Banquets provide opportunities galore to get involved with Bible translation

USA (MNN) — Bible translation is making headway across the globe, but a great deal is yet to be done. "I believe the number is 2,252 languages that have not one word of Scripture in their mother tongue," explains Don Skekel.

Skekel is with Wycliffe Associates, a ministry that mobilizes people to aid in Bible translation, wherever their skill sets may lie. Wycliffe Associates has been known to send builders, teachers, technology whizzes and many more into the field to help ease the burden of Bible translators, enabling them to focus their full energies on translating God's Word.

The sad fact is, translation could be going quicker if more people were willing to get involved. "The greatest threat to Bible translation in general, in my opinion, is either complacency, or an inability to get the word out," says Skekel.

Wycliffe Associates can try to reduce complacency by urging the importance of Bible translation, but there is only so much a ministry can do to change hearts. The ministry can, however, do a great deal to get the word out, eliminating one obstacle in the way of translation work.

Every year Wycliffe Associates holds hundreds of banquets across the United States to bring light to the needs within Bible translation. Over a span of five weeks, the ministry will have hosted 145 banquets from the Pacific to the Atlantic. The series of banquets began last week and will finish up on November 19.

"The purpose [of the banquets] is to let people know that there are opportunities that they have, [that] they can take advantage of, to be part of the Bible translation process," says Skekel.

Opportunities include various mission trips to take care of missionary children, assist in building projects and more, but they also include supporting Wycliffe financially or through prayer. There is a way for every believer to get involved with bringing God's Word to the nations. The best way to learn about the opportunities available is to go to a banquet and see for yourself.

Join Wycliffe Associates for a meal, an inspiring speaker, and an opportunity to learn more about how you can best follow Christ's Great Commission by getting involved in Scripture translation worldwide. To see if a banquet will be held near you, click here or call 1-800-THEWORD. Don't delay on this, though, or you could miss it. Registration details can be found at this same link or toll free number.