The world has truly come to our doorstep. Whether we live in North America, Europe, Australia, or any other country, we likely eat Italian pizzas, Indian curries and Japanese sushi. We shop at late-night corner stores run by hard-working, Middle-Eastern families. And, many of us work for or interact daily with businesses created by highly talented people who come from all corners of the globe.
Author: Staff Writer
A prayer and a book for the neighborhood
We were very encouraged when we opened a prayer letter from a missionary family and read the following testimony. We asked for permission to share it and our friends said to go ahead! So here it is:
Even though we adults in the house are not as thrilled by the things that surround Christmas, we’re beginning to see some opportunities that come with Christmas that do excite us! We’ve recently had it on our hearts to share about Jesus’ coming to the people closest to us—our neighbors. On a walk around the block, God gave us an idea to pray through our neighborhood and distribute a great little book called What are Christmas and Easter All About? published by GoodSeed. This is a quality, 80-page book that thoroughly explains the Gospel in a way that is easy to understand. We’ve also given these books out to about 100 international students last week at a Christmas banquet. If you’re interested in getting some to use for yourself, check out the GoodSeed website at goodseed.com. If you order them by the case (100 copies) you can get them for $1 each—almost the price of a tract!
Thanks to our friends for letting us share their story. We pray that everyone who received a copy of the book will read and understand the life-saving message of the gospel.
Which book do I use?
We get a number of questions from people each week asking us how to use our tools. We want to share some of the most helpful questions and answers with you.
Hi GoodSeed,
I am beginning a work with a group of First Nations people. Some in this group have expressed interest in doing a study about the Bible. I am going to use either The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus or By This Name but am undecided as to which would be more effective.
The audience will be mixed in age with some Catholic background, but also with some animistic background. I am leaning to using By This Name because of this background and because of the “religious” influence that may be lingering over their beliefs. What do you think? Any feedback is appreciated.
Raymond*
You have to teach me
Since they were young, Emily and Seana* were very close friends. Emily experimented with the occult and led Seana into it as well. Emily invented a whole world for the two of them and taught Seana how to conduct seances and use a ouija board. Both of them did not know how getting involved with witchcraft could damage their lives.
Central Asia teams assemble at great risk
GoodSeed Translation Coordinators report that teams are assembling in Central Asia for translating Bible resources into their own languages. A studio and talent have become available to record the audio books once the translations are completed. A network of workers is already in place and GoodSeed has been invited to conduct seminars for these workers, to introduce them to the tools and how to use them. Clearly the Lord has assembled many crucial members to these teams.
Continue reading “Central Asia teams assemble at great risk”
Reflections from the U.K.
Last month a team of seven GoodSeed staff completed a 19-day ministry trip to the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was a field test, or soft launch of sorts, introducing Worldview Rethink. (What exactly is Worldview Rethink? Here’s a short video (4 mins) explaining it:
Jesus who?
“Teacher, you swore!” Mrs. Barclay had just begun to read the Christmas Nativity to her third-grade class when Lisa, a bright little girl in the front row interrupted. It took a moment before she realized Lisa had never heard ‘Jesus Christ’ as anything but profanity.
(Fast-forward ten years…)
Now a college sophomore driving home for Christmas, Lisa squints through the windshield at a billboard protruding from a field. Silently the sign’s letters form on her lips as it whips by… “Jesus.”
Give the gospel. Then what?
For the past few Christmases, many people have taken the opportunity to share the Gospel by giving friends, neighbours and co-workers copies of What are Christmas and Easter All About? Using “Easy-English,” this fully-illustrated booklet has been a real help in explaining the core message of the Bible to people with absolutely no Bible background.
Praise God for some of the stories we’ve heard of people who have believed the Gospel simply by reading this booklet. One family received it as a gift at a Christmas concert and it had a huge impact on them! (Read more about their story.)
Christmas can be weird!
“Christmas time can be weird! What other time of year do you sit in front of a dead tree in the living room and eat nuts and sweets out of your socks?” ~Unknown.(1)
How did all the holiday weirdness begin? Some point to the ancient Druids and their mysterious winter solstice rituals. Others insist it was the Romans who first decorated with evergreen boughs. There’s also debate between the Scandinavians and the Germans as to who first brought a mid-winter fir tree indoors. One legend tells of Martin Luther who on a snow-covered Christmas Eve around the year 1500, decorated a fir tree with candles and read the Christmas Story aloud to his children.
The book that dropped
Sam* and Nick* are brothers. Sam is a believer but Nick was ardently opposed to talking about religion. Because Sam loved his brother, he never stopped trying to give Nick the gospel. When Sam came across By This Name, he was excited and got a copy for Nick and urged his brother to read it. Nick took the book but put it aside.
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