Mission News: Central Is A Derby Winner

The itinerary that began in mid-February in Georgia has continued with ministry in South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Maryland. After a stop at Central today, David and Colleen Derby will participate in a 4-day Un-reached Peoples Consultation in Virginia, challenging the church to take the gospel where it has never been heard. Sharing about Gospel Recordings, the Derby's mission agency, then continues in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Florida, with trips to Zambia, Zimbabwe and Nigeria in June. In Africa, David will be preaching in the evenings and helping to equip local pastors and church leaders during the day.

Why all this interest in Gospel Recordings? Through audio recordings and accompanying picture books, GR shares the message of Jesus with people in their own language. This reaches illiterate peoples, people without electricity or access to batteries by means of hand-wind cassette players. GR has more than 300 people working from 30 centers around the world. Messages and praise songs have been recorded in more than 5,650 languages. The recording of a new language is completed on an average of one every 60 hours. The goal is to provide recordings to every missionary, evangelist, indigenous church planter who reaches out cross-culturally in the name of Jesus.

An African evangelist revealed to David Derby that Ben Laden has given one billion dollars for the evangelism of Africa to Islam with a goal of having every nation in Africa controlled by a Muslim government by 2010. The African, whose identity is not given for security reasons, sees GR materials as answered prayer. Poor rural people from thousands of tribes are flocking to provincial capital cities looking for work. Urban African church leaders will seek to reach these workers and send them home with appropriate recordings. GR has recorded gospel messages in 2,452 African languages.

How could you get involved? Muslim immigrants living in the United States speak many languages. GR would like to provide gospel messages in their mother languages in partnership with churches in the States who have a heart to share Jesus Christ with their Muslim neighbors. Information about GR and how Central can partner with it is found on the web at www.gospelrecording.com. Click on "Babel Table" to learn about partnering with GR to reach Muslims in your neighborhood.