The Bible Story Family

              Ray and Sharon Pope dedicated their lives to mission work in Uruguay. A portion of the work included a camp, begun in 1967. When Popes retired it became too hard for other missionaries to provide upkeep and manage the property. For several years it sat unused and vandalized until the Pope Children Foundation purchased it in 2016.   Clean up and maintenance took a couple more years. In the first year camping resumed, Ray named the camp Ebenezer, meaning, “Thus far the Lord has helped us” (I Samuel 7:12).             The Pope Children Foundation has a board consisting of members of Farmington Baptist Church in Minnesota as well as a board of local pastors in Uruguay. Before his death in 2022, Ray helped raise thousands of dollars for the project. The Pope children continue to be involved in both fundraising and hands-on physical labor. Steve and his family have been in Uruguay this December. Deborah and Patty, along with several of their children will be traveling there

  CHRISTMAS QUIZ FROM THE BIBLE STORY FAMILY 1.       What are the traditional names given to the three wise men? Balthazar, Melchoir and Kaspar 2.       What is decorating with holly thought to represent at Christmas? The crown of thorns with drops of blood. 3.       How many years are Christmas trees usually grown before they are sold? Fifteen. 4.       Why were Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem when Jesus was born? The census called for people to return to their home town to be counted. 5.       What is the best-selling Christmas song? Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.” 6.       How long did it take Handel to write the “Messiah?” 24 days. 7.       What instrument was used the first time Mohr and Gruber sang their new song “Silent Night?” Guitar 8.       Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” was published December 19, 1843. How soon was the first edition sold out? By Christmas Eve, five days later. 9.       What do children in Argentina leave out on Christmas Eve instead

  More than twenty years ago I taught a class on Writing in Christian Service at Grace Bible Institute in Pennsylvania. Just recently I was contacted by a young man who took that class as a teenager and is now using what he learned with Athletes in Action—Canada. His note was a great encouragement. Helmut Hensel serves as Director of Staff Partner Development with Athletes in Action—Canada. The writing comes in the form of coaching individual staff and advising them on fund raising as well as health and well-being. “I view our ministry as journeying with someone across their entire athletic career,” writes Helmut. Through early childhood camps and weekly sports clubs to varsity athletes in universities and professional or Olympic athletes, AIA walks alongside, discipling, and encouraging them in the faith. They also work with CRU Global, coordinating efforts to support international partners in Latin America, East Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. “Nothing gets me more excited t

  The latest estimates place worldwide illiteracy at about fourteen percent for those fifteen and over. How can the Gospel be communicated to people who can neither read nor write? It needs to be communicated orally and visually. Jon Melin and his company BY DESIGN VISUALS have dedicated themselves to that task by using a familiar, but often neglected tool—Flannelgraph. Don’t think of the flannelgraph you remember from Sunday School, however. Melin doesn’t use stock figures to represent multiple biblical characters. No one will ever confuse Noah and Moses in the materials prepared by his talented artist Ron Ferris. Each character is carefully crafted with authentic skin tones, period costume and appropriate facial expressions. Jon considers his mentor to be Dorothy North, the originator of “The God Story Project,” which has produced an eighty-minute overview of Scripture in four hundred world languages. He is a Master Trainer in her Simply the Story project as well. One outreac