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Peter B

Culture Meets Scripture

Culture Meets Scripture – Eight week course

  • by Peter B

  • How can we live in a way that honours God while still respecting our culture?
  • How do we use Scripture to evaluate cultural practices and discern what to do?
  • When cultural practices and values clash with obedience to God, what do we do?
  • When pressures from family/community require us to behave in ways that do not align with Scripture or participate in certain ceremonies we feel uncomfortable with, what choices do we make?
  • How can we make choices that align with Scripture—especially when the costs are great and when cultural beliefs are powerfully ingrained? Can we do this while still being culturally relevant?

Starting in February 2024, the 8-week Culture meets Scripture training programme aims to equip participants with a way of thinking and a tool for digging deeper into cultural practices and ways of living, aligning them with Scripture so that we can make choices that honour God.

The online interactions will happen via the EMDC platform  – to register for the class please sign up via EMDC here.

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How can ChatGPT help in Bible Translation and Scripture Engagement? #2

Artificial Intelligence is not a replacement for Actual Interaction …in other words we still need to talk to real people!
One of the current challenges of ChatGPT and other AI chatbots is that they use their existing experience to create plausible sounding answers that aren’t always accurate. Real people tend to do the same, they may tell you what they think you want to hear or tell you what they think based on their interpretation of your question and upon their existing knowledge and experience. (I’ll comment further in a moment but the next three paragraphs are generated by ChatGPT)
Read More »How can ChatGPT help in Bible Translation and Scripture Engagement? #2

How can ChatGPT help in Bible Translation and Scripture Engagement? #1

Should you let chatGPT translate the bible into languages that it hasn’t been available in before?
No, it can help in various ways but AI is a tool that helps rather than replaces humans. Don’t take my word for it. Here’s how ChatGPT answered the question:

“As an AI language model, I am capable of translating text into different languages, including the Bible. However, it is important to note that the translation of the Bible is a sensitive and complex task that requires a deep understanding of the source text, as well as the culture and linguistic nuances of the target language.

While I can accurately translate words and phrases, I am not equipped to provide the necessary contextual and cultural understanding needed for an accurate and meaningful translation of the Bible. Therefore, it is recommended that any translations of the Bible be done by trained human translators who are well-versed in both the source and target languages, as well as the cultural and historical contexts of the Bible.Read More »How can ChatGPT help in Bible Translation and Scripture Engagement? #1

Creating printed or digital books with Bloom

  • by Peter B

We know that it takes a lot of reading material in a non-dominant language community to make reading worthwhile and give the practice needed to develop true literacy. We help language communities to create these reading materials using Bloom. The Bloom Library holds over 10,500 books that these language communities can download to translate into their own languages. Bloom is software that facilitates translating the book into their own language, recording an audio reading of the book and then publishing the books in various print and digital forms. Bloom Reader is a smartphone app that allows language communities to download the talking books that Bloom creates and it highlights the text as the reader listens to facilitate learning to read.

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Strange places to see scripture – would anywhere be wrong?

  • by Peter B

Since 1883, Abram Lyle & Sons Ltd have been using a picture of a dead lion accompanied by a quote from Judges 14:14 to sell syrup.

This might seem strange to some people but isn’t the only place you might come across unexpected Bible verses. Almost 30 years ago the city of Tagbilaran in the Philippines passed a local law requiring that a Scripture be painted on the back of all tricycles. Even when not officially required, Bible verses appear in a number of unexpected places.

Read More »Strange places to see scripture – would anywhere be wrong?

Designing for users with accessibility needs

  • by Peter B

“most churches don’t intentionally exclude people with disabilities. But because the world is, by default, a poor fit for people with disabilities, the church is also a poor fit, unless we intentionally include people of all abilities.” – Ryan Faulk joniandfriends.org/the-largest-unreached-people-group-youve-never-heard-of

We encourage church and mission leaders to think not only of mission among those with a disability, but to recognize, affirm and facilitate the missional calling of believers with disabilities themselves as part of the Body of Christ. The Cape Town Commitment II-B-4

Sadly we can end up excluding many people, unless we are intentional about doing more to include them. Read More »Designing for users with accessibility needs

Translating the Bible Into Action

Translating the Bible into Action (2nd Edition)

  • by Peter B

Translating the Bible into Action has become a key resource for anyone interested in helping people discover the relevance of the Bible in their lives, especially in terms of newer translations in minority languages. This new edition includes new chapters and updates that take into account new opportunities and changes in technology in the last 10-15 years. Written in an accessible way for use with churches, most chapters can be introduced and explored in an hour or two. The book provides recommendations and links to further articles, many of which are available on https://scripture-engagement.org/ and https://www.ijfm.org/

Read More »Translating the Bible into Action (2nd Edition)

Using QR Codes to share Bibles and resources

Not all promotion of websites and apps is online. One of the great resources distributed at the recent EMDC gathering was a simple key chain from CityBibles. Being a QR code you can even just scan the picture of it above to access their online app which provides scripture resources in over 80 languages. In addition to the Bible their are videos and a kids app. If the language you are looking for isn’t on the site the page quickly points you to YouVersion, Faith Comes By Hearing and Global Recordings Network.

Read More »Using QR Codes to share Bibles and resources

Does your church link to an online Bible?

Does your church help people to find Bibles?

  • by Peter B

Church websites are often quite good at telling people about service times, linking to sermons, and even giving information on how to hire rooms in the building. Sadly, in my experience not many are very good at helping people access the Bible. Perhaps they assume that anyone who can find the church website can also search online and find a Bible.

But perhaps this is a missed opportunity to highlight that the Bible is essential to the church, and that the church leaders actually do want people to read it for themselves.

Read More »Does your church help people to find Bibles?

Catching up on what you missed, or what you meant to read/watch/listen to again

  • by Peter B

In 2020 the global pandemic forced us to cancel our live “EMDC” media distribution consultation, and develop a whole suite of online options providing information, training and community, to workers involved in Bible translation and other forms of service amongst ‘minority language communities’ – speakers of the languages that have been at the end of the queue when it comes to receiving scripture and other resources.

Read More »Catching up on what you missed, or what you meant to read/watch/listen to again

Eight Conditions for Scripture Engagement

Online Scripture Engagement courses

Scripture Engagement: Planning for the Journey 

It’s not enough to translate the Bible. It’s not even enough to distribute the Bible. Our desire is to see real Scripture Engagement: people encountering God’s Word in life-changing ways. A three part series (3 sets of 10 one hour sessions) centred on Wayne Dye’s Eight Conditions for Scripture Engagement (below) will be hosted on EMDC.online early in 2022. These conditions are the ones at the heart of the EMDC.guide and  Scripture Engagement courses taught at university.

Each one hour class will have 20 minutes of discussion. Update: Classes are now finished but stay connected for news of when this runs again!

Read More »Online Scripture Engagement courses