The youth at Apostolic Faith United Pentecostal Church in Mountain Home, Ark., are getting a taste of what it was like for Bible translators to hand-copy early versions of the Bible.
Rick Lovall, youth pastor at the church, said the idea to write the Bible came to him as a neat way to study the Bible and raise money, too.
The youths are using a 1,000-page King James Version Bible for reference, and are soliciting donations (a minimum of $5 per page) to hand-write the Bible. So far, 42 people have committed to write 755 pages, with more expected, Lovall said. The slogan behind the event is “Write it! Learn it! Live it!”
Lovall said he doesn’t believe this type of fundraiser has ever been done before, adding the church hopes to raise a minimum of $5,000. How the money is used will be decided by the youth. Currently, Lovall said, their choices include funding a trip to the church’s National Youth Convention in Nashville, Tenn., in August, as well as purchasing Bibles for missionaries in Uganda; or donating a portion of the funds to Sheaves For Christ, which buys 4×4 vehicles for missionaries, offers land grants to home missionaries and sponsors orphans at Tupelo (Miss.) Children’s Mansion. Other options include sponsoring clients at Windsong Ranch (a Christian-based drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Sheridan, Ark.), as well as donating funds to various homeless shelters in the Mountain Home area.
Lovall told The Apostolic Report that this fundraiser has united his local church and youth group. Apostolic Faith UPC will have CDs available with all of the necessary documents and sponsor sheets needed to duplicate this fundraiser. Lovall spent hours putting together an Excel spreadsheet that lays out the pages in correct order and sequence.
If you are a youth pastor needing a great idea or a pastor who would like to try this at your local church, the materials are available. Please contact Rick Lovall if you would like more information.
The $40 Write The Bible Fundraiser CD will include: Excel spreadsheet of the Bible charted into 1,000 pages, PowerPoint to use to introduce the idea to the church/youth group, sponsorship sheets, promotional flier/poster, and a form letter to use to obtain sponsors. Print these out, and you are ready to Write The Bible!
Write it! Learn it! Live it!
Rev. Rick Lovall (870) 404-8024, or e-mail writethebible@yahoo.com. You can also follow the progress at www.writethebible.blogspot.com.
