PRODUCING
One of the main ways we continue to support the work of evangelizing children is by producing new Gospel-centered materials.
In July a major project came to completion—our Family Worship Series book on Mark’s Gospel. The books helps families study through a single book of the Bible by following a simple pattern. READ the text together in small bites. TALK about it together by thinking through several types of questions. PRAY together in response to the Word. SING together in praise to God. This is a new kind of product for our ministry, but one that has been on my heart for several years. I’ve been blessed to see how God has provided for its production by supplying an author (Assistant Director Jeff Kilcup), the illustrators (Bethany & Olivia Moy) the layout designer (Lindsay Hess) and the funding needed for the project (many of you!). Please contact me if you are interested in getting a copy. We desire to produce more and your feedback would be very helpful.
Another project getting close to completion is our mission story about Elinor Young. Opening emails from our illustrator Del Thompson feels like unwrapping Christmas presents of the best kind. (See illustration heading illustration)
Other ongoing projects include our reillustration of John Bunyan’s The Holy War, Patricia St. John’s story Rainbow Garden and the colorization of our remaining two-color illustration Bible lessons, stories and songs. Jeff and I have also split the work of writing a new Bible lesson series and special occasion family devotionals.
TEACHING
Despite Covid restrictions, technology continues to provide ways for us to help support teachers through teacher training workshops. During the Spring, I taught several sessions via Zoom to children’s workers at an international church outside Washington DC.
We also spent several months working with our friends Bruce and Jenny O’Neill preparing for another teaching opportunity, a family conference focused on family discipleship. This conference was hosted at Bruce’s dad’s church in Mansfield, Massachusetts and included teaching sessions on the WHY, HOW and WHAT of family discipleship, panel discussions, breakout sessions for men and woman and even some times of modeling family worship. The O’Neills did a great job leading the conference. Our hope is to be able to host these Planting Seed Family Conferences in other places so please contact me if you would like more info.
SHARING
Just like I’m doing right now, there is the ever constant need to share about BVI with ministry partners including our donors. Right now we are getting ready to host our first ministry banquet since things were shutdown because of Covid. These events have historically been a boost to us financially, but they have also helped forge relationships with new partnering churches and individuals. Our hope is to record this event so even if you can’t join us, we’ll plan to share it with you in the future. Learn more / register