The Bible in Brazil - # 249

2 The Bible in Brazil

PROFILE

Renata Bazone Teixeira, successful on the athletics tracks, the para-athlete fulfills her dream of having a Bible in Braille.

With severely impaired sight, Renata Bazone Teixeira, a sprinter from the State of Espírito Santo, has been an example of determination. The para-athlete is very successful in her sport, having won the silver medal on the 1,500 meters event for women at the Parapan Am Games of Toronto, Canada, in August 2015, and is one of the Brazilian hopes for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Now Renata is facing a new challenge: to learn the Braille method in order to realize her dream of reading the Holy Bible.

Suffering from a genetic disease that made her progressively lose her sight when

she was 12 years old, Renata faced the difficulties of adapting to the condition of a person with visual impairment. In order to cope with it, she took up sport and began to attend church, which sparked her interest in Bible reading. "I made the decision to learn Braille so that I could read the Bible, and have my own understanding of it," she explains.

The desire to own a Bible in Braille, expressed in a TV report, caught the attention of "Praia da Costa" Mission Church that provided her with the full Bible, consisting of 38 volumes, published by Bible Society of Brazil (SBB). "We decided to buy a beautiful Luxury Edition," tells Pastor Simonton Araújo, founder and leader of the Church.

The Bible was delivered during a service, last June, for which she was invited. "It was a great surprise when she was called to receive the Bible," recalls the Pastor. According to him, this fact made the Church pay attention to the visually impaired, which many times are left aside by society.

For SBB, 'Praia da Costa' Mission Church's initiative is worthy of praise: "When they heard that Renata's dream was to have a Bible in Braille, they made every possible effort to acquire it, thus contributing to her inclusion in society, sense of belonging to a community and cultural development," says Acyr de Gerone Junior, SBB's Regional Secretary in Rio de Janeiro.

Even considering that learning the Braille method is more difficult than winning in a race track, Renata is very excited. "This is a challenge. The day I manage to do it, I will give myself a medal and say: 'I did it!'," she jokes.

PURSUING A SPECIAL MEDAL

The Bible in Brazil 3

In the midst of a violent civil war, Syrian Bible Society remains active and fighting to make sure that God's Word brings peace and heals the wounds of the country.

The hope offered by the Gospel has been a great tool for the Syrian Bible Society (SBS) in its work for the Bible Cause. The country, located in the Middle East, faces a civil war since 2011, which has devastated cities and has already killed more than 240,000 people, causing one of the largest humanitarian crises in history. While large part of the population flees searching better living conditions, SBS strives to carry on its work of spreading the Good News, despite all the suffering. "We need to be as mobile as our country's population," says George Elias Andrea, the organization's Director.

Although he thanks God for keeping SBS' staff out of harm's way during these turbulent times, Andrea makes a prayer request for Syria to find peace and flourish again as a nation with the presence and the love of Jesus.

"Only the Gospel is capable of providing hope at the moment, and, therefore, we continue to spread the Word of God to adults, young people and children," says the Director. The presence of a Bible House in Syria coincides with the beginning of the Bible work, in early 19th Century, when the country was part of the Ottoman Empire. In modern times, a Bible House was opened in the capital Damascus, in 1947, and another one in Aleppo, in 1964.

SBS' headquarters is still in Aleppo, a city that has been besieged for three years.

The Bibles distributed by SBS are printed locally in Arabic and Armenian, and both languages are taught in schools.

Another major challenge faced by SBS is distributing the Bible in a country with a Muslim majority population (87%). Christians are only 10% of the approximately 22 million inhabitants. "The war has made it very difficult to reach people. We need all Bible Societies to be able to engage more people in this hard work of continually sowing the true love and peace of Jesus in our country. The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few," concludes SBS's Director.

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THE HOPE THAT COMES FROM THE GOSPEL

George Andrea (left), Syrian Bible Society's Director, and Tom Hoglind (center left), with Sister Agnes (center right), Prioress of Mar Yakub Monastery, and Dag Smemo (right), UBS' photojournalist, at Mar Yakub Monastery, or Saint James the Mutilated, in Qara, Syria.


The term of the leaders, elected during the 21st General Assembly, will last until 2018, and they have already identified many opportunities to promote the Bible Cause.

Rev. Assir Pereira is the new President of Bible Society of Brazil (SBB) for the term

2015-2018. He was elected—as were the other members of SBB's governance bodies and their substitutes—during the 21st General Assembly held on August 17 and 18. "The Bible: Readers and Readings—a perspective of who reads and how they read the Bible" was the theme of the event that takes place every three years.

Rev. Adail Sandoval, president for the term 2012-2015, delivered the opening

message that included a busy schedule. In addition to forming the committees and presenting reports and proposals for the new management, there were emotional moments, such as the dinner party to celebrate the 20 years of the Bible Press, during which the book “Semeadores da Palavra” (Sowers of the Word) by Rev. Luiz Antonio Giraldi, former SBB's Executive Director, was launched.

Another important was the talk "The Bible: Readers and Readings - A perspective of

SBB'S GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SBB HAS A NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS


who reads and how they read the Bible from correspondence sent to SBB from 1973 to 2014," delivered by Paul Teixeira, SBB's Translation & Publications Secretary. Those elected took office, in a ceremony conducted by the Honorary Presidents that closed the event on the 18th.

"The importance of the General Assembly is the great contribution it makes by analyzing the national reality and planning the next three years", points out Rudi Zimmer, SBB's Executive Director. He recalls that all the members are volunteer leaders from several churches and every Brazilian State, who offered their time to actively serve the Bible Cause.

The General Assembly has identified some points that require attention, including issues related to the Brazilian population, such as the increase in the number of elderly people and immigrants, and changes in the religious scene, with more people without a church and confirmed atheists. "Over the next three years, certainly there will be plenty of opportunities promote the Scriptures, because there are many challenges," said Zimmer, highlighting also that the leadership left motivated to promote an even greater engagement with SBB's projects and programs in their churches.

Missio DeiRev. Assir Pereira was bestowed with the

honor of being elected SBB's President. "God has called us to participate in His mission worldwide. The mission is not ours; it is God's (Missio Dei). I consider my election as the highest privilege that a servant of God may

enjoy," he said. As SBB's President, he will also chair the Administrative Assembly, Board of Directors, Bible Press Committee and Consulting Committee, as well as represent SBB, together with the Executive Director, at the United Bible Societies.

Reverend Assir, who has always been active within SBB, was appointed for his first position on the Board of Directors at 12th General Assembly, in 1988. In other eight opportunities, he was chosen to participate in the entity's governance, in a trajectory that now culminates with the election as President. "I hope to be closer to the execution sectors, as well as to visit our local chapters so that they can feel and recognize the importance of the Bible Cause," he plans.

For the President, opinions are unanimous when analyzing SBB's history since its founding in 1948: "We are more than winners. I believe that this is a time to 'Celebrate the Journey' during which the hand of our God has always been extended to our beloved Bible Society of Brazil."

Rev. Assir Pereira is 73 years old, holds a Bachelor Degree in Theology from São Paulo's Theology College of the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil, and degrees in Geography, Philosophy, History, Social Science, Brazilian Problems, and Pedagogy. He is the author of the book "Man, Where Are You? — The Church Here and Now." He is retired officer of the Brazilian Federal Police, was President of State of São Paulo's Youth Detention Centers Department, and Chairman of São Paulo's Youth Well-being Council (1989-1990).

21st General Assembly – 2015ADMINISTRATIVE ASSEMBLY

Rev. Assir Pereira President

Pr. Paschoal Piragine Junior 1st Vice-President

Dr. Alfredo Weiszflog 2nd Vice-President

Pr. Christian Santiago Lo Iacono Secretary

Pr. Waldir Agnello Treasurer

Check out all the elected members on www.sbb.org.br/quem-somos/equipe/assembleia-geral l


ENCOURAGING THE DISCOVERY OF TALENTSThe 9th edition of the Meeting with People with Visual Disabilities reaffirmed the importance of the initiative that promotes social inclusion and emancipation.

Once again, the Meeting with People with Visual Disabilities became a great socializing opportunity at the Event Center — Bible Museum. Held on September 19, the event organized by Bible Society of Brazil (SBB) reached its ninth edition bringing together 250 people with visual disabilities from several institutions and over 100 volunteers, with interactive and cultural activities with the theme "Discovering your Talent."

The parable of talents (Matthew 25:14-30) was the motto for the talk "The Lost Treasure," delivered by Erní Seibert, SBB's Communications & Social Outreach Secretary. He pointed out that, as the three servants who received coins from their boss, everyone is blessed with gifts that need to be developed and put into practice, so that they can bear fruits, and not be hidden in a hole as did the servant who received one thousand coins. "God owns our talents, so we must use them by putting them at the service of others," he said.

The audience enjoyed entertaining moments provided by Andrea Oliveira, an actress and storyteller. She also conducted a debate that gathered Regina Fatima Caldeira, Rafael Freitas, Henrique Lacerda and Marcos Pelegrine, all

having some kind of disability. In their testimonies, they showed the importance of their talents to overcome obstacles.

The event also featured a performance by the 'Criar & Tocar' Symphonic Orchestra from the Evangelical Philanthropic Association. Livia Motta, an expert in the area, also provided the audio-description service.

Volunteers One of the highlights of this edition was the

large number of volunteers, many of them SBB employees. Claudeci Kipper, who was among those who accepted the invitation, considered it a spectacular experience. "I was not sure how to deal with the audience, but I soon realized that they have are very lively and you end up getting involved", he said.

The event was attended by groups from the following institutions: "Limites em Ação, from Bragança Paulista (State of São Paulo); Louis Braille Library, from Santos (State of São Paulo); "Amigos pra Valer"; Association for the Visually Impaired & Friends; Guarulhos Association for the Visually Impaired; and True Vision Evangelical Association for the Visually Impaired

BIBLE IN ACTION


FIVE YEARS OF LIGHT IN SOUTHEASTERN BRAZILA trip made on day September 26 to

Costa Barros Community, in Rio de Janeiro, celebrated the five years of the Light in Southeastern Brazil program, which has a bus adapted to provide spiritual and medical assistance to communities facing situations of social vulnerability. During this activity, where about one thousand people were assisted, gratitude was once again the best reward received by SBB that develops the program that has already benefited 52,081 people through 96,333 procedures since its inception.

BIBLE IN ACTION


AFFINITY BIBLES

With almost 40 years of existence, SBB's Affinity Bible has been contributing to churches and Christian organizations to develop more effective evangelization activities and spread God's Word to their audiences.

When the devotions book "The Cenacle" completed 75 years, in 2013, the Methodist Church launched a commemorative Bible to mark the date containing 375 selected messages from the period. The publication, developed in partnership with Bible Society of Brazil (SBB), was so well received that encouraged the Church to publish a new title, launched this year called Bible with Evangelical Hymnal. This experience illustrates how the Affinity Bible program, developed by SBB for almost 40 years, has been an instrument for churches and Christian organizations to show their love

for God's Word and develop more effective evangelization actions. "Many churches, in addition for erecting beautiful buildings, also publish special editions to profess once again their love to God," says Erní Seibert, SBB's Communications & Social Outreach Secretary, adding that the program meets precisely this need from churches.

According to Seibert, many churches and Christian institutions in recent years have been using special editions to promote the Holy Bible: "With more people motivated to read the Holy Scriptures, there are many benefits: biblical values begin to be absorbed and practiced, and Churches are strengthened, thus developing more evangelization actions."

Through SBB's program, some churches started by doing small print runs of custom editions in order to evaluate distribution results. Today, they repeat them regularly with increasingly larger print runs, thus showing that the scope of activity is expanding.

The key distinguishing features in a custom edition are the insert, specially created based on the history of the church, cover art, finish, model, and Bible translation. "Some may also contain comments or notes. Everything is developed to represent the moment of the community or the planned distribution project," points out Marcos Gladstone da Silva, SBB's Distribution & Coordination of Regional Offices Secretary.

THE WORD OF GOD WITH A TWIST


AFFINITY BIBLES

SBB's large experience in editorial projects makes all the difference in the products offered. "The projects are received with great joy. We hear the church and then work together through all the steps until the dream becomes a reality," says Silva, adding that SBB always tries to provide the best cost/benefit to the project. In addition to capturing historical moments and targeting especially members of the church, there are specific evangelization projects to impact distribution. "Whatever the reason that makes a church or institution think about launching a custom Bible, the main reason must be bringing the Word of God to everyone," observes the Secretary.

Different ProjectsMackenzie Presbyterian University nee-

ded Bibles for different uses and audiences, so it established a partnership with SBB and is very satisfied with the results. "For us, the custom Bible is not only an advantage, but also a need, taking into account the num-ber of publications that are distributed to all students," says David Charles Gomes,

Chancellor of Mackenzie Presbyterian University, pointing out that many schools that are members of Mackenzie Educational System also have access to the edition for High School students.

Among the models developed, there are luxury editions and publications for diffe-rent audiences, such as employees, gradu-ates, special visitors, and Elementary and High School students. "We are very happy to continue with this old partnership betwe-en Mackenzie and SBB," announces the Chancellor. Some of the new projects will in-clude the development of a Bible for children.

The 'Desperta Débora' (Awaken Débora) movement, which joins together mothers to pray for their children and young people in general, chose a custom edition of the Woman’s Bible to celebrate its 20th anni-versary. Launched in May, the publication is distinguished by the special insert with 52 devotions written by "Déboras" from several regions of Brazil, in addition to information about the movement.

"Our priority is to encourage mothers to study the Word. The quality of the edition has pleased us very much and the project fully achieved its goal. We want to encourage women to read the Bible and look for passa-ges in it related to the 52 devotions, one for each week of the year," explains Maria Luiza Targino, National Coordinator of 'Desperta Débora'. According to her, the publication is a great success.


BIBLE PRESS: A TURNING POINT

Twenty years ago, SBB opened the printing plant that has revolutionized the distribution and promotion of Scriptures in Brazil and worldwide. Since its opening until today, it has produced more than 140 million copies of Bibles and New Testaments.

Since Bible Society of Brazil (SBB) opened the Bible Press, on September 2, 1995, the distribution and promotion of the Holy Scriptures have not been the same again. The offered publications, which increased every year, have contributed to boost evangelization activities in Brazil and abroad. Not by chance, the printing plant, the first one in the world dedicated solely to printing and binding Scriptures, is considered a divine work, both because of challenges overcome and for its impressive performance. "It seemed an impossible dream, but with God's help, it became a reality," points Luiz Antonio Giraldi, former SBB's Executive Director and main supporter of the Bible Press project.

The importance that the Bible Press would have for SBB and the United Bible

Societies (UBS) was seen right from the start of activities, according to Rudi Zimmer, the organization's current Executive Director. But nobody imagined that it would achieve such an impressive production. "In 20 years, we have reached the milestone of 140 million Bibles and New Testaments produced, which reached mainly million of Brazilians, but also millions of people in over 100 countries," explains Zimmer.

Bible Press' opening not only put an end to depending on foreign suppliers, but has expanded the availability of Holy Scriptures, thus allowing SBB to meet increasing demands in a better way, mainly in Brazil. "However, little by little, we were also able to help other Bible Societies that faced the same lack of Scriptures," recalls the Executive Director.

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BIBLE PRESS: A TURNING POINT As a result, the spreading of the biblical message has grown, which is confirmed by the increase in the number of churches during this period. According to Zimmer, the impact of record-breaking figures of Bible production, without a doubt, is noticed in the lives of the people benefited, who see their daily lives changed after having contact with the Word of God and experiencing its teachings.

Succession of Records Luiz Forlim, Bible Press Secretary,

mentions four factors that prove the relevance of this undertaking: Brazil now has a printing plant specialized in the production of the Bible, making it available in several formats and binding models at affordable prices; Scripture distribution in Brazil has increased; SBB turned from importer to exporter of Bibles, shipping about 20% of its production to overseas markets; and new jobs were created, the facility started with 30 employees and today has 280 staff members.

The current production capacity, of around 10.5 million copies per year, should be increased in 15%. On September

19, the Bible Press reached the mark of 141,255,300 copies produced in its two decades. And this is not the only achievement of the Bible Press. Its trajectory is full of great results. In the year of its opening, 574 thousand copies were produced, a number that had changed to 2.35 million by 1996. In 2011, it reached the milestone of 100 million Scriptures produced and, two years later, in 2013, it broke its annual production record with the production of 10,2 million copies.

Another milestone in the history of the Bible Press was the arrival, in 2000, of the first Braille printer, allowing the organization to better meet the needs of the visually impaired. "Until then, there was not a full Bible in Braille in Brazil. We had to import it in parts, so it took months to arrive," recalls Forlim.

Recognized for its excellence both in content and printing, SBB's publications are the result of constant training and commitment of employees, continuous improvement of the printing process and the partnership with suppliers to obtain new raw materials and products, always with the aim

Aerial' view of the Bible

Press in 1995..

Inner area of the Bible Press in 1995..


of offering more quality with lower costs. Some plans for the future include the

great challenge of combining in a single plant the three current SBB units: the Bible Press, in Barueri, where SBB's headquarters located as well, the Bible Binding Plant and the Distribution Center, which operate in Santana de Parnaíba.

A God's Project In 1989, in order to meet the demand

for luxury Bibles, SBB set up its first binding plant, in a small shed in Barueri. There, thousands of Bibles with index and zippers were produced, both in Portuguese and in Spanish, which were then exported to several Latin American countries.

Two years later, with the growing of demand for Bibles, the situation had become critical to the point that importing seemed the best solution. However, importing meant payment in U.S. dollars, which could eventually make the publications produced more expensive, thus restricting the population's access to the Bible. It was in this scenario that the plan for the Bible Press was devised. "In early 1992, as SBB's Executive Director, I conceived a project and presented it during a meeting of South American Bible Societies, held in Santiago, Chile," recalls Luiz Antonio Giraldi.

After a year of talks, SBB managed to raise a large part of the funds needed with help from the United Bible Societies and the following Bible Societies: United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, South Korea, Finland, Netherlands, West Indies, England, New Zealand, and Suriname.

Initially designed to meet just the demand from the Brazilian market, the Bible Press opened with an estimated capacity of producing 2.5 million copies in five years, but eventually the production more than doubled. Brazil then became the largest Bible production hub for Latin America.

"During the last decade of the 20th

Century, the evangelical population in Brazil doubled, from 13 to 26 million people, and, in the same period, the distribution of Bibles and New Testaments quadrupled from one to four million annual copies. Such a thing would be impossible without the Bible Press," points out Giraldi, adding: "The Bible Press is a great gift from God to the Brazilian people."

Creativity and Reduced Cost Paulo Teixeira, SBB's Translation &

Publications Secretary, considers a blessing to have the Bible Press so close to test new products, techniques and concepts capable of drawing the attention of people to the Word of God. "Bible Press' technical staff and our editors work very closely to make sure that the best ideas come to life in the form of Scriptures," he explains. This interaction gives rise to publications with diversified content, covers and other creative finishes to meet the needs of every audience.

It is also worth mentioning the fact that the Bible Press enables SBB to offer academic publications at more affordable prices, with very positive impacts on the Bible work. Teixeira recalls that five years ago the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Greek New Testament were launched in Brazil costing about 100 US dollars. Today, being produced at the local printing plant thanks to an agreement with the German Bible Society, these and other publication are offered by a price four times lower than if they had to be imported.

Time to Celebrate"Twenty years ago, nobody dreamed

of what the Bible Press is today. We thank God for everything we have accomplished," said Erní Seibert, SBB's Communications & Social Outreach Secretary, during the opening ceremony of the celebration held at the Bible Museum – Barueri Event Center, on September 16. More than 300 people,

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including employees and their families, public and religious authorities and SBB's partners, attended the event.

Rudi Zimmer, SBB's Executive Director, talked about the importance of spreading the Bible to every corner of the world, and emphasized the contribution made by employees who "were touched by the spirit of service and salvation." He also mentioned that a celebration was in order, but that there is still a lot to be done in order to distribute the Bible to those who need it. "May this celebration serve as a motivation for additional 20 years of success and much more," he concluded.

A video containing testimonies of officers from Bible Societies that helped to implement the Bible Press by donating funds was played. Michael Perreau, UBS' Director General, praised SBB's leadership for serving the churches in Brazil and the Christian community around the world: "I want to encourage and thank you for being do faithful to God's provision and His promise that His word shall last forever."

Roy Peterson, American Bible Society's President, talked about the joy of being able to celebrate with SBB the Bible Press' anniversary, and praised the numbers

Elaine Rodrigues, longest serving Bible Press employee, honored during the celebrations.

Luiz Antonio Giraldi: "The Bible Press was a great gift from God to Brazilians.


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achieved. "We cannot even imagine how God has used all the lives that have been touched and affected by your faithful service," he said.

There were also testimonies from leaders of the following Bible Societies: Korea, British & Foreign, Canada, Suriname, Germany, New Zealand, and Australia.

During musical performances led by Hattush Orchestra & Worship Group, several testimonies showed the audience the

importance of the Bible Press. Assir Pereira, SBB's new President, expressed gratitude, on behalf of the General Assembly, to all those who have made the dream come true, while Luiz Antonio Giraldi recalled relevant facts about history of the Bible Press, whose current operations were then explained by Luiz Forlim. A tribute to Elaine Rodrigues—the longest serving Bible Press employee, 17 years with SBB—closed the celebrations.

OPEN DOORS Created in 1993 with the goal of making

churches and their leaderships closer to the Bible Cause, the "You Are Our Guest" program receives groups from all over Brazil, and even from abroad, to visit the facilities of the Bible Press. "When they arrive at the printing plant, visitors are always surprised and curious to get to know the entire process that involves translation, production and distribution of God's Word," tells says Gilvan Lima, SBB's Institutional Promoter and in charge of coordinating the program.

From January to September, 2015, 31

groups with about 900 people have been received. One of the visitors, on August 12, was Luiz Quinelli, Canzion Group's CEO, which develops Christian content for the Ibero-American world in the areas of music, movies, education and leadership. He was surprised by what he saw: "I was really touched. When I first entered your facilities, my eyes were filled with tears. I felt God's presence there."

Pastor Agnaldo Almeida, from the Ministry Independence Assembly of God Church and City of Barueri's Ombudsman, is also moved whenever he visits the Bible Press. "I see all those Bibles and I can see people being reached, evangelized and discipled for a new life with Jesus Christ," he reveals.

The complete visit includes breakfast and a guided tour of the Bible Press. The visit is free of charge and takes place every Tuesday or Thursday by calling (+55-11) 3474-5854 to schedule from 9 am to 4 pm (except Sundays and public holidays). Groups must have at least 15 and at most 50 people.

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The Bible in Brazil - # 249