read the Bible non-stop in Rome’s fourth century Basilica Santa Croce in Gerusalemme.

“The word of God will enter the homes and accompany the lives of families and individual people," Benedict said of the program following his traditional noontime blessing on Sunday. "If welcomed, this seed will not fail to bring abundant fruits."

The readathon coincides with the Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops running from October 5 to 26. The theme of the assembly is The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church. The assembly, which happens every three years, will examine the modern lack of interest in the Bible.

President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Monsignor Giafranco Ravasi said the Pope’s participation in the readathon is “an appeal to the Catholic Church to go back to studying and deepening its knowledge of the Holy Scriptures.”

The entire text of the Bible will be read in five to eight minute sections, all in Italian with the exception of the first chapter of the Gospel of John, which will be read in Greek.

Click on the following link to watch the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkdZaqGipEE

Rob Harley in China

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 03:49:15 UTC

Rob Harley

During May 2008 when the new Amity Press opened in China, Bible Society arranged for award winning TV documentary maker Rob Harley to be there to film his impressions of the event and Bible mission in China.

When we commissioned Rob we made it clear to him that we wanted his impressions of China to be paramount. Certainly we ‘opened doors’ and made sure he met as many people involved in Bible mission as possible but, in the end, this is Rob’s story of what he found and what he saw in China. We have made no edits – Rob has produced it from go-to-whoa.

We suggest then, that you take time to view this video at length and at leisure – perhaps more than once. And then, with us, give heartfelt thanks to God who is working miracles in China day-in, day-out, through his followers in that vast country that truly is ‘ripe unto harvest’.
And as you give thanks to God, be assured that Bible Society gives thanks to you, the people of God in New Zealand who so often, so willingly and generously, have continued to support Bible mission in China with your gifts and your prayers for at least the last 19 years. Thank you!

Rob Harley in China Video - (Quick Time Version)

To watch the Rob Harley in China Video you need QuickTime installed on your computer.

To download QuickTime please follow this link.

Call for prayers following threats to Bible Society in Gaza

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:35:03 UTC

The Palestinian Bible Society is asking for prayers after being threatened with a bomb attack on its Bible shop in Gaza and with the possibility of the withdrawal of all legal rights to a presence in the Palestinian Territories.

Last week the co-owner of the building where the shop is located demanded that the Bible Society vacate the premises. He claims to have received a threat from a militant Islamic group in Gaza to blow the building up if the shop remains. He is also taking the Society to court in an attempt to have both its ownership of the shop and its legal right to a presence in the Palestinian Territories withdrawn. The Bible Society is contesting this action.

Last Friday (25 July), an Islamic militant was killed while planting a bomb by the door of a Christian-owned internet café in Gaza City. In a statement, the Bible Society invited Christians around the world "to lift up their Christian family in Gaza before God in prayer so that they remain strong and faithful in the face of persecution."

Last week’s threats follow the tragic events of last October when the manager of the Bible Society bookshop in Gaza, Rami Ayyad, was kidnapped and killed; since that time the shop has been closed. In April 2007, the bookshop was one of three targets of bomb attacks in Gaza City.

Download High Resolution Image

Contact: Errol Pike, The Bible Society in New Zealand
Phone 0800 424 253 ext 9843 or epike@biblesociety.org.nz

Lower Hutt Youth Making a Difference in Fiji

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 02:00:10 UTC

Recently, youth from Lifeswitch Church in Lower Hutt approached Bible Society to help them give away some Bibles on their mission trip to Fiji. Gemma Donald writes about their experiences.

"We had an amazing time in Fiji over the holidays and it was incredible seeing God working with us and through us, helping us to make a difference. We spent the first week of our trip in Suva where we spent a day in Wailea, a homeless village. We did performances at about half a dozen schools, went to an orphanage, a kindergarten, the Deaf school, ran a couple of church services and also held a big concert at the end of the week. It was full on but so cool to spend time with the kids and have the opportunity to share God’s unfailing love. The big concert at the end of the week was definitely a highlight with around 1,200 people there and 60 coming to Christ! God definitely showed up that night!

We also spent a week in Nadi where we went to another six schools and finished with a big performance on the Friday night.

The whole trip was amazing. The Fijians were so receptive and friendly and we definitely made a lot of new friends. We have so many life changing stories and all of us are on fire and ready to spread the Good News of Christ with our own friends, family, classmates and workmates.

One of the best parts of the trip was the opportunity to hand out Bibles to those who came to Christ. It was a privilege being able to hand out Bibles and so good to have something to give people when they made such an awesome decision. So a big thank you to the Bible Society for your donation! 50 more households in Fiji now have a Bible and only God knows the difference that is going to make!

The work the Bible Society does is amazing and I know God is going to bless your organisation for it!"

Gemma Donald On Behalf of the 08 ‘Make a Difference’ Mission Team

China Bible Teacher now PhD

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:32:01 UTC

Dr Shi Wenhua, China’s first graduate in recent times from Durham University, England, with a PhD in theology was capped in June. The ceremony was held in Durham Cathedral whose Bishop Tom Wright, is President of Bible Society in England.

Dr Shi first attended theological college in China and then graduated with a Masters degree in Biblical exegesis and translation from the Trinity Theological College in Singapore. Her studies in Singapore and Durham have been supported by the United Bible Societies.

While she thanked those who had supported her financially and in prayer during her studies, she paid special tribute to her mother.

“My mother devoted me to God’s service from early childhood,” said Dr Shi. “I used to feel very inadequate, but gradually I allowed God to guide me and I overcame my fears and anything I have achieved so far is all through God’s grace.”

Dr Shi said her time at Durham University had helped her gain a clearer understanding of the future direction of her ministry.

“The opening of the new Amity Bible Press is very good news for Chinese Christians but there is still areas that need to be developed".

“The Church in China is growing but there is a great shortage with regard to Bible education. Meeting that need is now part of my calling,” added Dr Shi.

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Contact: Errol Pike, The Bible Society in New Zealand
Phone 0800 424 253 ext 9843 or epike@biblesociety.org.nz

Bible - Unread Bestseller

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:41:02 UTC

According to research undertaken by The Bible Society in New Zealand, 68% of all New Zealanders own a Bible, and yet only 23% of Bible owners pick it up and have a read at least once a month.

The research shows that 7% of Bible owners read it daily while 9% read it weekly. The survey also revealed that 46% of New Zealanders describe themselves as Christian. Among Christians, only 11% read the Bible daily and 13% read it weekly.

Results also showed that the Bible’s influence on peoples’ lives is low. 47% of Christians said that the Bible does influence their life, while 39% said it only sometimes influenced their life. 60% of Christians rarely or never discuss the Bible’s teachings with others. In fact, only 26% of Christians regularly discuss the Bible’s teachings with others (weekly or more frequently).

This research confirms the growing Bible engagement crisis happening in New Zealand and many other western nations. Despite the ready availability of Bibles in many different English versions, most New Zealand Christians do not see engaging with God through Bible reading as a priority.

“This is a serious crisis within the New Zealand church. If Christians continue to move away from engaging with the Bible, what will the future of the church in this country look like?” Bible Society CEO Mark Brown says.

As part of a strategy to actively address this crisis, Bible Society has recently appointed Stephen Opie to the role of Bible Engagement Advocate. His task is to explore creative ways to help the post-modern generation turn back to their Bibles.

To download the full research report, click here.

Image: Just some of the large range of English Bibles available through Bible Society.

For more information, contact:

Stephen Opie
Bible Engagement Advocate
04 384 4119 ext 9837
stephen.opie@biblesociety.org.nz

New Amity Press Means More Bibles for China

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:42:44 UTC

The new Amity Bible Press in Nanjing which opened in May this year has the capacity to more than double the amount of Bibles printed in China for the Chinese Christian community.

Although the old Press printed more than 42 million Bibles for China, it could not cope with the increasing demands for Bibles but the new 37,000 square meter facility can produce 2,900 full Bibles an hour or 12 million Bibles a year.

Mark Brown, Chief Executive of the Bible Society in New Zealand, who was present at the opening of the Press on May 18, and said he was awe-struck by its size and more especially its potential to bring many more Bibles to the Chinese people.

“This new Press is not only amazing evidence of a continuing miracle of God in China but also a God-given opportunity for us, a challenge of immense proportions and potential that we cannot ignore.

“I was very privileged to represent so many of the New Zealand Christian community who have so faithfully and generously given in years past to ensure that Chinese Christians can have Bibles.

“This new opportunity doesn’t lessen that responsibility – it increases it and we will be doing all we can to help bring even more Bibles to the fast-growing church in China,” he said.

Another guest at the opening, Archbishop John Chew who heads the Anglican Church in South East Asia, also referred to the Press as “truly a miracle of God.”

“With hindsight, it is my personal conviction that the establishment of the Amity Press is one of the most significant decisions made in the history of modern China,” he said.

Emphasising the partnership that the United Bible Societies has with the Chinese church, Elder Fu Xianwei of the church in China said, “printing the Bible and spreading the Good News is not only the goal of the United Bible Societies, it is also the responsibility of the Chinese church.”

The United Bible Societies has been involved with the Amity Press since its inception in 1987 and the Bible Society in New Zealand has had a personal connection with the Press for the last 15 years. The Special Adviser to the General Manager of the Press is Tauranga-born Peter Dean. He has been directly responsible for many of the advances made in technology at the Press in recent years.

Watch the video tour of the new Amity Press Download High Resolution Image

Contact: Errol Pike, The Bible Society in New Zealand
Phone 0800 424 253 ext 9843 or epike@biblesociety.org.nz

Scriptures for Beijing Olympics

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:27:32 UTC

50,000 copies of a special edition of the four Gospels will be made available for distribution at the Beijing Olympics this year.

At the recent opening ceremony of the new Amity Press in Nanjing, a leader of the Chinese Christian Church, Fu Xianwei, said the diglot Gospels (in English and Chinese) will be available at the Olympic Village chapel, in churches in Beijing and in other venue cities.

“The Beijing Olympic Organising Committee has granted the church permission to use their official emblem, free of charge, on the Gospels. This is the first time the Organising Committee has done anything like this without charge,” he said.

The Gospels are being printed at the Amity Press with the support of the United Bible Societies and the China Christian Council.

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Contact: Errol Pike, The Bible Society in New Zealand
Phone 0800 424 253 ext 9843 or epike@biblesociety.org.nz

Bible in Nine More Languages

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:39:03 UTC

"Of the 270 tribes in our country we, the Vute people, are particularly blessed. For the first time ever, we have a New Testament in our own language. God will ask much of us as we have received much from him."

The challenging words of the Rev Pierre Songsare at the launching of the Vute New Testament in Cameroon, Africa, last December.

It was the last of thirty-four new translations of the New Testament to be launched in 2007.

Even more significantly, full Bibles were published for the first time in nine languages last year.

This means that 438 of the world’s estimated 6,900 languages now have the complete Bible and 1,168 have the New Testament.

“Although 95 percent of humanity now has access to the Bible in a language they can understand, many of these people are having to read the Bible in a language that is not their own,” said Mark Brown, Bible Society’s Chief Executive.

“With overwhelming evidence that Scripture speaks most powerfully to people when it is presented in their heart language, Bible Society is working ceaselessly towards the goal of giving everybody this unique access to the Scriptures.”

As evidence of this Mr Brown said that Bible Society around the world is currently engaged in 564 Bible translation projects and all of them are funded exclusively through voluntary gifts from the Christian community.

"One of those translation projects,” he added, “is the translation of the Tokelau New Testament being completed here in New Zealand. We hope to see it launched later this year."

Browse or Download the scripture translation booklet Download High Resoloution Image

Photos of clergy arriving at the launch of the Vute New Testament in Cameroon.

Contact: Errol Pike, The Bible Society in New Zealand
Phone 0800 424 253 ext 9843 or epike@biblesociety.org.nz

Prepaid by Jesus!

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:43:56 UTC

At Christmas we wrapped a banner around Bible House (the Bible Society office building) to demonstrate what Christmas is all about. We are doing the same for Easter with the intent of grabbing the attention of people passing by and already it is turning heads!

The banner says:
"Bible Society Easter Special
Free: Peace and Forgiveness Prepaid by Jesus"