clc.org.uk
clcbookshops.com
CLC RLD CLCWW RLD 2017 Issue 4
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Which way
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swimming? Page 23
Your support allows us to make evangelical Christian literature available around the world. This helps thousands of people each day progress on their spiritual journey to know God.
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In this issue: 10 GameChanging Technology for CLC Sierra Leone
4-7 8-9 Author Interview CLC Int’l News 11-22
27
CLC Conferences
! Americas & Europe
25-26
How To Get Involved! 31
28-29 Excerpt
From the Editor
Amanda Lutes
Dear Reader Welcome to CLC World! This free mission magazine enables us to share with you, our faithful supporters, current news, testimonies, as well as prayer and praise points, illustrating how we are daily impacting thousands of lives in nearly 50 countries. Are you becoming bitter from past disappointments and hurts? Do you think it’s possible to give thanks to God despite your difficult situation, maybe even because of it? Does fear keep you from reaching out in love? What about gossip and bullying−are you part of the solution or the problem?
We all have questions we hope nobody ever asks us, especially God! When people look at you, do they think, ”They are so strange, are they for real? Surely, no one can have that much joy, peace and love in their lives.“ Maybe you think no one ‘real’ can either? If so, why not ask God to help you discover the areas in your life that are hindering you from having a full life. Remember Jesus said, I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10b) A ‘full life’ means experiencing the highs, the lows and everything in-between, knowing for certain that through it all, God will not let you go. Whether or not you consider yourself a missionary, you are! As you read and pray through this magazine, I hope you will be inspired to hold on tight to your Heavenly Father and start swimming ‘against the tide’. If you need some inspiration, why not read Watchman Nee’s biography, Against the Tide? Let it light a fire within you to be the change people need to see!
CLC International
Mission Site: www.clcinternational.org
CLC International Office (UK):
291 Abbeydale Road, Sheffield, S7 1FJ
UK Mission Site: UK Online Shop: Personnel Enquiries:
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personnel@clcbookshops.com
UK Headquarters & Finance Office:
Unit 5, Glendale Avenue, Sandycroft Industrial Estate, Sandycroft, Deeside CH5 2QP Email: gerald.sidery@clc.org.uk
CLC International Office & USA Headquarters:
701 Pennsylvania Avenue, P.O. Box 1449 Fort Washington, PA 19034
USA Mission Site: USA Online Shop:
clcusa.org clcbookcenters.com info@clcusa.org clcdonations.org
Inquiries: Donations: For Overseas Opportunities: To Subscribe:
missions@clcusa.org clcworld@clcusa.org
office@clcinternational.org
CLC Ministries International is registered as a not-forprofit 501(c)3 organization in the United States and as such can accept charitable donations and provide tax deductible receipts
clcworld@clcbookshops.com
CLC International (UK) is registered as a charity in England & Wales (1015793) and in Scotland (SC037939)
For Overseas Opportunities: To Subscribe:
Magazine Editor: Amanda Lutes, Global Communications Director
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Expolit (USA): Spanish Book Fair:
We give thanks to God for the amazing time our Latin American teams, especially CLC Colombia, experienced while attending this year’s Expolit during August. Our Colombian team is both a well-known publisher and distributor in the Spanish-speaking world. Along with winning publishers awards from HarperCollins, B&H and Unilit, CLC Colombia was also named this year’s Distributor of the Year. Well done, team! What a blessing for this hard-working team to know that their dedication to quality service is recognised.
Canada:
A Growing Social Media Community
Caribbean:
Pray for our Directors
Filled with excerpts and recommendations of French resources that are sure to help, this team’s blog is definitely worth exploring! If you love French books yourself, or know someone who would find this site helpful, please tell them about www.clccanada.org
It is difficult to grasp the daily struggles of island life for our teams when most of us only think of their beautiful beaches and glorious sunshine. Each of these Caribbean teams has its own unique challenges, but many of them stem from This CLCfor USA BookLink similar economic issues. Please pray Arah Martin shipment is nowSandra on its from Antigua, Wilbert Charles from Barbados, wayand to CLC LIBERIA Robinson from Trinidad & Tobago Davis Laudat from Dominica. May the Lord grant them the wisdom and innovation needed to keep their ministries sustainable and to help their nations seek God.
NewCLCPublications: From Jill Briscoe!
Is the replacement of God’s Word with social media and other worldly influences making your family come apart at the seams? Do you feel as God’s people that we have now become part of the problem, instead of the solution? Why not join Jill and begin to make a plan that will help to rebuild the foundations and relationships in 4
Do You Want to Help?
Disaster Relief Outreach, Political & Economic Struggles With so many devastating disasters and struggling countries in the news these days, it is hard to decide where your support can be of the most use. As it happens, our CLC teams are often caught up in these circumstances and are either struggling themselves or are on the front-line helping first hand! We are so thankful to God that our teams are able to respond directly and in person to real needs. If you’d like to aid these ministries, please know that every penny you donate goes to help those affected! For more information on how to give, turn to page 31. Thank you, once again, for your support whether it is through prayer, financial giving or in service with CLC. You are vital to our ministry!
A Heartfelt Thank You:
Central Asia (CA2):
Gary Chamberlin expresses our gratitude! A special thanks to Carine and William MacKenzie. Carine is a well-known children’s author, whose books have been sold in dozens of languages. William owns and operates Christian Focus Publishing - a large Christian publisher based in Scotland. They have been deeply involved with our CLC Publishing Training around the world and continue to encourage and remind us of the cross and God’s grace. So, a very special and heartfelt thank you to our dear friends from Scotland.
Hot Off The Press:
The first-ever Burmese Study Bible is now complete!
CLC Family Prayer Request
Thank you, Father, for saving the life of the former Director’s young son (age 21/2). He fell from a second story window at their annual conference, breaking his leg and damaging some of his skull close to his eye. After an operation to set his leg and to investigate any damage to his head, it was decided that there was no need for further surgery. As you can imagine, however, everyone is still very concerned about his situration. Please pray that the Lord will bring comfort, peace and healing to this young boy and to the whole CA2 team.
In September, CLC Myanmar announced that they had just completed translating and formatting the first-ever Burmese Study Bible. Praise God that after four years of hard work, this team’s dream is now a reality! National Director, Jacob Mung, shared, “Although we still need more funds, we are going to print 10,000 copies and, by faith, trust that God will meet all our needs.” Please pray that this Bible, filled with study notes that were created for their cultural needs and beliefs, will truly be a blessing to the Burmese people!
Florence, Italy:
Reaching Out to the Multitudes! The CLC Firenze (Florence) Bookshop is our oldest in Italy, and it is located just in front of the main entrance of Accademia Gallery. This museum, which exhibits Michelangelo’s statue of David, received 1,461,185 visitors last year alone! For this reason, nearly 80% of the people who visit our CLC bookshop are tourists. What an amazing opportunity for outreach, you are thinking. You are right! However, as you can probably imagine, this opportunity is not without its challenges, the biggest being a lack of funds for more staff. Although the shop is very full of people, most are simply waiting for their turn to enter the museum. This means the shop is always busy, with only one or two members of staff who always need to be standing at the cash counter. The amount of time they can converse freely with visitors is very limited. This past summer, a decision to try something different was made, and Rudy Kuijer of CLC’s
Evangelism Development department was sent to assist them. What a beautiful week they had! Manager Filippo shared, “Finally, we were able to do what we should do as a Christian bookstore: we shared the love of God with kindness and hospitality and also spoke of Him with a real openness. Rudy taught us all so much about evangelisation and being better disciples for Jesus. He also distributed a large number of tracts in numerous languages. while he greeted and talked with them.” Please pray for the CLC Italy team, especially in Florence, as they begin recruiting volunteers and missionaries, both local and abroad. By doing so, they hope to provide better outreach to their many shop visitors. Please pray that God will give wisdom to our team, and make His voice clear to those He is calling to serve with us. 5 5
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A Changing of the Guards:
Exciting News!
With former Leicester manager, Paul Jordan, taking on the responsibility of looking after CLC UK’s properties (a much-needed role) a call went out for a new shop manager. It is with great joy that former volunteer, Simon Newborn, has stepped up to this new challenge. Along with Simon, we also have a new sales assistant, David Lewis and intern, Alison Solano. Please pray that the Lord will help them to quickly settle into their new roles and bring a real sense of unity and fellowship to the team. Please also pray for Paul Jordan as he settles into his new role, especially as we know he will really miss being in the shop as the manager.
For those living in the UK or who have loved ones there, be sure to visit our new online shop at CLCbookshops. com. It is filled with exclusive CLC offers, our amazing ‘Take Note’ resources and so much more! Please continue to pray for the website team, especially for new CLCer, Daniel Evans.
For the Leicester CLC Bookshop
New UK website
A Global Ministry:
Discovering CLC Japan in Scotland?
Events, events, events: Reaching out to communities
Although events require a ton of work and overtime, increasing the pressure on our shop and wholesale teams, they are truly essential for our ministry and growth. Well done, teams, for all your hard work this past year! May the relationships you built during these events flourish so that together you can better impact your region.
Encouraging Shop Stories: Meet the Authors: Elizabeth & Jim George In September, each of our shop teams in Aberdeen, Birmingham and London hosted a meet and greet for authors, Elizabeth and Jim George. Thank you Lord for such amazing opportunities to reach out in these cities! There was a good crowd of people of all ages at each shop as the George’s have written a wide selection of books. A very special thank you needs to go out to Elizabeth and Jim, and also to Kathy Zemper from Harvest House Publishers. Thank you as well to the CLC UK Wholesale and shop teams for all they did to make this tour a success!
It is an exciting moment when local customers realise the global implications of our ministry. Recently a customer in our CLC Inverness (Scotland) bookshop realised that we had a number of shops in Japan, including Hiroshima where she is originally from. She left the shop with a list of all our locations in Japan so she could share this news! Please pray that our shop teams will continue to share with customers all that the Lord is doing through CLC around the world. It is such an encouragement for us all.
A Global Volunteer - Could You Be One, Too?
Martha, a Colombian who lives in the UK, volunteers from time to time at the CLC bookshop in Ipswich (UK). Although her visits aren’t regular, her cleaning skills and testimonies about what the Lord is doing in her life are much appreciated! Recently, Martha went to Colombia on holiday. Faithful CLC supporter that she is, she visited the CLC Medellin bookshop. While there, she enjoyed fellowship with the staff and met David Pabon, the CLC National Director for Colombia, who was also visiting that day. Before leaving the shop, she purchased some evangelistic resources to share the Gospel with those passing by in a nearby local park. Praise God for this ‘global’ missionary! Could you be one, too? 7
GOD KNOWS WHAT DOING GOD KNOWS WHAT I’MI’M DOING HEREHE
The story a mission worker saved from a rebellious p Theincredible incredible story of aof mission worker saved from a rebellious past.
SheilaLeech Leech talks herher amazing adventures as a missionary nurse in hernurse new book. Sheila talksabout about amazing adventures as a missionary in her new What motivated you to write this book?
A strong theme through the book is trust-
A strong theme through the book What you toEcuador write this ing in God’s plans even when it isn’t always I usedmotivated to write letters from eachbook? month ing in God’s plans even when I used to write letters from Ecuador each month obvious what they are. What’s the key thingit isn to my church and family, telling them about what you have learnt about going onand in the jungletelling community obvious whatthis? they are. What’s the to was my church family, themwhere aboutI what A person wayhave wiserlearnt than meabout used to say that wasgoing living. One time, my return to the UK, the you this? was on in theonjungle community where I 90% of knowing God’s will is being prepared to mission secretary at church handed me a bundle A person way wiser than me used t was living. One time, on my return to the UK, the do it before you know what it is. I think that’s true. of my letters. As I read through them, I realised 90% that of knowing p mission secretary at church handed me a bundle I don’t believe God hidesGod’s His will will from is us.being He how much I had forgotten. In fact I was shocked it before know what it is.but I think of atmywhat letters. I read -through them, and I realised does notdo show us the you whole plan all at once, I hadAs forgotten really important He doesI reveal step by that step. God Finding out about amazing times when up don’t itbelieve hides His will fr how muchthings I hadand forgotten. In God factshowed I was shocked the nextdoes step has do with attitude heartall at amazing ways.forgotten I realised that in Scripture God and nottoshow usan the wholeofplan at inwhat I had - really important and openness to doing whatever God asks, rathconstantly tells us to “remember” and to “not forHe does reveal it step by step. Finding amazing things and times when God showed up er than having to be absolutely sure of it before get” all the ways He has led us and all the things next stepbelieve has to doGod with anus attitud in He amazing ways. realised we takethe a step. I don’t that leads has done. So, I Idecided to that reflectinonScripture the pre- God and openness to doing whatever constantly tells us to “remember” and to “not forastray or tricks us. I think that God speaks to usGod vious years and write about some of the things I through er Histhan word,having the witness the Holy Spirit remembered. to beof absolutely sure o get” all the ways He has led us and all the things and the counsel of godly people. If we pay heed we take a step. I don’t believe that Go He has done. So, I decided to reflect on the preto these, we will not go astray. God will use us in astray or tricks us. I think that God sp vious years and write about some of the things I ways we could never imagine. through His word, the witness of the remembered. and the counsel of godly people. If we to these, we will not go astray. God wi ways we could never imagine.
Have you learnt anything new about God/ your faith journey by looking back over your life so far? You write that God challenges us to live It has been a wonderful experience to look back 100% for Him and His kingdom. What is the and see God’s faithfulness and grace in my life. key lesson you have learnt on how to live full There are times when I am astounded at the way Have youledlearnt about out for God? God has me, the anything people I havenew met, the plac- God/ Elizabeth Elliot was a missionary in Ecuador es I faith have been, the experiences I have had.over I am your your journey by looking back whose husband was killed by an indigenous also amazed at God’s patience, kindness and life so far? group in 1956. She used to say “wherever you forgiveness. I nearly called the book “Greedy for You write that God challenges u It has been a wonderful experience to look back are - be all there” and that we should “joyfully emGrace” because I think that reflects my walk..... 100% Him and faithfulness graceand in my brace what you for believe to and be theHis will kingdom. of God for W it’s see reallyGod’s the story of a “serialand repenter” a life. key youdo have learnt how There are times whengrace I am and astounded at fail the way your life”. In lesson other words, whatever youon are forgiving God whose love never doing with your whole heart. It does not matter and who never gives up on us. out for God? God has led me, the people I have met, the plac8es I have been, the experiences I have had. I am Elizabeth Elliot was a missionary in
where you are or what you are doing, whether it’s a great preaching ministry or a secular job, raising where you are or what you are doing, whether it’s children or sitting quietly in a care home, our life a great preaching ministry or a secular job, raising needs to be characterised by offering whatever children or sitting quietly in a care home, our life past. we do to God as worship. Every menial task can needs to be characterised by offering whatever become anGod act of God.menial I thinktask if wecan live we do to as worship worship.toEvery our lives in that manner, whatever He asks us become an act of worship to God. I think if we liveto do, willinlive full life forwhatever God. He asks us to ourwe lives thata manner,
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The book charts your many adventures
k isaround trustthe world. are you currently The book charts What your many adventures andthe where? around world. What are you currently n’t doing always I have just returned doing and where?from a month in Ghana where key thing
I have returnedinternship from a month in Ghana we do just a medical outreach. It where was a we do a medical It was a busy time and it internship combinedoutreach. delivering quality to say that busy timetoand it combined delivering quality healthcare about 1800 under-served people prepared to about under-served people inhealthcare the to rural areas with1800 training the nine medical in the rural areas with training the nine medical that’s true. interns in medicine and evangelism. rom interns us. Hein medicine and evangelism.
Whatbut do you hope readers will get out of t once, What do you hope readers will get out of reading God Knows What I’m Doing Here? g out about reading God Knows What I’m Doing Here? First and foremost I hope the readers enjoy the de ofFirst heart and foremost I hope the readers enjoy the book for the stories. I hope some of the stories for the stories. I hope some of the stories asks,book rathwill make them laugh, maybe weep, and also will make them laugh, maybe weep, and also of itshake before heads theyread readhow how shaketheir their headsinindisbelief disbelief when when they od leads us peaks to us HolyGod Spirit Knows Here God KnowsWhat What I’m I’m Doing Doing Here e paySheila heedLeech Sheila Leech ill use us in PB: 9781780784526 PB: 9781780784526
a follower of Jesus can be such an idiot at times! I hope they see a normal person with doubts and a follower of Jesus can be such an idiot at times! fears and a sense of fun, but someone who alI hope they see a normal person with doubts and though very flawed still loves and tries to follow fears and a sense of fun, but someone who alJesus. I hope they get a fresh glimpse of how though very flawed still loves and tries to follow amazing our God is and if they don’t know Him, Jesus. I hope they get a fresh glimpse of how they will definitely know more about Him amazing our God is and if they don’t know Him,after reading the book.know And more finallyabout I hope that some they will definitely Him after readersthe willbook. feel challenged lookthat at their reading And finally Itohope someown lives and God might to belook nudging them to be readers willsee feelif challenged at their own doing more be to nudging let others hear about lives andsomething see if God might them to be His love and grace. doing something more to let others hear about His love and grace. SHEILA LEECH is a SHEILA LEECH is awho registered nurse registered has beennurse servingwho on the hasmission been serving field on for the more mission field for more than 30 years. She is than 30 years. She Presis currently the Vice currently the Vice President of Global Healthident of Global Healthcare for Reach Beyond, working in palliative care care for Reach Beyond, working in palliative care and disaster response around the globe. and disaster response around the globe.
‘Whatcan canGod God do do with with a life ‘What life that that He Hetakes takes holdof ofand andworks works through? through? Anything! hold Anything!This This modernmissionary missionary tale isisaamodern tale that that should shouldnot not be missed.’ be missed.’ ElaineDuncan, Duncan, Chief Chief Executive, Executive, Scottish Elaine ScottishBible Bible Society Society
The inspiring story of how God took a rebellious The inspiring story of how God took a rebellious and lost young woman, gave her purpose and a and lost young woman, gave her purpose and a passion to live for Him, and led her to serve as a passion to live for Him, and led her to serve as a us tomissionary live nurse in the Ecuadorian rainforest and missionary nurse in the Ecuadorian rainforest and What is the beyond. beyond. to live full Authentic Media // Available from CLC Authentic Media // Available from CLC n Ecuador
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Game-Changing Technology for CLC Sierra Leone by David Almack, CLC Regional Director (NA & Caribbean)
As the plane touched down in Freetown, Mark Ridenour knew this was no ordinary trip to Africa. Many years of prayer, fund raising, dreaming and planning were about to culminate in the launching of Print-On-Demand (POD) in this country still recovering from the ravages of Ebola. For far too long, access to Christian books and Bibles has been hampered by shipping costs, importation expenses, bureaucracy and corruption. Even when the books did arrive, they were often more expensive than the average person could afford. That was now going to change. During two rainy weeks in June, Mark and Jeff (an installer and trainer) worked with the local CLC team to set up the equipment and to train the team of four people who would be operating the equipment. At the end of the week, beautiful new books were being downloaded from the internet and printed locally. This new technology is a major breakthrough for Christian literature distribution as it allows books to be printed in small batches as they are needed. Local Christian authors can now get their books printed at CLC at a reasonable cost and made available very quickly. Christian publishers and authors can have their books uploaded into the ‘cloud’ so they can be printed as they are requested. No more waiting, no more 10
shipping hassles and no more importation costs. Already a local Christian publisher in Sierra Leone is using our services and printing his books through CLC. We anticipate this demand will grow as word spreads about this wonderful new technology. This breakthrough was made possible by generous donors in the United States and the Publish4All initiative who have pioneered the technology and have helped install similar systems in more than forty places around the world. Donald John, the team leader in Sierra Leone, believes that this new equipment is a direct answer to prayer and will make a significant difference in his country. He looks forward to seeing many hundreds of books printed in the years come.
Pray for Sierra Leone! If you were watching the news in August, you will have seen and heard of the destructive mudslides in Sierra Leone. Please continue to pray for those mourning all that they have lost, including their loved ones. May God’s comfort, peace, hope and love be really evident in their lives.
October 2nd - 8th
Week 40: Upcoming Events Monday (2nd) – Chile:
Please pray for the Stay Firm book tour with author Sally Burke, who also heads up Moms in Prayer, an international women’s ministry. Please pray that there will be a good attendance at the events for women, held in Viña del Mar, Concepción, Santiago and Punta Arenas from October 2nd - 5th. Please pray for good health for the touring team and that the women attending would leave encouraged in their faith to ‘stay firm’.
Tuesday (3rd) – Switzerland:
Over the next few months, we are planning to visit a different church in our area each Sunday to strengthen our relationships with them. We hope that by spending time with them we can find ways to better support their ministry and improve our partnership in spreading the gospel in our region. We are also hoping that they will be open to us having a book table or giving a presentation about our ministry. In November, we are once again attending the annual Open Doors conference and providing a book table. Please pray that the attendance will be even greater than last year and that the participants will now recognise our ministry, and benefit from it.
Wednesday (4th) – Antigua:
We are very excited to be partnering with the Logos Hope ship that will be coming to Antigua October 5th - 15th. Please pray for us as we make arrangements for their arrival so that their visit is as beneficial as possible. Please also pray for unity, clear communication and great outreach.
Thursday (5th) – United Kingdom:
From October 17th - 19th, Daryl Wearring, our Marketing Director, is organising a CLC book stand for the Christian Resources Exhibition—a very important UK event! As well as book sales, we trust that this will be a useful platform for promoting the work of CLC in the UK and around the world. Please pray for all those involved.
Friday (6th) – France:
From October 11th to 13th, National Director Hervé Lessous and Regional Director Gary Chamberlin will once again be attending the annual International Bookfair in Frankfurt (Germany). Please pray that they will feel God’s presence and direction as they meet with the representatives from publishers around the world.
The Weekend (7th/8th) – Mexico:
Please pray for us as we are planning two Bible Seminars: The Peshitta Bible Seminar in October and the Thompson Bible Seminar in November. May the Lord bless us with good attendance and bring new insight and understanding during these seminars for church leaders. 11
October 9th - 15th
Week 41: National Disasters & Struggling Economies Monday (9th) – Hurricanes & Tropical Storms:
Please continue to pray for the Caribbean islands and the southern parts of the USA, as during September they had a number of catastrophic hurricanes (Harvey, Irma and Jose) back-to-back. May God continue to provide the comfort and resources they need to get back on their feet!
Tuesday (10th) – Rainy Season:
The Philippines have their rainy season from June until October and quite often there are typhoons. At the time of writing, the team were preparing for the large Manila International Book Fair while a storm was fast approaching, which had already led to schools in the region being cancelled. Please pray for the protection of our team during this season. Pray that those who attended the Book Fair would be blessed and touched by the books we sold, and pray also for the new contacts made, and relationships built, at this event.
Wednesday (11th) – Benin:
Our country’s economic situation continues to struggle, creating many challenges for the CLC Benin team and ministry. They continue to pray that one-day CLC will own a property and no longer be required to pay rent or face the possibility of being forced to change premises. Please pray for the LORD’s provision - thank you for standing with us!
Thursday (12th) – Venezuela:
Please continue to pray for CLC Venezuela as they face such uncertainty with the country’s internal crisis. With an inflation rate of nearly 700% a year, the price for an economic Bible could be a week’s salary; therefore, people are only buying what is strictly necessary. Although we do not yet know how to deal with the situation, we are thankful for the gifts from CLC Chile and CLC UK. The Venezuelan staff continue to suffer under the pressure of lack of food, security and economic stability. We give thanks that no bookstore has had to close and that, even in the midst of these struggles, we are still seeing a few sales. Please continue to pray for our country, and for protection and provision for each member of our team.
Friday (13th) – Bolivia:
The Padilla’s were sent as missionaries from Venezuela to begin and direct the ministry in Bolivia. Unfortunately, due to Venezuela’s economic situation, they are unable to receive support from their native country. For this reason, we continue to depend on the generosity of the other CLC countries to help support their work. Please pray that Lord will provide for their needs.
The Weekend (14th/15th) – Indonesia:
In the midst of economic difficulties, we continue to praise God that our customers are making it a priority to visit our shops, even if only to browse. May our time together be a real encouragement to both customers and staff. Praise God for His continued provision. October 16th - 22nd
Week 42: Answers to Prayer Monday (16th) – Central Asia (CA2):
We give thanks to our Almighty Father for saving the life of our former Director’s young son when he fell from a second story window during the team’s annual conference. Please continue to pray for his recovery and also for his family and the rest of the team as they recover from this traumatic event. 12
Tuesday (17th) – Antigua:
We are giving God thanks for His goodness towards us during the passing of hurricanes Irma and Jose. Antigua, thankfully, had no serious loss or injury, only a few trees. It could have been so much worse but, by God’s grace, and the prayers of His saints, we are here today. Please do remember our sister island of Barbuda which has suffered greatly, as nearly 90% of their buildings were damaged and they did have one death.
Wednesday (18th) – Mexico :
We thank God for His faithfulness and for the opportunities we have each day to convey his message. We also praise the Lord for the variety of ways that new customers are finding us and reaching out to learn about our ministry. (Facebook, calls, WhatsApp, web page, emails, events, magazines, etc.) May the Lord continue to direct those who are seeking Him and the helpful resources we can provide.
Thursday (19th) – United Kingdom:
Praise the Lord for the launch of the new retail website in August. This involved a huge amount of work by the team. The period leading up to Christmas is vital as we seek to get the website established and known by our customers. It is specifically designed for our bookshop customers so that they have more options of when and how they want to buy.
Friday (20th) – Romania:
We praise the Lord for the opportunity to participate at the National Conference for Youth of the Romanian Brethren Union, with a book table. About a thousand young Christians from all over the country met together at this conference for three days. We also praise the Lord for the good sales we had at the Conference, which provided us with the resources for the renovation of the bookshop in Brasov.
The Weekend (21st/22nd) – Mozambique:
We are happy that this year we could take on a second worker in our bookshop in Maputo. At the time of writing, Johane Armando has just finished his six months’ work experience with us is now on contract. As our team has grown, we are already able to do more, with longer opening hours and more book tables at various events. We have also started to reach out to Bible Schools by visiting their libraries to see how we can offer to resource them better. October 23rd - 29th
Week 43: CLC Sierra Leone Monday (23rd) – Mudslides:
As previously mentioned on page 10, Sierra Leone suffered from a horrific mudslide in August that greatly devastated their country. We thank the Lord for His mercy in keeping our CLC team and property safe, but the team are in mourning with friends and family who have lost so much, including loved ones. Please pray that our team will be able to reach out in faith and assist those in their region still recovering from this catastrophe.
Tuesday (24th) – Upcoming Elections:
We are fast approaching the March 2018 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Please 13
pray that everything will work out in accordance to His will and purpose at the end of the day. Currently, we have a God-fearing leader that we believe will lead this nation into righteousness.
Wednesday (25th) – Economic Situation:
Please continue to pray for the economic situation in our country, as things are getting worse. Prices are increasing and salaries are low, leading to many of our youth and young people being without work. As a result, this situation is also creating a negative impact on our sales.
Thursday (26th) – Print-on-Demand (POD):
Please continue to pray for the Sierra Leone POD team as, currently, we have printed samples of 65 titles by Sierra Leonean authors and out of those samples we have printed two hundred copies of two different titles. Hopefully, by the time you read this, we will have begun printing 3,000 copies of Scripture Union’s Daily Devotional guide. Please pray for wisdom in determining what to print and that we will further develop our publishing skills to provide the best possible service.
Friday (27th) – Thank You, Father:
We give God praise for His continuous grace in our lives; we are experiencing the tremendous hand of God in the individual staff members and families of CLC Sierra Leone. Amidst the many challenges, especially since the mudslide in August, our God continues to protect us and bless us with unimaginable health and strength.
The Weekend (28th/29th) – Celebrations Continue:
Despite the current situation, we are so thankful to be celebrating CLC Sierra Leone’s 50th Anniversary in February 2018! Please pray that we will continue to plan successful events that allow us to share the incredible testimonies of God’s goodness to us throughout the last 50 years! Especially at this time when so many need to hear this reminder of God’s love and provision. October 30th - November 5th
Week 44: Bible Projects & Evangelism/Outreach Monday (30th) – United Kingdom:
CLC UK is supporting the Mozambique Bible Project. 10,000 low priced Bibles will be produced with the intention of raising sufficient funds when they are sold for an ongoing supply. Please pray that the funds will be available as we meet the various stage payments for the initial supply. The project is being promoted through our UK bookshops. Praise God for the opportunity to participate in making the Word of God available in this way.
Tuesday (31st) – Mozambique:
Along with the Mozambique Bible Project, we hope to produce a Christmas tract this year. We have also started to visit Bible Schools to see how we can help to resource their libraries and thereby make a good contribution to the training of future pastors, evangelists and leaders.
Wednesday (1st) – Chile:
‘THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING!’ Learn more about this project and other on page 30!
Lately, we have be been giving away copies of The Way to God (D.L. Moody) and More than a Carpenter (Josh McDowell) in an evangelism effort to reach thousands of people in our country. Please pray for those who have received, or will receive, one of these books. May God be revealed 14
to them as they read, and encourage them to pass the book on to more friends and family.
Thursday (2nd) – Indonesia
Please pray for our team as we continue to distribute gospels tracts to the needy areas, such as Papua and Timor. May this outreach bring the light and hope of Jesus to the lives of those we meet along the way.
Friday (3rd) – Central Asia (CA2):
Our team is feeling called to do more evangelism in our shop. For this reason, we are searching for a new worker that would enable us to do more of this. Please pray that we will find the right person to join our team. Please also pray that the Lord would help us to continue increasing the number of Christian books available in the local language.
The Weekend (4th/5th) – Uruguay:
Our team was very challenged when we learned about the Mozambique Bible Project. We have decided that a percentage from the sale of certain Bibles will be given to help get Bibles into the hands of Mozambicans. Please pray for us as we share with our customers about how they can be involved in something that could really change lives! November 6th - 12th
Week 45: Personal Prayer Requests Monday (6th) – Dianne & David Desch (CLC USA):
The Lord provided the way for us to go to Mexico in August for alternative cancer treatment for Dianne’s Mesothelioma. It was a good experience, great people and knowledgeable doctors. Along with some experimental procedures and diet to strengthen her immune system she will receive supportive supplements and low dose chemo at home. We will know in about 3 months how it is working and in the meantime, we trust the Lord to fulfil His plan for our lives, one day at a time. Please pray for discipline, time management and some pain management.
Tuesday (7th) – Romauldo Macinas (CLC Asia Pacific Regional Director):
In August, Romualdo Macinas’s mother went to be with the Lord. Please continue to pray for him and his family as this coming Christmas will be their first without her. May the Lord bring them an extra sense of His love, peace and comfort during this season.
Wednesday (8th) – Alfred KaiKai (CLC Sierra Leone):
Please pray especially for our team member Alfred Kaikai who lost his uncle and five other family members during the disastrous mudslide in August. What a heartbreaking loss for one family to bear! May the Lord draw Alfred and the rest of his family closer to Him on their journey through grief. May His comfort, love and peace be evident in their lives and draw others to know Him.
Thursday (9th) – CLC Beira, Mozambique:
Please pray for the CLC team in Mozambique. In September, we heard the sad news that the wife of Jose Sacramento (CLC Beira) died unexpectedly. Although she had been unwell recently, her death was a huge shock to Jose and the team. Jose is in his mid-30s and they had only been married for about 2 years. Father, please surround Jose with your love and comfort at this time. 15
Friday (10th) – Ada Hiley (Former CLCer / Co-Founder of Book Aid):
In early September, Ada Hiley went to be with the Lord. Ada and her husband Bob played a big role in CLC’s early years and through them Book Aid’s ministry was founded. Book Aid is a second-hand book ministry which makes sure Christian books, that are desperately needed in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, are widely available through CLC bookshops and other booksellers. We know that the Lord has a very special, ‘Well done, my faithful servant’ message for her. Please pray for her husband, Bob, and four daughters as they are certainly missing her. May God’s love and comfort surround them this season.
The Weekend (11th/12th) – Sandro Arroyo (CLC Chile):
Please continue to pray for the health of my daughter, Emilia. Although, she is still connected to a BIPAP, a respiratory support system for patients who have difficulty breathing, the truth is she continues to be a miracle from the Lord! Praise God with us that she can now walk freely. November 13th - 19th
Week 46: Prayer Requests from CLC Europe Monday (13th) – Cyprus:
We would value prayer for our November Book Fairs which will be held on Saturdays (12th, 19th and 26th). Pray that the Lord will bless us with new encouraging contacts and sales, as they are extremely important for the upkeep of the CLC bookshop in Nicosia. Thank you.
Tuesday (14th) – Germany:
In September, a group of Christian booksellers met together near Frankfurt to discuss what we could do in partnership (as both retailers and publishers) to help the remaining Christian bookshops survive. Each of these booksellers has already implemented e-commerce, social media and more, but a certain well-known international web-store continues to take over the sales of books in our country. It can be very disheartening at times to learn that another shop has had to close. Please pray that together we can find a way to attract more customers!
Wednesday (15th) – Germany:
Recently, we refurbished our shop in an effort to send a clear message to our customers that we will press on, despite the difficulties we are facing in today’s market. We are so glad to see the positive feedback from our customers who obviously have appreciated our efforts.
Thursday (16th) – France:
The annual International Christian Book Fair will be held in Paris from November 19th - 21st. Please pray that our warehouse sales team will be organised and ready for this event so that we can have an efficient book table and good fellowship with our partners. Please pray for the seven CLC staff members who will be working at this event.
Friday (17th) – Romania:
We need God’s help concerning a new legislation that says that we need special authorisation from the local authorities to have a bookshop in Timisoara. We have had this bookshop for 15 years, yet without this approval, we will not be able to sell books in our own building. The procedure to obtain this approval it is long and complicated, with a very uncertain future for 16
the shop. Please pray for us! May God open the necessary doors for us to continue our ministry.
The Weekend (18th/19th) – Italy: Rudy Kuijer (CLC IO), from the Netherlands, asks for prayer for wisdom and vision in developing the growth of evangelism within our bookshops. Rudy was recently in Florence, Italy, helping the team there reach out to the public in this area. Please pray for God’s guidance to discover new ways to better promote the work of CLC and to recruit new workers. With Rudy’s assistance, more people have already applied to volunteer in the Florence bookshop. Pray for CLC Italy, and especially for the teams in Florence and Bari, as they begin to put into practice the things they learned from Rudy’s visit. November 20th - 26th
Week 47: CLC Publishing Departments Monday (20th) – Romania:
Please join us in praying for wisdom and strength so that we can continue to develop and grow our publishing efforts. We hope to increase both the quantity and the quality of our publishing.
Tuesday (21st) – Portugal Bible Society & CLC Mozambique:
Although we can’t quite call it a “CLC publication”, as this is in conjunction with the Bible Society of Portugal, we are very happy to have the opportunity to co-produce a Portuguese economy Bible in a modern translation. This Bible will even have both our ministry logos will be on the cover - Bible Society and CLC Mozambique! We are very excited that there will be a page in the introduction explaining the Gospel and pointing the reader in the direction of receiving Christ. May the LORD really use the distribution of His Word to bring many new sons and daughters to faith!
Wednesday (22nd) – Kenya:
We thank God that our publishing department has developed faster than we had hoped for. We now have a new Publishing Administrator and an in-house Designer to meet the growing demands from the local authors. We are hoping to have an in-house Editor by the end of the year.
Thursday (23rd) – USA:
Please pray for Yuko Momose who began her new role as CLC USA’s Sales Representative for their publishing house in September. We hope that this newly created position significantly improves our customer service and increases the sales of our CLC titles.
Friday (24th) – Poland:
Praise God that a number of CLC Poland’s customers have been buying multiple copies of books published by CLC to give away to their family and friends. What an encouragement for the team to see their publications really impacting lives.
The Weekend (25th/26th) – Colombia:
CLC Colombia recently translated and published Pray for the World (WEC) by Patrick Johnstone. Their initial print run for the book was 750 copies, but within just three days they sold 690 of them. Praise God with us! Please also pray for the release of the Spanish versions of The Blessing of Humility by Jerry Bridges and Luther and His Katie by Dolina MacCuish of Christian Focus Publishing. 17
November 27th - December 3rd
Week 48: New Developments from CLC Asia Pacific Monday (27th) – Showroom/ Warehouse:
CLC India is planning to construct a showroom/warehouse in their Purasawalkam property in Chennai. As it will require a large amount of money, they are in the process of raising funds. Please pray that God−in His grace−will help them meet their target! The team is looking to Him for He is able to do above all that we could ask or think!
Tuesday (28th) – New Director:
Sohail Javed is now the new Director of ELS Pakistan. When not involved in his pastoral duties, former leader Justin Javed will continue to assist as needed, but they are seeking his replacement. Sohail does have a serious heart condition, so we need to make sure he has the support he needs. Please pray for him as he settles into his new role.
Wednesday (29th) – More Contacts Needed:
CLC Thailand needs more contacts and opportunities to hold book tables, in both Thai and English, at events and conferences in Chiang Mai. They are also looking into the possibility of a Bible project if God allows. Please pray for His wisdom and for open doors.
Thursday (30th) – CLC Asia Pacific Conference:
Thank you for praying for our Asian Leaders’ conference held in Chiang Mai, Thailand during September. Our theme was Passion with a Purpose and it was a great time of learning and fellowship for our CLC leaders. Please pray that whatever training (spiritual, publishing, etc.) each leader received will now be applied to their life and ministry. After a lot of necessary meetings, it was a real joy to spend the day exploring Thailand together in fellowship. Here are a few photos from the event.
Friday (1st) – Partnerships:
Publishing meetings were held as a part of the Asian Leaders’ conference (see previous day’s point) and we were very thankful to have representatives from Christian Focus, Riggins International Rights Services and Copenhagen Publishing attending. It is our hope that there will be many projects in the future for CLC in Asia with these partners. Pray that each country will take advantage of these opportunities and that good partnership, and contract prices for each title, will be established. Please pray for God’s guidance on selecting titles and also for collaboration between CLC countries. 18
The Weekend (2nd/3rd) – Publishing:
CLC Philippines recently co-published, with Copenhagen Publishing, two Children’s Bibles. Please pray that many parents and children will buy and appreciate these Bibles and that the stock in our warehouse will soon move out. These Bibles make good gifts to give at Christmas time. Please also pray for the Christian Focus and Riggins titles that we are considering for publication. December 4th - 10th
Week 49: Prayer Requests from CLC Africa Monday (4th) – Benin:
At the time of writing, our CLC Benin team has already been waiting for many months for the arrival of a shipment of books. Please pray that these books would soon arrive and be cleared through customs so that our customers can have a good choice of books to buy and benefit from.
Tuesday (5th) – Benin:
Please continue to pray for the bookshop in Cotonou. Benin is known as the home of the voodoo religion. Please pray for the continued spiritual protection of our workers and for the growth of the ministry. May our bookshop continue to shine the Light of Christ which dispels darkness. (John 1:5).
Wednesday (6th) – Kenya :
The CLC Kenyan team has just received news that it owes a large amount in taxes. Please pray for them as they are in the process of gathering evidence of taxes paid in the previous years to contest this claim. Please pray for the political situation in Kenya which, at the time of writing, is still unresolved following the August General Election and the subsequent legal challenge over the results. Please also pray for funding for new computers desperately needed to improve their service.
Thursday (7th) – Côte d’Ivoire:
We own two apartments in Abidjan, one of which we have been trying to sell for some time to pay off our debts. We may finally have a buyer, so please pray! The tenant in our other apartment has not been faithfully paying their rent, and we have had to take legal action. Please pray for a quick resolution. Thank you!
Friday (8th) – Burkina Faso :
The past months have been challenging, as we have sought to relaunch the ministry in Burkina Faso after a difficult period. We now have a small team of two, Luc and Gérard, and they are working hard to make CLC’s whereabouts known again after a decline in customers due to two major relocations of the bookshop in less than three years. They are thankful for the support and encouragement of the French West Africa Director and the International Office, also for logistical and financial aid from CLC France and other CLC countries. Please pray for our two determined workers, that the LORD will keep them in health and strength, especially as they seek opportunities to do book tables in addition to serving in the shop.
The Weekend (9th/10th) – Burkina Faso:
Please pray especially for an encouraging flow of fresh stock and good sales, so that the ministry can really ‘pick up’ again and fulfil its purpose in Burkina Faso. Also for Luc, that the LORD will give him wisdom as he takes the lead so that all the financial commitments will be met on time for a healthy future. 19
December 11th - 17th
Week 50: Encouraging News from our teams Monday (11th) – Spain:
Praise the Lord for recent news from CLC Spain regarding website sales. Over the space of just 20 minutes, they received website orders for books worth 850 Euros. This is encouraging for the team and it came after significant online orders for both CLC Portugal and CLC Italy earlier in the same week.
Tuesday (5th) – Belarus:
As this year marks 500 years since the publishing of the Belarussian Bible there have been many celebrations held around the country. One such event was held at the ‘Ice Palace’ in Brest, a secular venue which seats around 3,000 people. Nick Vujicic (author of the inspirational book Life Without Limits) was the main speaker and our CLC Belarus team were there with a book table. There was originally some opposition to having a Christian bookshop operating in this venue but praise God that Lina Pinkevich, the CLC National Director, already had all the permissions and paperwork in place for CLC to be there!
Wednesday (6th) – United States:
In September, CLC author Jill Briscoe spoke at this year’s IF: Gathering, a women’s leadership event held in Dallas, Texas. Let’s pray for the group of influential leaders and their ministries and also that the Lord will continue to highlight Jill’s writing to an even larger audience.
Thursday (7th) – Colombia:
Praise God for the Thompson Bible Seminars which were held in Colombia’s La Dorada prison in August. This Bible training was offered to both the prisoners and the Christian leaders working there. May the seeds planted in this challenging environment continue to grow and bear much fruit. Thank you, Lord, for this opportunity!
Friday (8th) – United States:
In September, we had major sales increases in both of stores due to the positive response to our Big Bible Sale. Our Cedarbrook branch more than doubled their Bible sales from the same week one year ago and the Moorestown team had a 70% + increase in Bible sales. What a blessing that so many Bibles are now getting in the hands of people in our communities.
The Weekend (9th/10th) – Bolivia: It was decided earlier this year that CLC Bolivia needed to move their bookshop to a smaller, more economic property in order to
lower their expenses. Praise God that in early September that move took place! Not only has this move helped the team financially, it has also placed them in a new area of the city that is very strategic for their ministry. Thank you, Father, for your continued provision! December 18th - 24th
Week 51: Global Needs & Concerns Monday (18th) – This Christmas Season:
Please remember all our teams around the world this week as they are hopefully very busy in our 20
shops and warehouses making sure that customers are able to get the gifts they need for their loved ones this Christmas. Please pray for good health and stamina. Please also pray that even amidst what seems like complete chaos at times, Jesus’ love and light will shine through to those visiting or passing by our shops. Thank you.
Tuesday (19th) – Korea:
CLC Korea still requires qualified workers who are enthusiastic about CLC’s ministry. Please pray God will help them find the right people. They also require a new forklift truck, which is very expensive. Please pray that they find the funding quickly as it is not a piece of equipment they can go without for long.
Wednesday (20th) – Barbados:
The CLC Barbados team ask for prayer for the funding to fix their roof, which is leaking badly, and for two new computers. Please also pray for our workers, Jeff, Grace, Emmerson and Marion and their families. National Director Wilbert Charles also asks for urgent prayer for his family, especially for his nephew, Kacey. In August, Kacey’s lungs collapsed so he had to be hospitalised. Please pray for his health and his salvation.
Thursday (21st) – Waiting on the Lord: At the time of writing, Amanda Lutes (formerly with CLC in the UK and now back in her home country of Canada) is still awaiting her USA visa to join Gerardo Scalante in the new branch of CLC IO at the CLC USA headquarters. It has now been a year since this process began. Please pray that God’s will is done and that we will soon have an answer!
Experience the delight of loving December all over again and prepare for the celebration of Christ’s birth alongside Spurgeon’s thought-provoking and eloquent insights. In the classic style of Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening, each of the twenty-eight days within contains a brief morning and evening devotional that begins with a Scripture and follows with a selection from Spurgeon’s advent-themed sermons or writings. is all-new compilation includes space for journaling or reeection.
9781629119588
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Friday (22nd) – CLC Publications:
Since we are now publishing in 22 languages around the world, please pray that our teams will select the right titles to meet the needs of their local people. Pray too that the church will be built up by what we publish, and that our books will help people come to know Jesus, be reconciled to God and mature in their faith. Pray also that the Lord will provide needed funds for various countries to grow their publishing departments.
The Weekend (23rd/24th) – Colombia:
Colombia has a very large Catholic community and, in September, Pope Francis visited our country. Many evangelical Christians took this opportunity to give their friends and family, who do not know Jesus, Christ-centred books. Please pray that these books will continue to light the way to them having a personal faith and relationship with Jesus. December 25th - 31st
Week 52: Prayer & Praise from CLC Latin America Monday (25th) – Happy Christmas!
Dear Lord, let our hearts be lifted in praise this season for the wonderful gift of Jesus and the joy He brings to each of our lives. May we each receive the gift of faith, the blessing of hope and the peace of His love this Christmas and always. Please help us all to find time to ‘be still and know that You are Lord’ during this Christmas break and renew us for the year ahead. Amen
Tuesday (26th) – Colombia:
Praise God! While attending the Spanish International Book Fair, Expolit, in Miami during August, CLC Colombia was voted Distributor of the Year! What a blessing for the team to receive recognition for a job well done. Please continue to pray for all the new contacts they made at the event and that they will continue to offer quick and quality service on all their orders.
Wednesday (27th) – Chile:
Please pray for a new worker (or another strategy) for CLC Chile to replace our brother, Roberto Molinet, has been running the mobile ministry in southern Chile. After many years of service, he has made real advances in the community, and we would like our ministry there to continue.
Thursday (28th) – Bolivia:
Please continue to pray that new and loyal customers will find us at our recently relocated bookshop and that we will find better ways to make ourselves known in this neighbourhood. We continue to give all the Glory to God for each new day and opportunity He sends our way.
Friday (29th) – Mexico:
Please pray that God will continue to provide the means for us to fulfil all of our financial obligations. As a young team we are trying to reinvest what we can into the ministry to make it sustainable but, as yet, we must be very careful with our spending and savings. We also ask for God to strengthen our team and help us to reach out to the people of Mexico so that they may develop a more intimate relationship with Jesus through our resources.
The Weekend (30th/31st) – Colombia:
In October, CLC Colombia held their Booksellers’ Conference. At this annual event, the attendees often share that the training from publishers was a real blessing and that the fellowship was extremely encouraging. Many leave the conference renewed to continue fulfilling the mission of extending the Gospel in every region of the country, through the written page. Please pray that all our teams around the world will remain passionate about this purpose in 2018! 22
Books for the
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*These GNB Bibles are only available in the UK. Please visit your nearest CLC branch to learn about the Bibles available from your local Bible Society. 24 24
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CLC Americas Conference: Our New Language by David Almack
It can be very intimidating trying to communicate with another person that does not speak your heart language. Much can be lost in translation, as each person tries to understand the other. It often takes quite a while to fully appreciate all the nuances and idioms that are used by various countries, even when they all speak the same language! This is also true of any organisation that has cultural norms, core values and established ways of doing things. A new person entering our organisation can take a while to get used to the core values. Likewise, when leadership changes the language related to core values, everyone in the organisation may find the change uncomfortable. Historically, CLC’s core values have been Faith, Holiness, Fellowship and Sacrifice and these are not changing. What is changing is the way that we talk about them and how they are applied in a modern context. Accountability, Transparency, Innovation and Sustainability—while these words have long been used in commercial or corporate contexts, they have a spiritual and ministryspecific application for CLC. Accountability is the Fellowship principle in action as we mutually hold each other to the highest standards and allow others to shape us in new ways. Transparency is the Holiness principle in action as we strive to live lives of openness and
honesty with one another and before God. Innovation is the Sacrifice principle in action as we learn to give up old and ineffective ways of doing things and take risks that He calls us to. Sustainability is the Faith principle in action as we trust God to provide all our resources including viable financial structures and passionate leadership to carry the vision forward. In August, CLC leaders from the Americas gathered together in Miami to tackle this difficult ‘new language’ issue. Most of the attendees spoke Spanish as their first language, but nearly one-third were native English speakers. Some were even from the Caribbean, where English is spoken with a variety of beautiful accents. The main topic for discussion was Gerardo Scalante’s (CLC International Director) introduction of four key words into our leadership vocabulary that will help us to make our core values more relevant and practical for the generation we serve today. By the end of the week, things were beginning to be understood and people were starting to speak the same leadership language in both Spanish and English. Everyone commented on how these conversations and the stories that were shared provided much-needed motivation and a renewed passion for the days ahead. Going home, these leaders were looking forward to teaching and sharing these new words with their local teams and seeing how God would use this to spur on the ministry to even greater effectiveness in the years to come. 25
CLC European Conference:
Central Asia, Europe & United Kingdom Meet Together What do you think about CLC’s ‘New Language’, is it important? According to Eva Photiadou, CLC Cyprus’ National Director, it is. Here is what she had to say, “It was very interesting to see how Gary Chamberlin, CLC’s Regional Director for Europe, related Accountability to Fellowship, Sustainability to Faith, Transparency to Holiness and Innovation to Sacrifice. It gave us a more practical aspect to some basic Christian life principles. My husband, Sotos, and I think this new language is a very necessary step and exercise in many, if not all, aspects of our Christian life. Without limiting the Word of God in any way, we are instead adapting it to our present life situations. We should constantly redefine principles or aspects of the truth in a modern language and terminology so that we may better apply them to our lives and work. Doing so gives real meaning and understanding to how God wants us to fully live for Him. Instead of being merely pious or godly persons, whose main focus is living in a small world of our own, we instead begin to look beyond our reality to see the world-changing opportunities God has in store for us.” Do these meetings really make a difference? When asked this question, Neil Wardrope, CLC UK’s Missions Director, shared, “It is hard to overestimate the benefit of these gatherings. We love being together as a CLC family, but we also learn from each other’s experiences. Surprisingly, bookselling is not so different from one country to another, and people’s spiritual needs are universal. “ At this year’s conference, we were challenged to raise our game and become more relevant in today’s technological age. Customers’ buying habits have changed considerably in the last decade, and we looked at ways to meet that challenge with digital marketing and websites while returning to the basics of publishing. We also turned our focus to the needs of the world – the need to share our faith through personal contact and also with our books and also the need to use some of our resources to help parts of the world where Bibles and Christian books are far more expensive. Out of this challenge came the desire to support the Mozambique Bible project to supply 10.000 economically-priced Bibles.” To learn more about this project, go to page 30.
Other Highlights:
Small group discussions were a key part of our sessions. Afterwards, we joined as a whole to share our ideas and what we had learned about each topic.
Each day we were renewed and inspired by God’s Word as it was shared by Ron Perschky. Our theme, ‘But Our Eyes Are on You Lord’, was broad enough that Ron was really able to give new insight into important topics for our leaders. Thank you, Ron and Margery, for being with us and letting the Lord use you both.
Former Hindu priest, Rahil Patel shared how God’s love found him and changed his life! His book, Found by Love, is definitely a must-read! 26
Since we were located in the centre of Budapest, inbetween our sessions, we broke into small groups for meal times and to discover new sights. We made a number of new friendships and renewed old ones this week!
What an inspiration it was to have the CLC Colombia Director, David Pabon, join us near the end of the main conference. He brought to attention some of the very exciting and encouraging things his team are doing to make an impact!
Hearing God’s Word, prayers and music in other languages are one of the most special things that happen during our time together! What an honour to be a part of this global family.
Are you ready to become a Kingdom-style leader at your workplace? Kingdom-style leaders transform culture, bringing alive the Lord’s Prayer: “Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Allow author and coach, Karen Kircher, to help you discover that you are positioned in a full-time ministry, it just happens to occur outside of the church! The majority of today’s missionaries are carefully involved in evangelism in the marketplace. With Karen’s help, you can be, too!
9781910786666
CLC World Reviews: More Recommendations Unbelievable? by Justin Brierley
Review by: Eddie Olliffe, CLC World Reviewer
218pp ISBN: 9780281077984
Justin Brierley is a first-rate presenter of Christian apologetics. This title, ‘Unbelievable?’ reveals the author’s warmth, especially toward those with opposing views. I often skim-read books, but this one I read through very carefully. I commend it to you. Justin’s approachability extends across all religions and into atheism and agnosticism. His ‘Unbelievable?’ programme on Premier Radio has been running for over 10 years. The book brings out some of the editions of the programme and also helps Justin express his faith in these pages. I wish him well. SPCK has published a very good book. It’s one which should be read across all Christian groups and into wider society.
Doubting toward Faith by Bobby Conway Review by: Jean Mintoft, CLC World Reviewer
224pp ISBN: 9780736963541
The author has himself struggled with serious doubts even during his time as pastor and apologist; as such he is well qualified to examine doubt. Doubt is common to all of us, and is normal, even for believers. Doubt can either lead to unbelief or faith. After a couple of chapters of general and sometimes philosophical comments about doubt, which may be hard going for some people, he then outlines many practical steps and questions to enable people who are struggling with doubt to understand the issues and start to resolve them. This is where the value of the book lies. It is highly practical and seeks to lead the doubter from falling into unbelief, instead veering him towards faith.
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Graphic from Daryl?
‘THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING!’ How would you feel if you were asked to pay £160/$200 for a Bible? And no, we
aren’t talking about a fancy, specialised leather Bible, rather the cheapest paperback in the shop. Unthinkable! Yet sadly, this is the reality in Mozambique. Given that the minimum monthly income is around £80/$100 and nearly all the Bibles are imported from Brazil which adds freight and customs costs, even the cheapest Bible is very expensive! In the UK and USA these costs would amount to paying £160/$200 for one paperback Bible. Although we’ve researched many possible solutions, such as subsidising the cost of Bibles, we know through experience that financial aid only lasts for a season. Once it expires, the Bibles once again become unavailable for extended periods. By the grace of God, CLC Mozambique has
devised a new Bible project we hope you will pray for. Joining forces with other CLC International teams, we plan to raise £33,000/$42,000 and purchase a print run of 10,000 Bibles from the Portuguese Bible Society. This amount also includes the cost of transporting the Bibles, the importation process, and some plastic covers to protect the Bibles. By selling each Bible a little above the cost price, yet at a price that many Mozambicans can afford, we will be able to reinvest these funds into another print run. In this way, we hope to ensure that this project will continue to fund itself for years to come.
Will you help us meet this challenge?
With your gift, an ongoing supply of Bibles can be made available for the growing Mozambican church. How wonderful to know you’ve helped to put a Bible in the hands of someone in need with a gift that keeps on giving!
Other ongoing CLC Projects include: • Myanmar’s publication of the first-ever Burmese Study Bible • CLC USA BookLink or Book Aid (UK): Second-hand books sent to countries in need • Support a CLC country (Disaster relief outreach, struggling economy, etc.) 30
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31 25
9781496406071 - Softcover
9781496421616 - Softcover
9781496406071 - Softcover
seek god’s
respond in
experience
STRENGTH.
KINDNESS.
PEACE.
DAILY.
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