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Bible translation projects don’t just stop at translating and distributing the Bible. Every translation project also involves “Scripture Engagement” or “Scripture Use” elements: enabling and encouraging people to meet God and deepen their relationship with Him as they understand and interact with the Scriptures. This is not limited to the printed form only; with modern technology, the materials are often in audio or video form. The projects supported by the R200 Programme aim to produce a range of different Scripture-based materials and promote their use in the communities and local churches. One project in produces Sunday school materials, Bible storybooks, Big Books, audio CDs with original Christian songs, still picture videos, etc. They also train and equip neighbouring language groups to do the same. A video prepared for children: Jesus restores a demon-possessed man (Luke 8:26-39) Another project has produced Bible story books like this: Jesus calms the storm (Luke 8:22-25)

Wycliffe Singapore wishes everyone a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year! We give thanks to God for the many opportunities and blessings as we carry out our ministries at home in Singapore as well as in many countries around the world, including celebrating our 40th anniversary this year! We look forward to what God has in store for us in 2024! Let us continue to pray for those who do not know of the good news of Jesus Christ’s coming. We pray that they will be able to hear this message in their heart language this year, and that their lives will be transformed. Pray that Wycliffe Singapore and other Christian organisations will continue to be faithful in carrying out the Great Commission. May God’s peace reign in every heart this Christmas season.

4 November 2023 Wycliffe’s World Day of Prayer is held in November each year. It is where we give thanks for the ways God has answered the prayers for the various ministries of Wycliffe organisations worldwide. We also pray for the ongoing work, the people involved, and for lives to be transformed through God’s Word that is translated into their languages. This year, we looked back and gave thanks for the dedication of the Ambonese Malay New Testament , and God’s faithfulness to the Ibaloi people . We also gave thanks for God’s provision to Wycliffe Singapore; the events attended and the people we’ve met over the year. Join us to pray for: People Praise God for the people we’ve met through several events and conferences. Pray that God will open doors for those who have expressed their interest in serving in missions, that they will know their calling and be connected to the right mission agency according to their specific calling. Pray that God will continue to touch peoples’ hearts and that more people will step out in faith to serve in missions. Work Praise God for the work that has been done in the field, and for His provision to the various people groups. Pray for the communities who have received God’s word in their heart languages. Pray that they will hear God speaking to them and that they will be the salt and light in their communities. Pray for those who take up internship opportunities with Wycliffe Singapore to gain a deeper understanding of the ministries. If you would like to receive updates on how you can pray for Wycliffe Singapore and language projects, do consider signing up for our weekly e-newsletter!

How will the Messiah be like a “refiner’s fire” or a “launderer’s soap”? Malachi 3:2: “ But who can endure the day of his [the Messiah’s] coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.” [“fuller’s soap” in some versions] What does the imagery of a “refiner’s fire” or “fuller’s soap” tell us about the Messiah? Refining is the process for removing impurities from metal. Metal would be heated at a high temperature until it melted. Impurities in the metal would rise to the surface and then be skimmed off and discarded. Launderer’s or fuller’s soap was a cleaning agent used to wash and whiten cloth. This caustic alkaline paste was made from wood ash and mixed with oil to make soap. Both the refiner’s fire and launderer’s soap refer to the judgement and purification that we will experience when the Messiah comes again – it will not be painless (high heat, corrosive substance), but it will refine and cleanse. Isaiah 1:18: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

by Phil Prior and Jim Killam, Wycliffe Global Alliance For the first time, the story of the Wycliffe Global Alliance has been chronicled in a book that could serve missions everywhere as they navigate new realities of the global church. A Missional Leadership History: The Journey of Wycliffe Bible Translators to the Wycliffe Global Alliance (2022, Regnum Books International) was written by former Alliance Executive Director Kirk Franklin and Susan Van Wynen, consultant for strategy. It was edited by Deborah Crough. Far from being the story of one or two heroes, the book recounts a history shaped by many people in many places—people whose names and voices may not have even been chronicled but whose contributions were immense. “I think that’s astonishing,” Kirk says, adding that the book’s title and subtitle were chosen carefully, and help set it apart from conventional organisational histories. “The idea of a journey eliminates the idea of there being a sense of competition,” he says. “A lot of good tools have come from the business world, but also a lot of things that have done more harm than good. Seeing it as a journey makes it possible to see it from a perspective of learning and being led by God through the whole thing.” The book is intended for organisational leaders and boards of governors within the Bible translation movement, of course. But it is also for any mission leaders and future leaders seeking a case study for organisations adjusting to paradigm shifts in the global church. “There was a discernment process,” Susan says. “Patterns of listening, responding, learning and acting. When you look back, you can see a map. It points to God’s presence through all of it. God’s timing, people’s reluctance … and leaves it open to reader’s interpretation of what they can apply in their own context.” For source material, the authors started with 10,000 digitized pages of Wycliffe board records from 1942 to 2020. They also reviewed notes from 30 missiological consultations, plus records from various national Bible translation organisations that are part of the Alliance. “Board minutes may be considered boring, and we quote from them very minimally,” Kirk says, “but they helped us piece together the story. You know who’s in the room, but you don’t know who said what, because decisions are generally made unanimously. Nameless people – we don’t appreciate the sacrifices they made. Hundreds of people, all committed to making wise decisions toward Scripture reaching all languages that need it.” “You put that all together and you have a reference piece that we trust will serve the Bible translation movement for a long, long time.” Vision 2025 One chapter recounts the story of Vision 2025 and some of the misunderstanding around it. “One of the key things that can get buried is that the intentions were so important,” Susan says. “People instantly moved to thinking about dates and goals — which is just human nature — but so much of it really was about heart intentions. … It was really about being willing to be different people and being willing to work differently and think differently—(and know) that it was in God’s hands.” Kirk adds: “So much of the story around Vision 2025 was just the one sentence that was taken out of a much bigger context: ‘By 2025, Bible translation in every language that needed it.’ That’s so unfortunate, because it’s not actually the decision that was made. It was much, much more than that. It got reduced down to a sound bite.” The chapter recounts much of the thinking and conversations behind Vision 2025, starting with its adoption in 1999 and moving toward it becoming an aspiration of the global church. “Wycliffe International in 1999 was not what Wycliffe Global Alliance is in 2020,” Kirk says. “It was primarily Westerners who made the decision – in faith that eventually the worldwide church would adopt this and partner together. But they couldn’t see that in 1999 because it (the global church) wasn’t in the room.” A powerful change story In fact, the book points to 1999 as a catalyst for significant changes in the Bible translation movement. “Partner organisations used to sit in the back of the room and didn’t say a whole lot,” Kirk says. “They really challenged the status quo in a nice way, because we then had to grapple with – if we are really serious about the global church’s engagement, then we have to do something about these so-called partner organisations. They have to somehow be included.” It led to a structural change in what is now the Alliance, with Western voices ceding control to a truly global, polycentric movement. “Mapping that all out … is a very, very powerful change story,” Kirk says. “Many international mission agencies would give their right arm for that to happen in their movements. Why did it happen with Wycliffe? And the story is there in the book. The conversations. The leading of God. The grappling with the future. Wrestling with, what do we really make of this need to see our vision fulfilled before God, and yet our structure is stopping us? “I think that showed so much courage for all the leaders of the day. And to have that documented so we don’t forget it, because it was such a pivotal moment, is very striking.” Story and videos: Phil Prior and Jim Killam, Wycliffe Global Alliance A Missional Leadership History: The Journey of Wycliffe Bible Translators to the Wycliffe Global Alliance is available for download and can be purchased Video about the book from Global Connect 2022 Watch the full interview with Kirk Franklin and Susan Van Wynen Reproduced with permission from Wycliffe Global Alliance

4–5 August 2023, Grace Singapore Chinese Christian Church By Grace Tan In 1962, Joanne Shetler went to the remote Balangao people in Northern Philippines (read her account in her book And the Word Came with Power ). The Balangao were animists and bound by fear of the spirits. When someone became a new believer in Christ, he would have to consider whether he could follow his traditional practices – the practices that up to then had defined his world and his identity. From years of living with the Balangao, Jo Shetler developed a helpful method to help believers faced with traditional practices or rituals to make decisions that honour God. This eventually became the Culture Meets Scripture Workshop (CmS). The trainers for this CmS, Lena* and Faye*, have served in a sensitive part of Asia for many years, and have run CmS many times. The 2-day workshop was a condensed version of the original which usually lasted a week. With oral learners, it could run for two or three weeks. Rituals – how they develop Lena and Faye used oral Bible stories, from Passover to the Lord’s Supper, to show how rituals develop and evolve, and how they reflect the worldviews of the practitioners. The five stories were: Passover (historical event; Exodus 12:1–29) Passover ritual (modified, and to remember the event; Deuteronomy 16:1–8) Last Supper (repurposing of ritual to foretell an event; Luke 22: 7–20) Crucifixion (historical event referred to in (3); Luke 23: 33-47) Lord’s Supper (ritual to remember the Crucifixion; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26) This was very illuminating, and also moving, especially as the workshop ended with a celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Culture Meets Scripture – the process The CmS participants were mostly Chinese Singaporeans, with one visitor from India. Many of the participants were already experienced in ministry, either in Singapore or overseas. In two days, we went through a five-step process of digging down through the layers of a traditional ritual: a) Describe traditional practices Since most of the participants were Chinese, we considered four situations that occur within Chinese culture – Chinese New Year, Qing Ming (tomb sweeping), weddings, and funerals. For each situation, we listed the actions involved, the reasons for doing them, the consequences (according to the traditional worldview) of not doing them, and asked many “why” questions to tease out the underlying assumptions and beliefs. b) See what scriptures say We searched the Scriptures to find biblical answers which address the underlying beliefs and assumptions (e.g., that the spirits of dead people are able to return and harm the living). c) Transform rituals In the light of Scriptural truth, an appropriate response could be to totally reject or accept the ritual, to modify the ritual, or to replace the traditional ritual with a newly created one. For example, rather than wishing others “prosperity” at Chinese New Year, we could use the word “blessing” instead. d) Unite believers Young believers who are faced with making these changes need a lot of support. Prayers or scriptural songs should be composed to reassure and strengthen them. These should express the Scriptural truths which address the cultural beliefs being rejected. e) Create action plan Believers are encouraged to apply this process to all cultural activities, and share their understanding of Scriptural truths with others. By the end of the CmS workshop, every participant had experienced the process of working out a Christian way to deal with a particular traditional practice. They also gained a powerful tool for analysing any cultural situation and determining a solution that honours God. Thanks be to the Lord! * names changed for security reasons Related articles: Contextualisation – Culture in the Light of Scripture Culture Meets Scripture Workshop, 17-20 July, Klang, Malaysia

What were the four fasts mentioned by Zechariah? Zechariah 8:18-19: “The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah.” In Jewish history, some fasts were instituted to mourn, repent or remember crisis events. The four fasts mentioned by Zechariah were all associated with the destruction of Judah and the Temple at the time of the exile to Babylon. 4th month fast - the capture of Jerusalem by the Babylonians (Jeremiah 52:6-7) 5th month fast – the burning of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple (Jeremiah 52:12-13) 7th month fast – the assassination of Gedaliah (governor of Judah) and his men (Jeremiah 41:1-3) 10th month fast – Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:1) At the time of these prophecies, some of the Jews had returned to Judah, and the rebuilding of the Temple was nearly complete. In chapters 7 and 8, Zechariah declares that these fasts could be discontinued and would become joyful festivals when the Temple had been rebuilt. Zechariah 8:22-23 is also a foreshadowing of the New Jerusalem when people from “all languages and nations” will worship God (Revelation 7:9).

Stories from the Field, 3 October 2023 Speaker: Daniel Jesudason Culture clash is experienced any time you cross some kind of boundary – language, ethnicity, social class, gender etc. How can we effectively reach those from a different culture, and avoid a culture clash? Becoming an “Insider” Daniel began by asking: Can we really be an “insider” to another group? Can we become like “one of them”, to understand their culture, and become like “family” to them? He pointed out that this is “incarnation” – just as Jesus became human and dwelt among us, we are called to be incarnational in order to bring Christ to others. Paul also wrote in 1 Cor 9:22: “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” So how can we become insiders when we want to minister cross-culturally? Is it even possible? How far are we prepared to go? To become an insider requires learning to speak the language well, including understanding and using idioms. It also requires getting to know how they live and behave, and a willingness to change some of our own behaviour. Daniel gave this example: among the Umanakaina, holding hands is foreplay, and it would be inappropriate for him to hold his wife’s hand in public! So as not to embarrass others and to fit in to that culture, they had to refrain from holding hands. Culture Is Like an Onion Daniel gave a Daga example to illustrate the layers that constitute “culture”: an intern experienced a culture clash when the Daga people would laugh when she slipped and fell on the steep and slippery terrain. That made her hurt and angry. Analysing her reaction: she felt that laughing at others’ misfortunes was bad, that their laughter meant that they were ridiculing her, and showed that they had no respect for foreigners. However, a Daga friend explained to Daniel that when the people laughed, it was in fact their way of drawing attention away from the slip so the person would not be embarrassed. It is important to realise that cultural differences always give rise to some culture clashes, but applying good coping strategies can lead to better understanding. Contextualisation Case Study: Umanakaina Marriage Custom A problem arises when a cultural practice is contrary to Christian teaching. What should Christians in these cultures do? How can they stay within their culture while still being faithful to Christian teaching? Daniel gave a case study from Umanakaina culture: ​This is a matriarchal society, and girls choose spouses through pre-marital sex with korogoni (cross-cousins*). A maternal uncle will help her make the decision based on other criteria as well. Forbidding Christians from following these practices would mean that they would not be able to marry, and refusal to follow cultural customs could lead to their being targeted by sorcery. * Cross-cousin: the child of one’s mother’s brother or father’s sister. Daniel said that, in the 5-6 years they spent with the Umanakaina, they did not do anything about this as they didn’t know what to do! They continued to work faithfully among the people to help them read the scriptures in their own language. Some time after they had moved elsewhere, they heard from a Christian man how the people themselves had resolved this issue. Actual solution: instead of sleeping with the korogoni , the girl would write to the korogoni and they would exchange letters! Other than that, the practices were unchanged. Literacy made it possible for the people to study the scriptures for themselves, grow in maturity, and contextualise their practices in the light of their Christian faith. It also meant that the young people were able to read and write letters! A wonderful example of transformation through God’s word. About the speaker: Daniel, along with his wife, Wei Lei, and son, served in Papua New Guinea with Wycliffe Bible Translators from 1985 to 2005. They initially worked among the Umanakaina as literacy consultants. They then worked in literacy and Bible translation among the Daga. They completed the Daga New Testament and dedicated it on 18 June 2005. Daniel has recently stepped down from his role as a Director at Promises ( www.promises.com.sg ) which provides psychiatric and psychological services and is currently making some career transitions. He continues to serve in a number of local and regional mission agencies. Prayer pointers: Pray for various training commitments to mission agencies Daniel is involved in as he makes career transitions during this time. He has stepped out into two part-time jobs now. Pray for Wei Lei as she manages a heavy workload in adoption services and cares for her father. Pray for the new projects and initiatives through the children's home and drug rehabilitation work in Nepal which they are involved in.

25-29 July 2023, Thailand https://ariseasia.org/ This was a historic gathering of 1,300 young people from across Asia and the Middle East who came together to worship, hear God’s voice, and journey with thousands of other young people who want to live for God’s purposes. The aim of this event was to help them find out more about missions and what God is doing around the world, and to inspire them to take the gospel throughout Asia and to the rest of the world. Sponsoring partners included more than 10 mission agencies and seminaries, along with over 20 endorsing partners. The Idea It was a question that sparked off the idea of this event: “What would it be like to see God ignite the hearts of this younger generation throughout Asia, to bring the Gospel where there is no Gospel witness in Asia and beyond?” Asia is an area of enormous need for the Gospel: 60% of the world’s population lives in Asia, and the majority of the unengaged and unreached people groups who have yet to hear the Gospel also live in this region. The Conference Over five days, the participants listened to messages and panel discussions, and attended workshops on a whole range of topics. Talks and seminars addressed issues facing missions today: unreached people groups, different types and durations of missions, the persecuted church, business as mission, social justice and much more! There was also an Innovation Lab – an ideathon over three afternoons: groups of 5 to 8 from different cultures brainstormed together to formulate actionable ideas to catalyse the spread of the gospel throughout Asia and the world. Christian leaders in various fields of business, technology, and entrepreneurship were on hand to give advice. Several groups might also have opportunity to partner with mission organisations and/or kingdom-minded investors to see their project to its completion. One speaker made a clarion call to attendees to be prepared to make sacrifices for God. He said that the biggest challenge to missions today is that too many offer up sacrifices that cost them nothing. He said that we should echo the apostle Paul in Acts 20:24: “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” It wasn’t possible, of course, to have all our questions answered in just these few days. One attendee said that the most valuable part of the conference was the opportunities to connect with others and ask questions – they might be speakers and workshop leaders, people met during meals, or randomly assigned roommates. Who knows where some of these connections and friendships will lead?

Why did God say that Zerubbabel would be like his signet ring? Haggai 2:23b: “‘I will make you (Zerubbabel) like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” Zerubbabel led the first group of Jews back to Jerusalem from Babylonian exile. He was the grandson of Jehoiachin (the king of Judah at the time of the exile) and therefore a descendant of David. Years before, Jeremiah had pictured Jehoiachin’s exile to Babylon as God pulling off his signet ring (Jeremiah 22:24). Haggai now prophecies that this action would be reversed in Zerubbabel’s life, and he would be like God’s signet ring – a symbol of God’s authority and covenant with his people. As God’s signet ring, Zerubbabel also foreshadows the coming of the Messiah. In ancient times, the way to mark a document as genuine was with a seal – usually a stone or gem engraved with a design unique to the owner, which was then pressed into a blob of soft clay or wax on the document to leave a clear impression. When the seal was incorporated in a ring, it was called a signet ring. The owner was then able to wear this symbol of his identity and authority conveniently on his hand.