A couple of months ago, I shared that one of our faithful and generous supporting organizations awarded us a grant that included a new funding challenge. They will match, dollar for dollar, all gifts given by new, first-time donors to Scriptures In Use over the next twelve months, up to $20,000! We are so grateful for this $1 to $1 new donor matching giving challenge. In the first few months…
During a recent weekend clean-up of my home library, I discovered a true “treasure box”. It is one of those redwood boxes about eight inches long and six inches wide that usually carries that redwood scent we find when you open one in a gift store. That scent is long gone. However, within that redwood box, I found several interesting things that are now immeasurably valuable to me. In it was an envelope with a letter from my Grandfather Eugene, who was a member of Gideon’s International. Also, it contained an original Gideon’s Bible that used to be put in Hotel’s rooms a few decades ago and a newspaper article from the early 1970s charting the course of the Gideons. Then something truly took my breath away…
I’m always amazed at our Lord’s faithfulness in building relationships with new leaders and bringing new funding concepts, such as a New Donor Giving Match. We recently experienced a change with one of our major donors, a charitable foundation. SIU was assigned new champions to represent SIU within their organization. These champions guided the 2024 grant cycle and represented SIU as their board considered our request for funding to provide training among our partner networks in multiple Southeast Asia countries.
We are thanking and praising God for another incredible year of ministry in 2023! We want to thank each of you, our family of faithful supporters, for praying and financially partnering with us as we see the Great Commission being fulfilled among oral culture communities around the world. Our trusted partners across Asia and Africa reported more than 5,600 new churches planted in 2023. This brings our 26 year cumulative total of reported churches planted among oral cultures through oral Scripture engagement to over 110,000! Thank you, Lord! All for your Glory and the advancement of your Gospel until all have been reached. Read on for a story and other highlights from 2023.
Do you sense it? Do you feel it? I have been talking to a lot of people recently and it feels like there is more hostility, conflict, and division than ever before. There has always been conflict, with disagreements and differences of opinion. However, there is so much anger and strong opinions right now, with lots of yelling and not a lot of listening. One of my close friends said recently, “When my family gets together, we don’t speak about faith, politics, or money. Those topics bring much intensity, and it usually doesn’t go well.” As a follower of Christ, I try to seek the Lord often on how to be a good listener and be gracious in my response – “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger”. This is hard to do right now with so much hate and division. What does our Lord Jesus say about this?
One of our favorite Story Collections used in our “Bridges” orality equipping training events that our partners and team members often talk about is the “The Kingdom of God” series. We are bringing it up here in this month’s blog as Jesus talked so much about the Kingdom of God during His ministry while walking this earth 2,000 years ago. It is also especially relevant during the significant unrest and conflicts around the world that we are now seeing. Jesus spoke 126 times about the Kingdom of God in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and another 34 times in the rest of the New Testament. It is clear from what Jesus said about the Kingdom of God that we are now seeing the signs He predicted unfolding right before our eyes
Many people come to us each year requesting to participate and experience one of our orality equipping and training events, known as “Bridges”. Unfortunately for those who ask, most of these training events are held overseas in difficult to reach, remote regions with one of our proven Asia or Africa partners. However, …drum roll please… we are holding a stateside training event in Joplin, MO in February! Here’s your chance to explore an interactive, knowledge-building, experience with the active living Word of God through oral Scripture engagement. Learn to tell stories the way Jesus, the Master Storyteller, did…
Have you heard that less than one dollar of every $10,000 of charitable giving each year goes to the hardest to reach places around the world, places with people who have NEVER heard about Jesus and His gift of salvation? This sad financial fact means the vast majority of resources are NOT making a difference in the lives of the least reached people groups, those who need Jesus and the transforming message of the Gospel the most. How can this be changed? YOU can play a key role in changing this trend by supporting our proven partners in Asia and Africa with a year-end financial gift to SIU…
Each year, our proven partners in Asia and Africa tell us about opportunities to reach into areas that many people or organizations don’t have access to. These are places where cultural and linguistic barriers have isolated people from the transforming message of Jesus Christ, places where the message of Jesus has never been heard in the local heart language and cultural styles. Because of our Partners’ locations and close proximity to these hard-to-reach places of the world, they have access while others do not. Will you join us in reaching the least reached?
Each year, our SIU partners present to us some truly incredible opportunities in reaching people in areas that have never been reached before. This represents a timely year-end giving opportunity for those with significant Kingdom growth and effective ministry stewardship mindsets.
Kent Kiefer is the CEO & Executive Director of Scriptures in Use (SIU). He has over 20 years of International Ministry experience; in his eighth year with SIU, and previously four years with a faith-based International Missions’ Sending Agency (“ABWE”) and eight years with a faith-based International Parachurch ministry (“Focus on the Family”).
Kent has a heart and passion for “reaching the unreached” and believes strongly that the oral arts, communication bridges training approach designed specifically for the indigenous men and women of peace around the world is one of the most effective means to reach the nations with the Gospel.
Kent is widowed after his wife Melissa (“Missy”) was promoted into Glory in November ‘21 after a 14-year battle with Parkinsons Disease, and has four children (two college age and two teenagers). The Kiefers are involved with two local churches with the body of Christ in Southeast Tucson (“Grace Church of Sahuarita” and “Pantano Christian”).
