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Practically Speaking – Artificial intelligence

On April 11, 2019 the ERLC (Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission) of the Southern Baptist Convention released its “Artificial Intelligence: An Evangelical Statement of Principles” The statement’s preamble began with these words:

As followers of Christ, we are called to engage the world around us with the unchanging gospel message of hope and reconciliation. Tools like technology are able to aid us in this pursuit. We know they can also be designed and used in ways that dishonor God and devalue our fellow image-bearers. Evangelical Christians hold fast to the inerrant and infallible Word of God, which states that every human being is made in God’s image and thus has infinite value and worth in the eyes of their Creator. This message dictates how we view God, ourselves, and the tools that God has given us the ability to create.

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The Advent of Oral Bible Translation

  • by FCBH
A man uses Render during an Oral Bible Translation project in Mexico.

‍The mission of Faith Comes By Hearing revolves around making God’s Word accessible to everyone. This commitment drives them to tirelessly expand the reach of Scripture’s life-saving message. They achieve this by producing Audio Bibles in various languages and making them freely available.

Research shows that seventy percent of the global population primarily learns through listening. This majority, particularly in oral cultures without written systems, grasps the essence of the Bible most effectively when they hear it spoken aloud. As a result, in these oral communities, faith is nurtured and propagated through the act of hearing.

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Choosing Relevant Scriptures

Different people, in different circumstances, will be able to identify more with certain characters and passages of the Bible than others. In this article, Rick Brown suggests that the first portions of Scripture to be translated should be chosen according to their relevance, appeal and challenge to the expected audience. He outlines different audiences (women, pastoral people, traditional settled people, and people residing in the 10/40 window) and appropriate Scriptures for them, and lists some biblical themes that challenge the worldview of many audiences today.

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Exploring the Intersection of Faith and Technology : Bible in Digital Media Online Event

As any EMDC’er knows, the problem of bringing the Bible to the multimedia digital cultures where we now spend more and more of our time is increasingly critical for the Church.

Bible Society is excited to announce an upcoming online event, scheduled for Thursday, September 7 at 7:00 pm UK time, that promises to be a convergence of minds and ideas – a platform for digital theologians, church leaders and pioneers to come together and discuss the vital endeavour of culturally translating the Bible for every digital culture.

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Sunday School Curriculum by Good News Media

Sunday School Curriculum

Good News Media developed this Sunday School curriculum based on GRN’s Look, Listen & Live series. This is a series of eight Sunday School leaders’ guide books, with 24 complete Sunday School lessons for children between the ages of 7-12. The leader’s guide books complement the Look, Listen & Live picture books. To order, contact GRN Southern Africa. Or you can download the books in PDF format for free.

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Outcome Harvesting research in Tanzania

Using ‘Outcome Harvesting’ methodology, SIL Tanzania is researching how communities have been impacted by Bible translation (in particular the publication of the New Testament in print and audio form) and related materials and activities (in particular Scripture engagement materials and activities), in local languages.

The research began this year in the Malila language area, in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. We spent time visiting the community and listening to stories of change (whether that be a pastor starting to use the Malila Scriptures in church or someone being saved through hearing the audio Scriptures or people valuing their language more and having the courage to use it in public, etc.). We then spent time looking at these ‘Outcome Statements’, both as a research team and with representatives from the local community, to see what we could learn from them for ongoing ministry in the area and beyond.

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The Story of Proclaimer

  • by FCBH

An Answer to Prayer: The Proclaimer

‍From dial-up to high-speed internet, the world around us constantly transforms as innovations arise. At Faith Comes By Hearing (FCBH), this need for constant innovation is ever present. More than twenty years ago, Faith Comes By Hearing dedicated the ministry to share Audio Bibles on cassette tapes. But the world began to change, and new ideas were needed.

In 2000, FCBH found that cassette tapes were not practical for the millions of people around the world without electricity. Faith Comes By Hearing saw a need for a new, solar-powered player restricting no one from God’s Word in audio. This new machine would have to be a dedicated playback unit—it would play God’s Word and nothing else. But while this new gadget seemed incredible on paper, the ministry struggled with how to produce such a complex device.

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Participatory Bible Study Methods, One Door to More Engagement

By the Participatory Approach Support Team, LEAD Asia-Pacific 

When Bible Study Practices Don’t Produce What We’re Hoping They Will Produce

While our specific areas of ministry may differ, we all want to create environments for those we serve that help make studying the Bible active, engaging, creative, meaningful, and accessible! We long for spiritual transformation and empowerment in their lives, but this sometimes requires taking a closer look at the way things have always been done and what may truly help others to know God more intimately.

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Translation Technology: Accelerating the Spread of God’s Word

  • by EMDC

Technology Images - Free Download on Freepik

Technology can be a polarizing word. The idea of artificial intelligence or robots can seem exciting to some of us but scary to others. But did you know that technology is playing a critical role in building God’s Kingdom?

Andrew Flemming, vice president of global partnerships engagement for Wycliffe said,

These tools include things like: Starlink satellites, which provide stable internet; Render, which records oral Bible translations; and Chameleon, which enables the Bible to be translated into sign language in persecuted areas.

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