Tag Archives: Mission

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Supporting Vision 2025 Through Prayer

There is an African proverb that says, “one arm cannot surround a baobab tree.” Just as it takes a number of people to surround one of these gigantic trees, it will take the prayers of many to reach the last languages with the Word of God.


Wycliffe Bible Translators and its partners around the world are committed to Vision 2025—a desire to see a Bible translation program in progress in every language still needing one by the year 2025. Humanly speaking, this vision seems impossible. But the impossibility of it drives us closer to God, seeking His face, and in prayer, lifting up all aspects of this mission.

In 2002, the executive director of Wycliffe Global Alliance underscored the importance of prayer in the Bible translation task when he stated that “prayer is our greatest strategic response and our greatest resource.” In agreement with his declaration, all Wycliffe organizations renewed their resolve to model and prioritize prayer.

  • Ask God to call great numbers of prayer partners to faithfully support the Bible translation movement.
  • Pray for wisdom and creativity for Wycliffe USA’s Prayer Ministries team as they seek to promote and grow prayer programs, all while keeping costs low. Pray for resilience for staff conducting research to glean current information and prayer needs from around the world.

Below is a list of ways that you can join hands with us in prayer.

Bibleless Peoples Prayer Project

Commit to pray for a Bibleless people group. Today there are more than 2,000 languages still waiting for access to God’s Word in their own language. Through Wycliffe USA’s Bibleless Peoples Prayer Project you can sign up to prayerfully lay the foundation for a translation program to begin in one of these specific people groups.

Intercessor

Learn more about and pray for the worldwide work of Bible translation through the Intercessor, a bimonthly prayer letter produced by Wycliffe USA. It features specific prayer requests that will inform and direct your prayers for major strategic needs facing Wycliffe and its partners. Read it online, download the PDF, or sign up to receive it by mail or email; explore the options here.

The Finish Line

The Finish Line, an annual publication (also available online) lists Bible translation projects around the world that are nearing completion—those that are within three years or less of finishing. This is often when translation teams are faced with significant challenges and sometimes setbacks leading up to the completion of a Bible translation. We know that Satan will do everything he can to stop the spread of God’s Word, but we also know that we are called to rally on the battlefield of prayer. Click here to access the 2011 edition of The Finish Line.

Vision 2025 Prayer 24×7

Consider being part of a global community praying around the clock for Bible translation. Can you imagine an unbroken conversation with God about the work He has given us to do, and keeping that conversation going until Vision 2025 is fulfilled? Vision 2025 Prayer 24×7, a program of Wycliffe Global Alliance, invites churches, prayer groups, and individuals to join together and support Bible translation in prayer, every minute of every day. Sign up for a weekly time slot to pray at https://pray24x7.vision2025.net/.

Pray Today

And of course, invite your friends to this blog to read daily, current prayer requests related to the work of Bible translation! Together, with our prayers encircling the ministry of Bible translation, we know that God will do great things!

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MicroMonthly Program: Help Them To Start Their Business

MicroMonthly is an exciting new opportunity to make a regular investment in the promise and potential of hardworking entrepreneurs – people who can get a traditional loan without collateral or credit history.

How to get involve and become a MicroMonthly donor?

You can click here to choose the FIRST entrepreneur and read the story and business ideas online, then you can help fund their loan for as little as $25 a month. The entrepreneur repays the loan and your original tax-deductible donation gets recycled, then another entrepreneur receives a loan for their own business. Each month, World Vision will connect you with a new entrepreneur and send you updates so you can follow their progress and watch their families thrive and grow.

Help a small business

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On Air, On Camera, and In the Heart

Engaging oral cultures through Scripture media

Today, Bible translators are encouraged to develop a media plan right from the very beginning of a translation project. It’s one way teams are reaching out to oral societies which make up a vast majority of the world’s Bibleless peoples. In many translation programs, Scripture is made accessible to local people in audio and visual forms.

Through SIL International, one of Wycliffe’s primary partners, a variety of ministry personnel can attend vernacular media training and receive certification. “Vernacular” refers to a person’s everyday language—his or her “heart” language. Vernacular media can include stories, song, dance, poetry, chant, or other forms of communication, and use any number of devices for delivery including video, radio, audio players, cell phones, TVs, and the Internet.

  • Pray for insight and wisdom for vernacular media specialists working to accurately analyze the unique characteristics of oral language communities.
  • Pray for direction and discernment as they consider which media options are available and best suited to the community.
  • Pray that these completed media materials will have an impact on the spiritual lives of those who listen and see them.
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BT & Culture Preservation

Cultural identity is strengthened and preserved through Bible translation

Translated Scripture is not the only benefit from a Bible translation program. Language assessment and development, literacy work, and the production of print and audio/visual materials in the local language—all parts of the Bible translation process—provide a number of community benefits.

One benefit is cultural preservation. When an alphabet is created for a minority people group, and their language is developed, speakers of the language have the tools for survival—a way to preserve their culture. Their history can be written and therefore documented. A dictionary and other books can be produced. Their ethnic identity can grow as they gain more confidence interacting with other people groups. And their written language can be recognized by their country’s government and speakers of majority languages.

  • Pray for speakers of the world’s minority languages who do not yet have a writing system. Ask God to call people from these language communities, and those who can partner with them to begin translation projects that lead to changed lives and the ability to preserve their cultures.

Please Take a moment to watch this short video about the preservation of cultures as an effect of Bible translation.

Resource: Wycliffe Pray Today Blog

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A Foundation For Other Ministries

Why is Bible translation important?

The work of Bible translation leads to more than just access to God’s Word in people’s heart languages. It’s the foundational building block for many ministries that follow. God’s Word in local languages is the cornerstone for church-planting efforts, and strengthens existing churches. Once the Book of Luke is translated into a language, the JESUS film can be dubbed into it. Faith Comes by Hearing can record newly translated Scriptures for the audio versions they provide to people groups everywhere. And of course, the language development involved in a Bible translation project leads to an improved quality of life for minority communities—the translation of health materials, teaching literacy, and much more.

So, you’ve heard us talk about the importance of Bible translation, but what about other Great Commission leaders and ministry organizations—what are they saying about it?

“We cannot do what we do in The JESUS Film Project without the work of Bible translation and Wycliffe Bible Translators. People deserve to hear the good news in their heart language. The partnership between The JESUS Film Project, Campus Crusade for Christ International, and Wycliffe is one of the means God is using to accomplish this and thereby help fulfill the Great Commission.”

—Steve Douglass, President, Campus Crusade for Christ International

“We believe that Bible Translation and Vision 2025 are critical to fulfilling the Great Commission ‘to make disciples of all nations (languages).’ We are honored to do audio recordings of all the Bibles that Wycliffe so faithfully translates. We are one of Wycliffe’s and Vision 2025’s greatest supporters, and we urge everyone to join us in supporting Wycliffe in their Vision 2025 with your lives and resources.

—Morgan Jackson, International Director, Faith Comes By Hearing

“God chooses to reveal Himself through His Word. It is crucial to have God’s Word available to every people group, especially in their own language. Therefore, Bible translation, the work of Wycliffe, is of utmost importance in fulfilling the Great Commission, not only to present the Gospel, but also for the discipling of new believers.”

—Rick Hicks, President, Operation Mobilization

“Many people think that cross-cultural church planting is very complicated. It isn’t. It involves essentially just two things: first, live among the people and win their friendship. Second, at the earliest possible moment get them into intimate contact with this book [the Bible].”

–J. Ronald Blue, Adjunct Professor in World Missions and Intercultural Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary

“God is moving in unprecedented ways to reach a lost world as we move into the 21st century. Previously unreached people groups are systematically being engaged with the gospel and restricted nations are being impacted by creative access strategies. One of the most exciting factors in this global mission advance is the vision of Wycliffe Bible Translators to accelerate Bible translation. Innovative strategies are providing the Word of God to more people and in more languages, anchoring them in the truth of the Scripture. With God’s Word, indigenous leadership are equipped to nurture new churches and spread the gospel far beyond the limited witness of missionary personnel. As the Bible becomes more accessible our vision of the Great Commission being fulfilled becomes more of a reality.”

—Jerry Rankin, President, International Mission Board, SBC

“I rejoice in the work that Wycliffe is doing and heartily support Vision 2025. The translation of God’s Word into the heart language of every people group is critical for the accomplishment of the Great Commission.”

—George Murray, President of Columbia International University

  • Praise God for these organizations, their leaders and staff, and the opportunity to work together to reach the least, the last, and the lost for His glory!