Chad (MNN) — Near the geographical heart of Africa, Chad is home to roughly 17 million people. Over eight million of them don’t have God’s Word in their language or a strong Christian presence in their midst.
Church-planting Bible translators are making progress in this context. unfoldingWord partners with indigenous church planting networks to reach Chad’s unreached people groups. More about that here.
“Somewhere between 50 and 70 groups have yet to receive the Gospel. It’s a little hard to [determine] because you have nomadic tribes” scattered throughout the country, a believer we’ll call Arne* says.
“The Open Bible Stories workshop method is proving to be very effective [in] engaging these communities. It’s very well-received because little material exists in their [languages].”
Arne oversees the Chadian Arabic Gateway Language project for unfoldingWord. He says Chadian Christians want their neighbors to know Jesus, and they’re setting aside traditional restrictions to reach a common goal.
“There is a coalition of churches in various denominations partnering together, putting aside their differences for the good of reaching the unreached people groups in Chad,” Arne says.
“The coalition intends to reach these primarily Muslim groups, make disciples, and [plant] churches.”
unfoldingWord equips believers in this coalition with the resources and training needed to do Church-Centric Bible Translation. “We’re partnering in the translation side because they (unreached people groups) need to hear [the Gospel] in the mother tongue,” Arne says.
(Graphic courtesy of unfoldingWord)
Ask the Lord to protect believers as they bring Open Bible Stories to unreached people groups. Community testing can be dangerous, but it’s also full of Gospel opportunities. Read about the occult king who met the King of Kings.
“The translation workshops have had an eternal impact on the participants,” Arne says.
“Two communities asked the missionaries to return with more teaching about Jesus.”
You can support this project here, but hurry! The remaining need is only $20,000; a matching grant ends soon.
“It [costs] approximately $350,000 to take eight languages, for example, through the 50 Open Bible Stories, and that’s just the workshops,” Arne says.
“Funding is required for infrastructure to facilitate the ministry, moving people back and forth, and ensuring [basic needs are met.] We look to external funding sources; we also encourage and work with the local churches to provide funding as they can. It’s a blended approach.”
*Pseudonym
Header and story images courtesy of unfoldingWord.
