In 2008, Open Doors delivered 64,886 Youth (New Testament) Bibles, 35,114short of the goal of 100,000. Slated for distribution before the start of theBeijing Summer Olympics, our deliveries were set back by unusually strict security measures introduced months before the Games began. Then we encountered an unexpected paper shortage at the printers. After China left the world’s center stage, distribution went into full swing.
Terry*, OD-Asia team member overseeing the Youth Bible project, recently travelled with Johnny Li, minister-at-large, to visit some of the churches that were on the distribution list. The objective: to see if all the shipments had arrived safely; to find out if the Youth Bibles had reached the hands of the youth for which they were designed; and to garner some initial feedback on this brand new offering.
“We distributed the Youth Bible to almost every city where we have contact with house church networks that have youth groups,” Terry reported. “The smaller networks were allotted some 200-300 copies while larger ones might have received 800 or more. It is not enough but we had to divide it in such a way that some Bibles would reach every church known to us.”
Even though the balance of 35,114 Youth Bibles was distributed in the first quarter of 2009, the supply of 100,000 copies is just like pouring a bucket of water onto the Sahara Desert.
One of the recipients of the Youth Bible is Jack*, a Three-Self pastor whose youth group range from 18-30 years in age. Jack had attended Open Doors’ cross-cultural youth summer camp in July 2008 where all the participants from China were among the first ones to receive the newly printed Youth Bible.
When Johnny asked him what he thought of the Youth Bible, Jack replied, “I like it, especially for the sub-topics and because it doesn’t use the traditional Union Version translation. It is different from what I usually read and it is special in that it has a contemporary layout that makes it unlike a conventional Bible. “I think the information [in it] is precious and gives a different flavor from the [widely accepted and used] Union Version because it uses a modern Chinese translation. We use its information for Bible study. The youth feel it is excellent for new believers. Several visiting brothers [from outsideChina] who saw it asked where they could buy it because they too, need it.”
In another city in central China, Johnny encountered six students aged 20-25 years who attended an unregistered music school run by a Christian couple. Speaking to 23-year-old Mary-Ann*, Johnny asked how the group obtained their copy of the Youth Bible and what were her impressions of it. “I picked up a copy when I attended a conference outside China in May 2008, and read it after I returned home. This book has many short articles, pictures and cartoons to keep us interested. I like looking at pictures, so I looked closely at every single one. [To me] there is a good balance between the text and pictures.
“I’ve read the whole Youth Bible. I think this book is like God telling me a love story. I especially like the short columns titled ‘Girl Talk’ which provides tips on how to handle relationship issues such as ’10 Ways to Prepare Yourself Psychologically before a Date,’ and columns like ’10 Principles on How to Express Your Love to Your Parents’ are not stuff that we already know. So this [Youth Bible] is right for us.”
Another student, Amy, found the Youth Bible very attractive. “I wanted to get a copy of it the first time I set eyes on just the cover. When I heard about the contents, I wanted it even more. Chinese youth need this book. We don’t know how to express our feelings. [Like the example Mary-Ann gave] the book teaches us how to say thanks to our parents. I don’t think we’ve ever done that.”
In another eastern city, Terry and Johnny visited a Christian dentist in his clinic. Dr Wing* places overseas Christian literature in his waiting room for his patients to read while they wait their turn. The nurse reports that the books are often stolen, but the dentist has instructed her to let it happen. “The Youth Bible is the most popular item to be stolen and must be re-stocked regularly,” lamented Dr. Wing with a cheeky grin.
Real Life Testimonies
From an eastern city where house churches thrive but tend to be conservative doctrinally, another Open Doors team member was given some written feedback from the youth group she recently visited. Hudson* wrote: “When I got a copy of this book, I wondered what sort of book it was. There were all kinds of writings on the cover which made it difficult for one to figure out what the book was about. I finally realized it was a New Testament Bible when I saw the table of contents. I could already tell that this Bible was unlike any other Bible.
“After reading it, my knowledge of the New Testament increased. Thank God that I also discovered answers to the questions that are found on the cover. This book is very good as the text is broken up into short passages. For example, in the Gospel of Matthew there is a section on how I can become a citizen of heaven. Further on in the Gospel of Mark, Luke and others, we can also find interesting topics. I got the greatest benefit from the maps; many Bibles do not contain the details that I have found in this book. I can easily refer to the maps as I read the text.
This book has another excellent feature – the outline and main points of each book of the Bible are provided, thus helping the reader to gain a better understanding. “I feel that this book is very useful for new believers as it can easily help them to have a basic understanding of the Bible. It can also be used for sharing the Gospel because it is designed in such a way that it can attract those who like to read such literature and draw them to read the Bible and introduce them to the Good News.
“Finally, I hope there will be more volumes in this Bible series. It’s really very good.”
When Patsy,* a Grade 6 student, first saw the Youth Bible, she wondered if it would be able to hold her interest until the very last page. It did and she found that it contained a lot of information she didn’t expect to find and provided answers to many simple questions she had.
The Sunday school student shared: “In Mark, what attracted my attention were the sections on “Taking aCloser Look at the Daily Work Routine of the Most Outstanding Leader on Earth.” It helped me see the connection through all the chapters and I realized that reading the Bible wasn’t such a difficult thing to do after all.
In Luke, the reader is posed the question: “Was Jesus really a historical figure?” It was a question we can’t take lightly and I really wanted to find out the truth, so I kept on reading. As I read the Gospel of John, I felt likeI was meeting God, while the Book of Acts told us that we must spread the Gospel to others.
“This book doesn’t just contain Bible stories, it also presents the real life experiences of other people which I hadn’t gone through myself. Their experiences contain a lot of wisdom. There is also historical background information which I have not previously learned in Sunday school or other church meetings and it created in me a desire to keep on reading. In each of our lives, we will face emotional as well as physical attacks such as loneliness, bondage, suspicions, and hostility. Ways on how we can solve such issues are mentioned in this book. They are so practical and have helped me greatly.”
Burt* admitted that even though he knew that knowing Jesus is the greatest blessing in his life, he hardly spent time reading the Bible and getting to know God more intimately. But the Youth Bible has changed that and he now “thirsts for God’s Word” and because of that, he believes that it won’t be too long before God will transform him through His Word. He was also challenged to think about heaven.
“Heaven is not something for the future, but for the present because storing up treasures in heaven isn’t something I can do later, is it? For instance, if you see a person without a place to live, you can receive him into your home, feed him and clothe him. It shouldn’t matter what sort of person he is; all you need to do is just to open your heart and receive him – the more good you do, the more treasure you’ll store up in heaven. This is the amazing lesson I learned from the Youth Bible.”
For Chuck*, the Youth Bible combines today’s reality with the stories from Jesus’ time, enabling us to be better disciples and live as a new creation in Christ. For him, Philippians 3:13b-14 - “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” – became significant.
He wrote: “Whenever any evil person met the all-powerful Jesus, his sins would be pardoned and his life would be transformed. This transformation is (like) running towards the finishing line, towards the Lord. Gradually, we will draw nearer and nearer to the Lord.”
Surprise Response
The biggest surprise for Terry came from the pastors of some house church networks. “When we were in the initial research stage and later the process of testing the trial version of the Youth Bible on the target group, many church leaders we approached were rather negative about it.
“They didn’t think a new contemporary translation of the Chinese Bible would be accepted by the church. The Chinese Union Version has thus far been akin to the authorized version in use by the church in China. To use any other translation would still be considered heretical in some networks.
“But we believed that God wanted us to produce this Bible for the young people and decided
that we would distribute it to those who were open to it. Imagine our surprise when even pastors from conservative churches now request copies for their youth groups.This turnaround is truly the work of God.”
Thus, as the word gets passed around inside China on the availability of a Youth Bible that is so contemporary it doesn’t look like a Bible, Open Doors receives more requests than we can supply. Pray with us that God will enable us to produce the volume that is needed this year.
Pray that as China’s young people get hold of their copies, God’s Word will become more meaningful to them and transform them to be more like Jesus, becoming a generation that God can use to permeate every level of society with His presence and fragrance.
(*Names marked with an asterisk are pseudonyms.)
