In the winter months, you wonder...

MP3 Bibles for the Troops

There are many different ways to bring the Bible to the world. One way is the written word, but as our own experience shows, MP3s can be an excellent way to spread the gospel. One church in Missouri is sending MP3 bibles to the troops as a way to encourage and minister to them.

A BibleStick is a digital audio player, the size of a stick of chewing gum, that is pre-loaded with a dramatized recording of the entire New Testament.

“It costs $25 to put one BibleStick into the hands of one of our soldiers,” said John Mehrens, minister of the Granby church. “People in our church started using BibleSticks years ago.”

The church learned about audio Bible technology through Faith Comes By Hearing, a ministry which sprang from a volunteer Bible-listening campaign in New Mexico and has its headquarters in Albuquerque.

The Chilean Miners had the Bible with them

If you've been watching the news, you know the story of the Chilean miners who were trapped under the earth after a cave-in. They were pulled out this past week, and freed after months in a deep dark hole. But what you may NOT have heard is how important the Bible and Bible preachers were to them. The work of evangelical Christian pastors was key to their maintaining morale in the many weeks trapped in the darkness.

Marcelo Leiva, pastor of Vallenar Baptist Church, was called in to provide spiritual counseling at Camp Esperanza (Hope), where the families had gathered and where communication with the miners was ongoing.

Leiva was permitted to speak through a telephone to Henriquez, to pray for him and encourage him, and the pastor sent letters of encouragement down to the trapped men. He also shared the Gospel with their families, and one of the miners' wives accepted Jesus as Savior.

Also as he mingled around Camp Hope, Leiva witnessed to Chilean policemen and foreign press who had convened at the site, including a Japanese reporter.

Spy Photos: "Service Project: Backpacks for Congo"

Presidential Prayer Team

Have you ever wondered what you can do to help out your country, even though you are still young and getting education for your future? You have read many verses this year about the power of prayer, but have you considered actually putting it into practice? Consider the Presidential Prayer team. This group, founded during George W. Bush's presidency, is dedicated to finding men and women of God willing to put aside time every day to pray for the President of the United States, no matter what his (or eventually her) party may be.

Some don't agree with all of the views of the current president, but he still needs prayer for wisdom to face the many challenges facing him: North Korea, Iran, Honduras, the economy, etc. Consider becoming a prayer warrior here for your nation.

One Million Meals

While thumbing thru the Challenge Blog for Nationals, I came across this interesting ministry that they are planning to champion.

All students (attending Challenge or not) are being asked to give up discretionary funds to buy a million meals - the money they spend on pizza, McDonalds, etc that they and their friends could sacrifice and forgo for a week or a month. 30 cents for one meal, it doesn't take a lot of change to make a difference.

We will partner with EFCA TouchGlobal to distribute the meals through the Evangelical Free Church of Congo - in order to feed starving people both physically and spiritually in Jesus name.

During the afternoons of Challenge, one of the ministry options for groups to do together will be to package meals for an hour or two. With all the students and groups attending Challenge, we have the potential of packaging a million meals.

It is certainly an interesting idea and a laudable goal if it can be achieved. Consider if you may want to take part in this effort while you are out there at Nationals.