Latest News #250 – New Zealand
July 2, 2003

New Zealand’s Bible Sunday aims to change lives

Photo: The poster being used by the Bible Society in New Zealand to advertise National Bible Sunday in July 2003. Wellington, New Zealand. Photo: BSNZ (NEZ03DJ-9.JPG)
The poster being used by the Bible Society in New Zealand to advertise National Bible Sunday in July 2003. Wellington, New Zealand. Photo: BSNZ (NEZ03DJ-9.JPG)
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — “Contents could be life-changing” warns in both English and Maori the poster advertising New Zealand’s National Bible Sunday 2003. This event, due to take place on Sunday 20th July, or Saturday 19th July for Seventh-day Adventist churches, aims to promote the life-changing power of the Bible.

The Bible Society in New Zealand has sponsored an annual National Bible Sunday since the 1980s and regards this event as an integral part of its mission to encourage more people to read the Bible and put its principles into practice and to make the Bible available to people who do not have easy access to it. Over the years, Bible Sunday has gained widespread support among churches of several different denominations and has sparked off many innovative initiatives for raising the profile of the Bible.

The theme for last year’s Bible Sunday, You Say That You’re Following Jesus?, was designed to “challenge Christians to let Scripture shape their thoughts and lifestyles”, according to Chief Executive Colin Reed (see World Report 373/19). This year, the Bible Society is seeking to show, through activities undertaken by local churches, how the Bible can change people’s lives through bringing them to faith in Christ or strengthening their existing faith.

This theme is reflected in the resources contained in a special kit being made available to the churches by the Bible Society. They include ideas for a special Bible Sunday service, a drama entitled Changed!, sermon and Bible study notes, prayer prompts, testimonies and a factsheet about the availability of the Bible in other parts of the world. Volunteer Bible Society representatives in individual churches will play a key role in staging Bible Sunday events, and they are being encouraged to consider initiatives such as making a display of Bibles, holding a Bible quiz and inviting a speaker from the Bible Society to visit.

A separate media kit has attracted considerable attention from both the Christian and the secular media, and this year Mr Reed is to be interviewed about Bible Sunday by Christian channel ShineTV. (349 words - NEWZEALAND.02.07.03)
For further information please contact Andrew Mathewson, UBS Editor.
Alternatively, write to:

Andrew Mathewson
UBS Editor,
UBS World Service Center
Reading Bridge House, 7th Floor
Reading
RG1 8PJ
England
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