London church gives above and beyond
By Easter 2006 the New Testament in the Digo language of Kenya should be typeset and ready for printing. There are 300,000 Digos living in Kenya and Tanzania, but no more than 300 Christians. Since over 99.9% of Digos follow another religion, probably very few of them would pay £5 for a New Testament. Most copies will be sold to churches and Christian leaders.
The Mission Action Group at Christ Church, Cockfosters, North London came up with the idea of a sponsored read to raise funds for the printing. Individuals, home groups and the youth group pledged £5 towards the cost of one copy and promised to read an entire book of the New Testament themselves.
“I thought our target of £2,000 was too high for a church of 400 members,” says MAG Treasurer, Rod Walker, “but we raised £3405! I was extremely humbled to see how God blessed the event: we raised a good amount towards the printing, people gained a lot from reading a complete book rather than a short passage; and so many young people took part. Books came to life. Passages they had read over and over again revealed something fresh.”
It is surprising how much we can do together, and how much more God can do (Ephesians 3:20). A single church, however big or small, can make a significant impact to a project and be stimulated and encouraged.
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