Doing More for the Lord as a Global Mission Agency

2017 is a year filled with meaning and significance for The Bible Society of Singapore. It is a season of commemorating God’s past faithfulness to us. We celebrated the 180^th Anniversary of our formal registration with an array of special events and materials, acknowledging with 1 Samuel 7:12: “Till now the LORD has helped us”.

It is also a season of preparing for the future. In the same year, our Bible Society is newly appointed by the United Bible Societies (UBS) as its Mission Resource Centre (MRC) for Bible Engagement. This new role calls for us to play a more active role in serving global Bible Societies as a centre of excellence, and casts a new vision and direction for us in helping to advance the local and global Bible Mission.

The Shape of Missions to Come

The designation of certain Bible Societies as Mission Resource Centres (MRCs) was first implemented by the UBS in 2013. It reflected a vital change in the shape of missions forward, as increasing globalisation led to a greater awareness of the diverse needs of communities around the world, and of the Bible Societies that serve them.

“We believe that MRCs will play a key role in the process of improving Bible Societies’ ability to share knowledge and expertise. They will enrich the [UBS] Fellowship by ensuring that we have easy access to information and best practice in key ministry areas.”—Terje Hartberg, Head of the UBS Global Ministry Exchange

The British and Foreign Bible Society and American Bible Society were the first two MRCs appointed for Bible Advocacy and Trauma Healing respectively. More have been appointed since then, and The Bible Society of Singapore has been designated as the sixth MRC, focusing on the area of Bible Engagement.

Serving One Another, Serving Together

Bible Engagement is a pertinent need today as the world witnesses increasing ignorance and scepticism of the Bible’s truth claims and its relevance in modern society. These issues are compounded in less affluent countries, which are often ravaged by calamities like natural disasters and war, and where availability and knowledge of the Bible remains scarce.

Over the last decade, we have successfully launched several Bible Engagement initiatives to address these issues in our local context. By God’s grace, these materials and programmes have been instruments of blessing to other countries as well.

	Engaging the Bible Through...
Discipleship courses and materials such as the WISE 40-day devotional Bible-reading plan and Walk Thru the Bible (WTTB) study programmes	Programmes reaching out to various demographic groups such as the D6 Family Conference and Colours of the Bible art competition and exhibition	Organised Bible Mission Trips and Bible Land Tours
WISE is adopted and translated in Nepal, with countries such as Sri Lanka and South Africa exploring its adoption Our WTTB trainers also conduct the programmes in Malaysia, with plans to extend to the whole of Southeast Asia	Opened not only to locals, but also to participants from countries such as Israel, Myanmar and Hong Kong	Enabled local churches and Christians not only to grow in their knowledge of God’s Word, but also to be exposed to and involved in mission work in these lands

In addition, our Bible Society sought to bless other Bible Societies in the region by sharing these resources, knowledge and experience to build up their capacities. Together with informal meet-up sessions with representatives from other Bible Societies, we also organised conferences and workshops as platforms for sharing ideas and exploring partnership opportunities. These included the inaugural Asia Bible Advocacy Conference in 2014, the Literacy through Listening Workshop in 2015, and the AAA Capacity Building Workshop for Bible Engagement in 2016.

Such collaborations and partnerships enhance the capacities of regional Bible Societies to serve their communities more effectively and extensively. It also opens up new opportunities for more cross-cultural missions. Thus, through the support of our donors and volunteers, God not only blessed the Bible Societies in Singapore and other countries, but also enabled all of us to play an even greater role in advancing the global Bible Mission together.

The Road Ahead

“Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” (Psalm 127:1) We continue to be thankful to God for preserving and growing our Bible Society in the last 180 years, and granting us the privilege to serve Him as the UBS Mission Resource Centre for Bible Engagement.

As we strive to do more for the Lord as a global mission agency in the new year ahead, your support is critical for the effective furtherance of the Bible Mission in Singapore and overseas. Join us as we seek to serve other Bible Societies and communities around the world, and advance the global Bible Mission together till all the earth is filled with the knowledge and glory of God!

Egypt Videos

“For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’”—Deuteronomy 15:11 (ESV)

Throughout Scripture, God shows Himself to be a God who takes notice of the poor and needy, and cares for them materially and spiritually. It is one of the ways in which He demonstrates His love and compassion. As God’s children, Christians are called thus to imitate Him, loving not only in word and talk but also in deed and truth (1 John 3:18). This is the motivation for holistic missions, which are an integral part of the expanding global Bible Mission.

Holistic missions focus primarily on humanitarian efforts and disaster relief, seeking to meet the immediate needs of those disadvantaged by persecution and natural disasters. These acts of care and love communicate to the poor and needy that they are not forgotten, and that God’s love and message of salvation in Christ are also theirs to embrace.

Since the early 2000s, the Bible Society, in collaboration with regional Bible Societies and churches, began engaging in holistic missions to serve overseas communities in need. This included raising awareness of and undertaking fundraising activities for countries hit by major disasters such as the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, and the recent floods in South Asia.

From 2014 onwards, formal mission trips have also been organised to various affected areas to serve the needy there. Through these efforts, the Bible Society and participating churches gain opportunities to be God’s channels of blessing to these communities, both in the caring for their material and spiritual well-being, as well as in the restoration of their way of life.

There are still many needy communities in the world that need to know and grow in God’s love, which mean more areas of service for us to explore. Egypt is one example. One of the oldest countries in the world, Egypt has a rich history and culture that dates back to Biblical times. At the same time, children and youth, many of whom are poor, make up a large percentage of the total population (33%). Its Christian population is also among the most persecuted in the world today.

In August 2017, the Bible Society sent a team to Egypt to further understand and support the mission works there. They joined up with staff from the Bible Society of Egypt, who have been organising rallies and special programmes to reach out to the children and youth. One of the team members, Joan Cher, recounts:

“I saw how the youths were so passionate in reading and learning about the Word. Living in the hostile environment, the local Christians also depended on one another for support, which further strengthens their faith and identity as one Body of Christ. I am greatly challenged to take the reading of God’s Word and being part of the church—my immediate spiritual family—more seriously.”

We are truly privileged not only to partner with our Egyptian brothers and sisters in serving the needy in Egypt, but also to share in their joy of seeing them knowing and growing in the love of God and His Word. We are also committed to support these ongoing outreach works in Egypt, such as the upcoming Christmas distribution of Scripture materials, hygiene items and sweets to the children.

British evangelist Leonard Ravenhill once remarked,

“That world outside there is not waiting for a new definition of Christianity, it’s waiting for a new demonstration of Christianity.”

We are ever thankful for our faithful supporters and volunteers, whose contributions enable us to continue to demonstrate God’s love through these missions with local and overseas brothers and sisters in Christ. We also covet your continued prayers and support, so that more will be able to taste and see that the Lord is good, and be brought into His fold.

Modern Khmer Bible at the Heart of the Revival of the Cambodian Church

Over the past 20 years the Cambodian Church has experienced an extraordinary revival. Today there are 400,000 Christians in the country – a steep increase from the 5,000 Cambodian Christians in the 1990s. The Modern Khmer Bible, published in 1997, is at the heart of this revival. The translation happened in exile when Cambodia was closed and Christians killed. It has been key to the renaissance of the Cambodian Church.

A new Church

“This translation brings hope to the decimated Cambodian Church,” declared Rev Dooley, an American missionary to Cambodia. He was speaking in the 1990s, when the New Testament had just been published and the Old Testament was still being translated. “I am waiting for this Bible to be completed,” he added. “It will enable a new Church to be built for a new generation.”

That is exactly what has happened. The Modern Khmer Bible makes it easy for people to read, understand and be touched by the Gospel. Cambodian celebrity Mana Duong – a television presenter – describes her experience of reading the Bible:

“I love to read the Word each day because it helps me to understand God’s overflowing love for us. It is rare for me to not read the Bible! Everywhere I go, even when I travel to other provinces, I always take my Bible with me. The Bible is my life.”

Two million dead

What a contrast between the flourishing Cambodian Church of today and its recent history. The genocide perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge led to the deaths of two million Cambodians between 1975 and 1979 – and Christians were not spared.

“The four Khmer Christians on the Modern Khmer Bible translation team between 1968 and 1975 all perished under the Khmer Rouge,” explains Father François Ponchaud. He was a member of this interconfessional translation team, and fled Cambodia in May 1975, taking with him the first five chapters of Matthew.

“We will do something”

Determined that the work should somehow continue in exile, in 1984 Fr Ponchaud sought help from the United Bible Societies (UBS), which at that time had an Asia office in Hong Kong. His visit was unsuccessful: Cambodia was closed therefore it would not be possible to distribute a new translation there so the project was ‘unviable’, he was told.

But this did not discourage him: on his return home to France he explained the situation to French Bible Society General Secretary Rev Jean-Pierre Boyer. Mr Boyer told him, “We will do something. Who knows? Maybe when we’ve finished translating the Bible the country will open up again?”

He kept his word. Thanks to Fr Ponchaud’s persistence and Mr Boyer’s vision, translation work recommenced in 1985, funded by donors in France. The interconfessional team was made up of four translators in exile, notably Fr Ponchaud and the Rev Arun Sok Nhep.

“Mr Boyer didn’t know how true his words would prove,” comments Mr Sok Nhep, who today works as a UBS Ministry Resources Facilitator. “That man really had a vision: we had just finished translating the New Testament in 1992 when Cambodia re-opened!”

“A true revival”

It was back in Cambodia that the Old Testament was translated. Fr Ponchaud and Mr Sok Nhep returned to the country and put together a new translation team. Within four years the Old Testament was completed and the New Testament revised. The full Bible was published in 1997.

“In the 1970s everything was lost – the translators’ lives, the draft manuscript of the New Testament…and then this…It was a true revival!” states Mr Sok Nhep.

“Restoring the Word of God to the Khmer people gave new life to the Cambodian Church,” adds Fr Ponchaud.

Today, the Modern Khmer Bible is used by the Catholic Church and most Protestant churches, too. And a revision is now underway by a team of young Cambodian Christians.

“The French Bible Society and its donors enabled the work to resume at a time when nobody believed in the future of the Cambodian Church, when everybody had lost hope,” concludes Mr Sok Nhep. “And the New Testament was ready just as Cambodia re-opened its doors! It was surely not a coincidence that Fr Ponchaud and I both ended up in France – land of asylum that also nurtured this new translation!”

Bible-Based Trauma Healing Programmes Help Restore Young Hearts

When Angel* first visited the club, she could often be found crying and hiding her face. You see, this teenage girl didn’t just carry the trauma of violence in her heart. She wore it across her cheek.

When Angel’s parents and siblings were attacked and killed, Angel survived, but she still bears painful scars from machete cuts across her face.

Angel often sobbed as the other children made fun of her. But as the week in the Healing Hearts Bible-based Trauma Healing Club progressed, she began to open up and share her story.

Throughout the week, her confidence grew, and she stopped covering her face with her hands. She even shared her testimony and publicly forgave her tormentors for the heinous acts they committed.

Angel’s story is horrifying, but not uncommon. Our world is a battlefield. Warfare, genocide, abuse, and crises are rampant, and as a result, millions of traumatised children have witnessed and endured the unspeakable.

Bible-based Trauma Healing allows these children to understand that they are special to God—they are not forgotten. During Trauma Healing camps, the children are given a chance to express their pain and share their stories. They memorise promises from the Bible and then bring their pain to Christ and ask him to heal their hearts.

Because Angel was able to share her story through a Bible-based Trauma Healing programme, she began to feel less ashamed of her scars. And she began to experience the joy and hope made possible only through the loving God of the Bible.

People who once lived in despair are finding hope and peace through Bible-based trauma healing programs that are made possible by the generous gifts of our financial partners.

*Name changed for security purposes

How Bible stories about fish are bringing literacy to South Sudan’s Shilluk people

Fish are central to the Shilluk people’s way of life. They eat fish, sell fish and fall asleep thinking about fish! Fish is everything to them. A husband has a legal right to divorce his wife if she does not cook the head of the fish and serve it to him.

Literacy rates in South Sudan are very low – only 30% of men and 10% of women can read and write. The Shilluk people (also known as the Collo), who were badly affected by the civil war, are amongst the poorest and least educated in the country. That’s why the Bible Society, which published the very first Shilluk Bible in 2013, recently initiated a literacy program based in the town of Kodok – the Shilluk capital.

Not met with great enthusiasm

But this was not met with great enthusiasm by Shilluk people, even when promoted by two Shilluk Christians: Professor Twong Yolong Kur, a committed Roman Catholic and Chairperson of the Collo Language Council, and Peter Majwok, an Elder of the Presbyterian Church in South Sudan.

Faced with disinterest and resistance, despite explaining the multiple benefits of literacy, Prof. Yolong was struck with inspiration: he decided to use Scripture itself as a method of persuasion – particularly Scripture that related to fish or fishing!

When he read out loud from Mark 1:17, “Come follow me…I will make you fishers of men”, and Matthew 14:16-21 about how 5,000 people were fed with two fish and five loaves, he noticed that people were sitting up and listening intently. Many then went on to attend the literacy classes.

Two fish with one hook

“I caught two fish with one hook!” said Prof. Yolong. “Some joined the literacy class and some of them became Christians and will be baptised.”

He adds that other Scripture stories about fish haven’t gone down quite so well with some of the Shilluk.

“I read them the story of Jonah and how he was in the belly of the whale for three days. Many people refused to believe or accept this story.”

But when he heard the story, Yoane Ajak, who grew up in the first war of Anyanya (1955-1972), said to Prof. Yolong, “We eat fish and our fish do not eat people. What type of fish is this?’” Intrigued, he joined the literacy classes, became a Christian and is now an assistant in the literacy school.

He recently bought a copy of the Shilluk Bible, which he is reading regularly and finding hope in. “This war is making us suffer but one day we will repent, draw closer to him and the war will be over,” he says.

Took a lot of courage

It took a lot of courage for housewife Ozoonwa Nyumbe to attend literacy classes, but she persisted and is proud to own a Bible and read it out loud at church.

“When I started going to the literacy school many people just thought I was lazy, trying to avoid doing my work at home,” she explains. “But when they saw me doing the readings at church services the criticism turned to praise! Other women have also started attending classes now.”

One of the root causes of the war

Many educated people in South Sudan believe that illiteracy is one of the root causes of the civil war, which erupted in 2013. During the war in Sudan, when the country was still one, education in the south was virtually non-existent, which is why we have such terribly low rates of literacy here. Many of those in high office do not know how to read and write, and ignorance has spread like a disease.

Increasing literacy in this country will give more people the chance to be educated and learn about forgiveness, and right from wrong. The church and government need to work hand in hand on this task. We at the Bible Society are preparing to hand over the literacy project to the churches. We believe the churches are the right platform to reach people and make a real difference, and Prof. Yolong agrees: “The churches will take the literacy program seriously.”

Please pray for peace in South Sudan, and for God to bless this literacy program, which could change lives.

Fulfilling the Great Commission—180 Years of Transforming Lives with God’s Word

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” — Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)

Did you know Changi Prison is also referred to as the ‘Changi University’? This is because Ernest Tipson, then Representative of the British and Foreign Bible Society for Malaya, ministered God’s Word to fellow prisoners, assisting fellow inmates such as John Leonard Wilson (Bishop of the Anglican Church) to teach God’s Word to other inmates when he was incarcerated during the Japanese Occupation from 1942 to 1945.

Tipson was so well-loved that his obituary in the Journal of the British Association of Malaysia, 1958 stated: There were some gifted preachers in the internment camp (Changi), but no one appealed to the men more than Ernest Tipson.

Indeed, God had a plan for the Bible Society. Tipson’s relentless labour for God had sown the seeds for God’s grand plan for The Bible Society of Singapore—to make God's inerrant and infallible Word a living hope to all nations.

The Bible Mission

The Bible Society’s mission is to make the Word of God known to all people—all of our work is inwardly centred on the Bible, and outwardly expressed in service to people. This has been the ethos of our Bible ministry since its establishment.

The Bible Mission is now a global effort carried out in over 200 countries and territories, through 147 Bible Societies that come under the banner of United Bible Societies. The scope of the mission has also expanded: beginning with the functions of translation, publishing and distribution to put the Bible in people’s hands, our mission today also includes literacy, engagement and advocacy components to put the Bible in people’s hearts—focused on impacting and transforming lives through God’s unchanging Word.

Expanding the Bible Mission—Globalising Internal Missions

Since the establishment of our present identity, the Bible Society has seen an even more exponential growth in its mission and impact. Most evident was the expansion of the Society’s focus from translation, publishing and distribution to include literacy, engagement and advocacy.

Hence, in 1993, plans to convert the Bible House into a Bible Knowledge Centre were announced. The Society began to produce and disseminate Christian resources to help readers understand God’s Word better and grow in their faith and knowledge. It also organised various Bible literacy courses throughout the 1990s and 2000s.

SIBD—Mission through Discipleship

The Sower Institute for Biblical Discipleship (SIBD) was set up in 2014 to equip and strengthen Christians in this unbelieving age. SIBD is an inter-confessional training institute that equips and empowers the Body of Christ for Biblical discipleship in Singapore and Asia.

SIBD provides training for the Christian community in discipleship, leadership, literacy and missions. This is done through a wide range of programmes that help people explore the Word of God deeply and apply it in their lives. We also conduct Training-of-Trainers courses that empower people to equip their own faith communities.

Many of these programmes are collaborative efforts with established partners such as Walk Thru the Bible, WorldTeach, D6, Crown Financials and many more established Biblical training organisations and institutions. We also collaborate with denominations such as the Diocese of Singapore and TRAC Methodist Church.

These programmes are produced locally, with the aim of expanding overseas to bless other nations. Together, we hope to develop and provide holistic discipleship training to build the Church.

SIBD also works with Sower Publishing Centre and the Bible Resource Centre to make training materials available not just locally, but also outside of Singapore. These materials are translated and adapted for overseas audiences, particularly countries in the United Bible Societies’ Southeast Asia cluster of nations. Through this work, we provide valuable resources to Christian communities overseas, furthering the Bible Mission in these places. WISE—Word Intake for Spiritual Edification—is one example of a literacy programme that was designed by SIBD locally, and adapted for global use.

ETHOS—Mission through Fostering Partnerships

A vital expansion in scope was also reflected in the Society’s partnerships and collaborations with local Christian organisations in furthering God’s Kingdom in Singapore. In partnership with the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) and Trinity Theological College (TTC), the Society formed the ETHOS Institute for Public Christianity, a think-tank that seeks to engage contemporary local and global issues and trends from a Christian perspective, and thus advocate the Bible’s relevance in the present age. Since its inception, ETHOS has worked with internationally renowned speakers, religious leaders, as well as Ministers of Parliament in organising talks and seminars as part of its advocacy efforts.

CARE—Mission through Focusing on People Groups

At the Bible Society, we ensure that the people groups we serve are factored into our programme planning. Hence, we are constantly developing and resourcing local, as well as global, Scripture engagement programmes through our Centre for Advocacy, Relations and Engagement (CARE). CARE has several ministries under its belt. These are the Family, Children, NextGen, Sports, Arts Collective, Indian and Chinese ministries.

Over the years, CARE has run many successful Scripture engagement and advocacy events such as the Colours of the Bible art competition, where we collaborate with the Embassy of Israel to celebrate God’s Word through the arts. We also hold Scripture engagement events such as the D6 Conference, where participants meet to learn and discuss about family issues in a Biblical setting; as well as the Leader’s Essentials seminar, where we worked with Brendon and Cathie Clancy to teach church leaders and parents the essentials of ministering to children. Through these international collaborations and partnerships, we are working towards internalising global best practices to better serve the greater community.

Sower Publishers—Mission through Translation & Publishing

Publishing work ensures that the Bible is available in a range wide enough to cater to the varied needs of the world today. These are constantly evolving—especially so since the advent of the digital age. God’s Word needs to be presented in forms that maximise the Gospel’s reach, and that speak effectively to the hearts of all readers. Digital technology is paramount in supporting the whole Bible Lifecycle. The Bible Society underpins its programmes across the whole Bible Lifecycle with the application of appropriate digital technology to reach new audiences and generate greater engagement.

In Singapore, we produce Bibles and Scripture materials that cater to different audiences, ranging from schools to inmates and migrant workers. We are also moving beyond these Scriptural publications to produce a greater range of books to enlighten the local Christian community. Our publishing work is also shifting increasingly to digital platforms, which will allow materials to be accessed more easily.

IBEx—Mission through Field Experience

International Bible Experiences (IBEx) is the Bible Society’s tour and missions ministry. IBEx was established to help people engage with the living Word and experience the Scriptures come alive through our Bible Land Tours (BLTs) and Bible Mission Trips (BMTs). The outflow of this meaningful experience is a heart for God's mission. Since its incorporation, this ministry has organised many BLTs and BMTs, as well as public seminars and talks, to educate and engage the public on the Bible lands and Holy Land.

The past 180 years has served as a testimony of God’s faithfulness upon The Bible Society of Singapore. This year we celebrated the Bible Society’s 180^th Anniversary on 4 July 2017, where we also rejoiced in God’s everlasting and abundant grace to the Society. It is our prayer that He will continue to use the Society as His vessel (2 Tim 2:20), until all the nations are filled with the knowledge of the Word who became flesh! (Jn 1:14)

Outer Fringes & Faint Whispers

Living and working in Israel with my wife for the last six months has been one of the greatest privileges of our lives – and we still have three more months to enjoy!

As I work with the Bible Society in Israel, Arab Israeli Bible Society and Palestinian Bible Society, I’ve been to Israel a number of times but working here for an extended period of time has been a wonderful opportunity.

We live in the heart of Jerusalem on Jaffa Street, which is bustling with people shopping or enjoying the many coffee shops and restaurants. It borders Orthodox Jewish areas and is only fifteen minutes’ walk from the Old City. One of my favourite times of the week is Friday evening when Shabbat starts. The light train and buses stop running. All the shops are closed and a peaceful quiet descends on the neighbourhood, marking a distinct change to everyday life.

The UK is a very secular society now, but here there are signs of faith all around you which go far beyond the religious sites. Orthodox Jews read the Torah and prayer books as they walk along the street or sitting on the train. Recently Israelis enjoyed celebrating Purim. This commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people when they faced genocide, as recorded in the book of Esther.

Reading through the gospels whilst living here brings an additional reality, knowing that Jesus ministered just a short walk away. We’ve also been able to visit Capernaum, Chorazim, the Mount of Beatitudes and Sea of Galilee. And the Old Testament, too, takes on added meaning where many places are no longer just names on a page but places we’ve visited.

It has also been great to be part of a local international congregation made up of Messianic Jews and believers from many different nations. Shirley and I are on the Welcome Team so we have the great privilege of welcoming people, both those living here and many Christian tour groups from all over the world.

Jesus refers to Jerusalem as ’the city of the Great King’ (Matthew 5:35). It certainly is a unique city. The Psalmist encourages us to pray for the peace – the shalom – of Jerusalem (Psalm 122). The Hebrew word Shalom carries a far deeper meaning than the English word ‘peace’. It includes wholeness, harmony, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquillity. The entry in Wikipedia for Shalom is very interesting: “it can refer to either peace between two entities (especially between man and God or between two countries), or to the well-being, welfare or safety of an individual or a group of individuals.”

What greater need is there for people living in Jerusalem, the rest of Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, and indeed our own communities – firstly for individuals to be at peace, and in right relationship, with God and then for this be worked out in our relationships with our neighbours.

Each of the three Bible Societies working here focuses on connecting their communities with the message of the Bible. This is a small, disputed, complicated part of the world, yet also a wonderful mix of people, history, religions and cultures. This will be a time we will always treasure.

Which just leaves me to conclude with this wonderfully poetic and profound comment from Job. There is so much more to discover about God and faith…

And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
how faint the whisper we hear of him!
Who then can understand the thunder of his power?‭
Job‬ ‭26:14‬ (NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬)

10 Bible Verses About Family

In the Bible we find direction for parents, children, husbands and wives, helping us with our family relations.

In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.
– Proverbs 14:26 (ESV)

And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
– Mark 3:25 (ESV)

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
– 1 Timothy 5:8 (ESV)

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
– Ephesians 5:21 (NIV)

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
– Genesis 2:24 (ESV)

The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife.
– 1 Corinthians 7:3-4 (NIV)

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.
– Psalm 127:3 (ESV)

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
– Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
– Exodus 20:12 (ESV)

and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”
– 2 Corinthians 6:18 (ESV)

How a 94-Year-Old Woman Overcame Adversity to Study God’s Word

As a young girl of the 1920s, Zhang cherished the opportunity to read God’s Word. But every day, she faced a problem: in her village in eastern China—surrounded by winding canals and stretches of grassland—she shared one Bible with all of her neighbours.

When Zhang wanted to read Scripture, she walked to a nearby schoolhouse, which held the only Bible in her community. Men, women and children would form a line out the door and down the street while waiting for their chance to read its pages. When Zhang’s turn finally arrived, she would copy her favourite Bible verses into a small notebook; this was the only way she could study Scripture at home.

Zhang’s Bible-reading routine carried on through World War II, when Japanese soldiers invaded her community. As air raid sirens roared through her village, she watched her neighbours pack their belongings and flee in search of safety. But Zhang stayed put, retreating to a cellar to pray with a close friend.

When the threat had passed, Zhang resurfaced and made her way to the schoolhouse, where she spent time reading the Bible. Even in the midst of war and chaos, Zhang rooted herself in God’s Word.

“These were the happiest moments of my life,” she says. “While our world was not at peace, because of that Bible, I was at peace in my own heart.”

As the years passed, Zhang clung to this pattern of Bible reading. Following the Chinese Cultural Revolution—a decade of social and political purging of traditional Chinese values, including the practice of religion—Zhang continued to read and study Scripture, relying on her community’s lone Bible to fill her appetite for God’s Word.

But recently, while approaching her 95^th birthday, Zhang’s Bible-reading routine changed forever. After waiting a lifetime for her first Bible, Zhang visited the church near her home, where she received a Bible from church leaders during a Bible distribution supported by the Bible Society.

Today, Zhang can open her Bible—day or night—and study passages of Scripture. She can read the Gospels. She can engage with Paul’s letters. And she can meditate on the Psalms.

Yet even while reading her new Bible, Zhang holds closely to a lifelong tradition: she copies down her favourite Bible verses into a pocket-sized notebook.

Now, Zhang can engage with Scripture wherever she goes.

Orphans Meet Jesus

Jeremiah was a small boy when his mother died. But he was old enough to feel his heart breaking. "After my mother's death, nobody loved me," Jeremiah explains.

At first, the devastated child was sent to live with his uncle in a small village in Bangladesh. His house was made of bamboo and hay, and they never seemed to have enough food. Jeremiah longed to know someone loved him.

Eventually, his uncle took Jeremiah to a local orphanage. That's where Jeremiah found out about God's love through Scriptures that were provided by Bible Societies. "I'm glad to receive this Bible. I read [it] every day. I love my Bible," he says.

"I gave my life to Jesus," Jeremiah says. "I love Jesus, and I want to follow him every day."

Jeremiah is one of thousands of children around the world who now know about the love and hope Jesus Christ came to give. Through the generous donations of our supporters, The Bible Society of Singapore is able to support Bible projects across the globe that introduce desperate children to God through Scriptures.

Together, we are:

Supporting engagement programmes for at-risk children in Nepal
Helping Christian children in Pakistan to grow in their faith and stand firm in Christ
Offering hope and guidance to orphans in Christian orphanages throughout India
Encouraging children and youth in Bangladesh to develop a personal relationship with God
Distributing free children's Bibles to primary schools in Egypt
Enabling children and youth across Turkey to engage with the Word through the SAT-7 TV channel
Equipping parents and NextGen ministry leaders in Singapore through programmes like the D6 Family Conference, our NextGen Ministries, and Colours of the Bible

Every effort reveals God's forgiveness to hurting children through Scriptures and shows God's love to "the least of these."

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