2011

Bible-a-month Prayer Partnership

Our Mission

Contact us:

The Bible Society in Northern Ireland

27 Howard Street • Belfast, BT1 6NB

Tel: 028 9032 6577

E-mail: GSec@bsni.co.uk

Follow news of our work at www.bsni.co.uk

Charity No: XN 46187

The Bible Society in Northern Ireland joins with our global partnersas the United Bible Societies to achieve the most effectivetranslation, publication and distribution of the Bible in all thelanguages spoken today. We aim to reach everyone, recognising thespecial formats (audio, video and digital) that are needed to ensurethat no-one is excluded from God’s Word.

Scripture texts from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation © 1996. Used by permissionof Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189, USA. All rights reserved.

• Many are illiterate or have poor reading skills, because povertydenied them an education. They need simplified texts or, failing that, theBible in the form of an audio recording.

• Many could use a print Bible but low wages mean that feeding theirfamily is the first priority. The Bible is a luxury they could never afford.

• For speakers of many hundreds of languages, God does not yet speak

in their heart language. They are waiting their turn to receive a Bible ina translation that they understand.

You can change things.

please see reverse >>>

As a Bible-a-month Partner, with £4.00 per month

you will enable at least one person to have the copyof God’s Word that they long for. Each month willgive you examples of what your gift can achieve.

Our Word at Work magazines contain regular Bible-a-

month country updates. Our free prayer diary and ourfortnightly prayer/news updates by e-mail help you to be informed about what our 146 sister Bible Societies are accomplishing in God’s service.

You can send gifts for each country month by month:• By Direct Debit (a mandate is set out on one of the cards) – a simple

way for you to control how often and how much you give to this work.• By Cheque/Postal Order through the post to BSNI, 27 Howard Street,

Belfast BT1 6NB.

If you always quote your membership number, we will be able to recordyour gift and report back to you on your giving whenever you ask. Write your membership number here so you have a record of it

An abundance of languages on thesubcontinent is a real challengewhen it comes to Bible work.

please see reverse >>>

In January, £4 could help make the Bible available in one of 44 Indian languages.

s m t w t f s1

2 3 4 5 6 7 89 10 11 12 13 14 1516 17 18 19 20 21 2223 24 25 26 27 28 2930 31

january2011

India

India

The 1.1 billion people of this vast nation – that recently hosted theCommonwealth Games – speak hundreds of different languages.Scriptures already exist in many of them, but the Bible Society is pressingon with translation work so that smaller communities with strikingChristian growth may have their spiritual needs met.

Recent years have seen intolerance, even violence, against believers. Praythat greater availability of God’s Word in people’s ‘heart language’ will lay a basis for peace and harmony.

At the start of this year, help give more Christians direct access to theGood News.

Your gift of £4, £8 or £12 can help support work in 44 language projects –from the actual translation process to expert checking and proofreading.

Photo: Coconut-milk seller, Orissa (United Bible Societies / Joaquim Dassonville)

“And we all hear these peoplespeaking in our own languagesabout the wonderful thingsGod has done!”

Acts 2: 11

For many people in the Equateurprovince in the DR Congo, a canoeis the only viable form of transport.

>>>

This month £4 could ship the Good News along the Congo River.

s m t w t f s1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 1213 14 15 16 17 18 1920 21 22 23 24 25 2627 28

february2011

DemocraticRepublic of Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo

The people and economy of the Democratic Republic of Congo relyheavily on its river, with many houses and local churches found along theriver banks. The Bible Society of Congo wants to reach the people livingthere with the Word of God, through the use of a boat to be called‘BIBLIA’ (meaning Bible in Lingala). The boat will distribute printed as wellas audio Scriptures, and be used to carry out literacy ministry, Faith ComesBy Hearing programmes and help with the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Pray that the Gospel will reach those who live without hope in isolatedareas and that can only be reached using the ‘BIBLIA’ boat.

In the second month of the year your gift could reach river communitieswith the Good News:

£4 provides a Bible

£8 provides 2 Bibles

£12 provides a good part of a Bible in audio format.

Photo: For many people paddle-power is the only travel option.(Bible Society of the Democratic Republic of Congo)

“He welcomed all who visited him, boldlyproclaiming the Kingdom of God andteaching about the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Acts 28: 31

In a modern secular world, say ourCroatian colleagues, churches mustevangelise the population – andre-evangelise their members! >>>

In March, your gift of £4 could help reach out to non-Christians and believers alike.

s m t w t f s1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 1213 14 15 16 17 18 1920 21 22 23 24 25 2627 28 29 30 31

march2011

Croatia

Croatia

Separation from Yugoslavia in 1991 plunged this small nation into fouryears of war, then great political and economic difficulties. Nowmembership of the EU beckons.

Against this background, the Bible Society is sponsoring a fresh, moreintelligible Bible version that will help churches support the faith ofChristians and reach out more effectively to non-believers in the challengingdays ahead. The task has been under way for seven years; pray for goodprogress towards the 2013 completion target.

Local income is minimal, so the translators depend upon our support:

This month your gift of £4, £8 or £12 can be an investment in the role ofGod’s Word within the new democratic Croatia.

Photo: This young woman at Karlovac Baptist Church is about to open her gift from the Croatian BibleSociety.(United Bible Societies / Dag Smemo)

“Your words have supported thosewho were falling; you encouragedthose with shaky knees.”

Job 4: 4

Young people need orientation andsupport in their needs, fears andtroubles. The Chilean Bible Societyis rising to the challenge. >>>

This Easter, your gift of £4 could help share God’s love with Chilean students.

s m t w t f s1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 910 11 12 13 14 15 1617 18 19 20 21 22 2324 25 26 27 28 29 30

april2011

Chile

Chile

“We dream of a new society where people love each other, where drugs,alcohol and street violence are NOT cool... Young people are hungry foranswers, and we want them to find values in God’s Word.”

Pray for our colleagues as they organise activities for young Christians inschools and universities, and offer Scripture resources enabling students toshare God’s love with their peers and families.

Your gift this Easter could equip young Chilean Christians with:

£4 - 12 Scripture booklets

£8 - 3 New Testaments

£12 - 2 New Testaments & 20 booklets

Photo: This Mapuche girl’s New Testament in popular Spanish tells her that God has come intoour midst!(United Bible Societies / Maurice Harvey)

“Let my teaching fall on you likerain; let my speech settle like dew.Let my words fall like rain ontender grass, like gentle showerson young plants.”

Deuteronomy 32: 2

Difficult times in a suffering countrywhere the outlook is all but secure.

>>>

In May, £4 could give physical and spiritual support to believers.

s m t w t f s1 2 3 4 5 6 78 9 10 11 12 13 1415 16 17 18 19 20 2122 23 24 25 26 27 2829 30 31

may2011

Iraq

Iraq

As we are painfully aware, life is unpredictable for all Iraqis, but the dwindlingChristian community is under particular pressure. The Bible Society hasagreed to share in supporting the remaining underprivileged believers onboth physical and spiritual levels.

Pray that the combination of relief supplies and Scripture items will bringmuch-needed encouragement to individuals and local churches, strengtheningtheir faith and helping them persevere through these difficult times.

Your gift can contribute to a package expressing God’s love to astruggling family:

£4 - Arabic New Testament and child’s Bible story book

£8 - illustrated Bible for family use

£12 - selection of food, medicine and other basics

Photo: What does the future hold for this Baghdad street vendor and his sons?(United Bible Societies / Terje Hartberg)

“Violence will disappear from your land; thedesolation and destruction of war will end.Salvation will surround you like city walls, andpraise will be on the lips of all who enter there.”

Isaiah 60: 18

Tasty and nourishing - importantqualities of food carefullyprepared for body and soul. >>>

This summer, £4 could provide the sustenance many long for.

s m t w t f s1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 1112 13 14 15 16 17 1819 20 21 22 23 24 2526 27 28 29 30

june2011

Nepal

Nepal

When Nepali Christians gather, they not only worship but also eat together.Just as there are many stages involved in getting food from field to plate,providing believers with the spiritual food they need is equally complex.

Today’s 700,000 believers deserve a Bible of high standard that supportstheir faith and witness in a new political context. Pray for the team fromdifferent denominations making a fresh revision of the version firstcompleted in 1914.

Thank you for joining the team of Revisers, Bible Society staff, printers anddistributors through prayer and giving.

£4, £8 or £12 can all help to offer Nepali believers the quality Bible theyhave asked for.

Photo: A lady starts preparing lunch at church.(United Bible Societies / Bruce Millar)

“I am the true bread that camedown from heaven. Anyone whoeats this bread will not die as yourancestors did (even though they atethe manna) but will live forever.”

John 56: 58

A friend in loneliness, cold, darknessand hunger is valued by this elderlylady in rural Siberia. >>>

This month your gift of £4 could bring her closer to the friend that is Jesus.

s m t w t f s1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 910 11 12 13 14 15 1617 18 19 20 21 22 2324 25 26 27 28 29 3031

july2011

Russia

Russia

The Bible Society branch in Novosibirsk looks after Siberia: 25 millionpeople spread across a huge territory the size of Canada. They endurelong, bitter winters – and, for many in rural areas, considerable loneliness.

Pray for the small team that seeks to share a range of Scriptures throughbookshops, churches and other partners, and as members reach out toethnic minorities in remote areas from the Arctic to the Chinese border.

Your gift can help provide vital spiritual nourishment at affordable prices:

£4 - 2 Russian New Testaments

£8 - 2 Children’s Bibles in colour

£12 - 20 Scripture booklets

Photo: Very personal care for this goat in the Tuva Republic, southern Siberia.(United Bible Societies / Dag Smemo)

“Even when I walk through thedarkest valley, I will not beafraid, for you are close besideme. Your rod and your staffprotect and comfort me.”

Psalm 23: 4

Local people at Rivirivi with theChichewa First Audio Bible, glad to bein the first village to receive it. >>>

A gift of £4 will meet the full cost of one Study Edition New Testament for a church pastor.

s m t w t f s1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 1314 15 16 17 18 19 2021 22 23 24 25 26 2728 29 30 31

august2011

Malawi

Malawi

Clergy and Lay people involved in leading churches in Malawi have expressedthe need for a Study Bible in their own language of Chichewa. Up until nowthey have been reading English Study Bibles and then preaching in Chichewa.Providing these people with the First Common Language InterconfessionalStudy Bible in their own language will make God’s Word more meaningful asthey share it with others. Money from the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’sBoard of Missions Overseas has helped to complete the Study NewTestament translation element of this project. Your gift will enable the printingof this much-anticipated teaching resource.

Join in praying that the Study edition will encourage more Chichewa-speaking people to fully engage with the Word of God.

£4 could meet the full cost of providing 1 Study New Testament

£8 could provide two pastors with the new publication

£12 could mean that 3 churches will have access to the Study New Testament

Photo: The Chichewa Audio Bible is a boon for non-literates and the visually-impaired, as in thisvillage north of Blantyre.(Scottish Bible Society)

“Open my eyes to see the wonderfultruths in your instructions.”

Psalm 119: 18

“Being able to read the Bible inQuechua is a blessing for thosewho can’t speak Spanish!” >>>

“God speaks Quechua!” Only £4 could enable people to find out for themselves.

s m t w t f s1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 1011 12 13 14 15 16 1718 19 20 21 22 23 2425 26 27 28 29 30

september2011

Peru

Peru

The Peruvian Bible Society (PBS) published the first edition of the AyacuchoQuechua Bible over twenty years ago, and during that time it has changed thelives of many who read it. However, the language is dated and the PBS seeksto publish a version that is more easily understood. It is hoped that it willimpact the personal, family and community life of the people in Peru.

Please pray for the Quechua speaking population living in material andspiritual deprivation, that this new edition of the Bible will be accessible forthem, and will lead to a clearer understanding of God’s Message.

You can help Quechua speakers understand the message of salvation:

£4 or £8 could support the translation and revision work carried out byQuechua pastors and Bible Society consultants.

£12 could print 3 Bibles.

Photo: Nicamor Bautiste Salvador, Bible College lecturer, travelling pastor in the Ayacucho region …and eager to praise God on his stringed instrument.(British & Foreign Bible Society / Claire Smith)

“This same Good News that came to you is goingout all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhereby changing lives, just as it changed your lives fromthe day you first heard and understood the truthabout God's wonderful grace.”

Colossians 1: 6

Many Sri Lankans are not able toafford Scripture materials at their truevalue. Can you help lower the price?

>>>

This month each gift of £4 could ensure the cost of a subsidised Bible will be met.

s m t w t f s1

2 3 4 5 6 7 89 10 11 12 13 14 1516 17 18 19 20 21 2223 24 25 26 27 28 2930 31

october2011

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

To fulfil the thirst for the Word of God, the Ceylon Bible Society in Sri Lankaaims to provide Scripture-based materials to Christians in all parts of thecountry, distributing them to individuals and churches, to the visually andhearing impaired as well as to Sri Lankans living in other countries. Sri Lankais classified as a low income country. Therefore, the Bible Society hopes tosubsidise the price of each Bible so that they will be available to all.

Please pray for all those who receive the Scriptures that they will be able tograsp and understand God’s Word and use it for their daily lives.

This autumn give Sri Lankans the opportunity for spiritual growth:

£4 - could enable a Bible to be heavily subsidised or given free

£8 - could subsidise 2 Bibles

£12 - could help towards the dubbing production of audio Scriptures

Photo: Sri Lankan migrant workers are part of the multinational mix in the Gulf states.(Bible Society in the Gulf)

“… to teach you that people donot live by bread alone; rather, welive by every word that comes fromthe mouth of the LORD.”

Deuteronomy 8: 3b

“How did the Bible develop? Whatis it and why should we trust it?”Vital questions that ‘Bible World’ inCairo aims to answer for thousandsof young people. >>>

This November, £4 could give Egyptian children confidence in God’s Word.

s m t w t f s1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 1213 14 15 16 17 18 1920 21 22 23 24 25 2627 28 29 30

november2011

Egypt

Egypt

Children within Egypt’s minority Christian community face constant criticismfrom teachers and fellow-pupils concerning the Bible – a Bible that most oftheir families do not understand! The interactive ‘Bible World’ exhibition inCairo was created to offer youngsters confidence in God’s Word as anauthentic document, and a desire for it to speak in modern Arabic.

Pray that this 21st century learning experience will help thousands to viewthe Scriptures in a fresh way, influencing their lives as a result.

Continue the impact of ‘Bible World’ with your November gift:

£4, £8 or £12 can contribute to the substantial running costs, technicalmaintenance and necessary publicity.

Photo: Youngsters enthralled by the interactive challenge of ‘Bible World’ in Cairo.(United Bible Societies / Dag Smemo)

“Make them holy by yourtruth; teach them yourword, which is truth.”

John 17: 17

Orphans of the Rwandan genocideare still suffering from homelessnessand lack of support. >>>

At the end of the year your gift of whatever amount could help change their lives.

s m t w t f s1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 1011 12 13 14 15 16 1718 19 20 21 22 23 2425 26 27 28 29 30 31

december2011

Rwanda

Rwanda

Fifteen years saw this small nation progress from horrific genocide (1994) tomembership of the Commonwealth, yet one legacy is the high number oforphans and the tendency of these to move from camps to the streets. Insupport of a government campaign to invest in these vulnerable children,the Bible Society wants to offer a spiritual dimension, distributing Scripturesat newly-created centres.

Pray that this contact will guide youngsters to a new lifestyle with dailyScripture-reading encouraged by local churches.

Your Christmas gift to these children could be hope for tomorrow:

£4 - 2 New Testaments in Kinyarwanda£8 - 3 French/English New Testaments

£12 - good news for even more young Rwandans!

Photo: Bible Society materials are used at this Presbyterian Sunday School.(United Bible Societies / François Sieberhagen)

“But to all who believed him andaccepted him, he gave the right tobecome children of God.”

John 1: 12

Response Card

Please complete and return this card to join us in the fight against Bible Poverty.

Full Name & Title:

Address:

Postcode:

In case of query, my tel. number:

My e-mail:

I wish to give: monthly/quarterly (delete one) by Direct Debit

(My authority to my bank is on the Direct Debit Instruction card)

£4 (1 Bible) £8 (2 Bibles) £12 (3 Bibles) £ (other amount)

We will send you written confirmation as part of our Direct Debit guarantee.

I intend to support Bible-a-month projects by cheque each month.

I enclose a gift of £

I would like Gift Aid to be claimed on my gifts

and have completed the Gift Aid Declaration overleaf.

(Please complete your details in block letters and tick the appropriate box)

Full Name:

Address:

Postcode:

Your declaration:

Please treat

The enclosed gift of £ as a Gift Aid donation; OR

All gifts of money that I make today and in the future as Gift Aid donations; OR

All gifts of money that I have made in the past 4 years and all future gifts of

money that I make from the date of this declaration as Gift Aid donations.

Signature:

Date:

NB. You must pay an amount of Income Tax and / or Capital Gains Tax foreach tax year (6 April to the following 5 April) that is at least equal to theamount of tax that the Bible Society in Northern Ireland will reclaim on your gifts for that tax year.

Gift Aid Form

Direct Debit Instruction

Please fill in the whole form using a ballpoint pen and send it to:

The Bible Society in Northern Ireland27 Howard StreetBelfastBT1 6NB

Name(s) of Account Holder(s)

Bank/Building Society account number

Branch Sort Code

Name and full postal address of yourBank or Building Society

To the Manager Bank/Building Society

Address

Postcode

Reference Number: Office use only.

Instruction to your Bank or BuildingSociety to pay by Direct Debit.Originator’s Identification Number

OFFICIAL USE ONLYThis is not part of the instruction to your Bank or Building Society

Instruction to your Bank or Building SocietyPlease pay The Bible Society in Northern IrelandDirect Debits from the account detailed in thisInstruction subject to the safeguards assured bythe Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand thatthis Instruction may remain with The Bible Societyin Northern Ireland and, if so, details will bepassed electronically to my Bank/Building Society.

Signature(s)

Date

9 6 2 5 6 2