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PRAYER CIRCLE
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1-15 May 2017
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Praise God for hearts turning to Him through Easter outreach in Nicaragua.
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"Once more the humble will rejoice in the LORD; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel."
God's Word often fills us with hope when circumstances simply do not. Whether in our family, church, work or ministry, there are challenges that come our way that often seem humanly impossible.
Yet, we hope in the Lord, believing and trusting that the humble and needy will indeed rejoice in Him!
Join us in prayer for the Bible Society work highlighted below. Again we see God's people rising up and speaking out, sharing God's Word and working to share the hope and joy of the LORD to those in desperate need.
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Some of the team who were 'Fishing for Souls' on Nicaragua's beaches. Pray for the many who gave their hearts to Jesus.
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Fishing for Souls - Nicaragua
We just love how God is spurring Bible Society teams around the world to engage the people around them in so many different ways. We tend to share about the more large-scale projects such as translation, listening groups and literacy classes etc - programmes that require long-term commitment and ongoing training, resources and planning.
The team in Nicaragua are no different. Pray for them as they work on a number of translation projects, run a programme to fight widespread domestic violence and continue in Scripture distribution to rural, traditional communities. All of these things require long-term planning, funding, personnel, partnerships and dedication.
What we don't often hear so much about are the wonderful, one-off events that have an impact for local communities. We were thrilled to hear of this powerful outreach event during Easter. The Bible Society of Nicaragua went 'Fishing for Souls' in Masachapa and Pochomil. They were supported by local funds and joined by pastors of the Pacific coast.
"We shared the message of God's Word, gave free Bibles, and distributed Bible portions to raise awareness of the true meaning behind Jesus's sacrifice on the cross to the thousands of people who visited the beaches on Thursday and Friday. At the end of the afternoon, we presented the film "The Passion of the Christ" on the shores of the beaches, where many surrendered their hearts to Jesus." - Rebeca, Bible Society in Nicaragua
Join us in praising God for this wonderful time of witnessing and for the many who decided to follow Jesus. Pray that these dear people will connect with churches and grow in faith. Praise God for the glory of is name and for the wonderful encouragement this has been, to both the local church pastors and the Bible Society team.
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Ethiopia - Empowering Churches
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Church leaders gather in Addis Ababa to discus their role in the ongoing hunger crisis.
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"Over the past three years, the countries in the Horn of Africa have been facing serious problems brought about by drought and famine. The governments in these countries have been trying different methods to tackle this problem, with the help of humanitarian agencies, but the problem remains, with no sustainable solution put in place. Ethiopian communities have been affected by this, too, despite the availability of abundant resources, which could be extracted locally."
This is the observation of the Bible Society of Ethiopia, which recently organised two workshops to help churches to understand their responsibility to 'be part of the solution through biblical, sustainable means', and to empower them to go out and make a difference.
More than 100 church leaders from different denominations attended the first workshop in early April. After the leaders' workshop, the Bible Society held a three-day training event for 40 facilitators from different churches, teaching them how to work with members of their own churches, changing people's mindsets and getting them involved in community development.
"Through this intensive training we wanted to equip the facilitators to go back to their churches and get people together to solve social and other problems," explains a Bible Society spokesperson.
"The training was aimed at helping to fight dependency culture. We want church members to look around and find existing local resources to tackle issues."
We ask you to pray for impact. Pray that those attending the workshops will catch the vision and implement community-changing social action in their own congregations. Pray that out of this, people will see the love of Jesus in practical ways, raising them out of hunger and into new life. Pray that after the conversation, will come life-changing action.
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Leaders from many of the Bible Societies around the world. Pray for wisdom and growing faith for all who serve through the United Bible Societies.
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United Bible Societies
World Day of Prayer - 9th May.
Each year the United Bible Societies Fellowship sets 9th May aside as a day to pray for worldwide ministry.
Will you join with us on Tuesday 9th May as we ask for God's continued guidance for all Bible Societies in the Fellowship. We exist to serve Him and we do not want to work without His guiding presence. You may find it helpful to use the prayer below, written by
Rev Dr Ottó Pecsuk, the General Secretary of the Hungarian Bible Society.
A prayer for the United Bible Societies Day of Prayer
Gracious God, we thank you for your blessings in the field of Bible mission across the world.
We thank you for the Bible Society movement and for everyone involved in it over the past 213 years. We praise you for Bible Societies with two or more centuries of work, and for newer ones who joined our global family recently.
We give special thanks for dedication and scholarship in Bible translation, skills and quality in Bible production, creativity and courage in Bible distribution, and wisdom and sensitivity in Bible engagement and advocacy.
Lord Jesus Christ, we give thanks that through the Reformation you guided your Church back to your Word. We praise you for providing committed and faithful supporters of the Bible cause, who make the Bible accessible and available in the heart languages of so many people.
We thank you for all the opportunities across the world. Prepare us, give us wisdom and bind us together in unity.
Help us to make you and your Word better known and loved as we continue to work in our common mission, to share your message of love and redemption. Bless our efforts, so we will serve the growth and strengthening of the Christian Church.
Holy Spirit, we pray for those who suffer for your Word and for the faith. May their sacrifice and faithfulness inspire us in our daily lives and struggles. The blood of martyrs has always been a seed sown in fertile soil. May we not forget the duty of solidarity and compassion.
As we move ahead in Bible mission, let us live and work as brothers and sisters in faith, as witnesses of your inspired Word, the Holy Scriptures.
Amen.
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Thank you for being part of the Bible Society NI 'team'.
While we have a Staff and Board team who are responsible for keeping the work going and growing, we are so aware that they are just the 'tip of the iceberg'. It takes so many of us to achieve what we can for the kingdom.
Whether you pray using Prayer Circle or one of our other resources, whether you support specific projects financially or regularly donate... whatever way you are involved, you are vitally important, and we thank you.
Please do feel free to get in touch with us at any time. If you have questions or would like more information, we are always happy to help in whatever way we can.
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The Bible Society NI offices will are closed on
Mon 1st May.
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Speaking Engagements and Events
Nordic + Conference
(
Tue 25- Fri 28 Apr
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Thanks for praying for Leah who has now returned from the Nordic+ conference. We are looking forward to hearing all she has learned and looking at ways we might be able to use the shared knowledge from colleagues in other countries. It is always good to have the opportunity to meet with others from the United Bible Societies Fellowship and remind ourselves that we are just a small part of a much wider kingdom work.
Church of Ireland General Synod - Thur 4-Sat 6 May
Catherine will be attending the General Synod in Limerick, so pray for safe travels and an encouraging time reconnecting with people she knows and building new relationships. Pray that God's presence will be felt and that His plans will be revealed.
Speaking Engagements
Thurs 4 May, 8pm: Leah - Coleraine & Limavady Preabyterian Ruling Elders
Fri 5 May, 7.30pm: Leah - Fermanagah CE Service
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If you have any questions, give us a ring on
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