ROME(SAR NEWS) --In keeping with Pope Benedicts declaration of 2009 as The Year of Gods Word, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, recently urged pastors in Houston (USA) to get involved in a city-wide Bible listening campaign called Youve Got The Time Houston. .
Protestant-Catholic Venture.
A Protestant outfit called Faith Comes By Hearing, (FCBH) the worlds foremost Audio Bible ministry, is coordinating this effort to reach every Houstonian with Gods Word in audio. .
Morgan Jackson, international director for FCBH, says, There has been a tremendous, immediate response from the Catholic community in the Houston area. So far, more than 50 different parishes with more than 160,000 Catholics have signed up to listen through the entire New Testament. .
Already, leaders from more than 100 other Houston congregations from over 12 denominations have signed up their churches to listen through the New Testament. The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston has planned an extensive Bible engagement effort for 2009 called Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church. .
The programme is simple. FCBH provides free Audio Bibles for every family in their church or parish. Church leaders then challenge their congregations to listen through the entire New Testament -- 28 minutes a day over a period of 40 days. After listening, churches receive offerings to support recording the New Testament in the heart languages of poor and illiterate people around the world. .
Statistics.
For the first time in history, every language or ethnic group has been identified and there are 6,809 in our world today. FCBH partners are working hard to record an Audio Bible in 2,000 of these languages reaching 97% of the population by the year 2016. .
Currently, FCBH offers 412 Audio Scripture recordings in some 400 languages reaching more than 4.4 billion people in more than 97 countries. .
Audio Bible recordings for India are carried out by the FCBH Recording Centre headquartered in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. Dramatised versions of the New Testament are available in all major Indian languages. .
Proclaimer.
The Proclaimer is a digital player with a microchip which contains Scriptures in the heart language. The chip will not erase or wear out from frequent playing. The battery will play for 15 hours and can be recharged enough times to play the entire New Testament more than 1,000 times. It has a built-in generator and solar panel to charge the battery. The solar panel, in addition to charging the battery, will run the Proclaimer even without battery power as long as there is sunlight. The sound is digital quality and loud enough to be heard clearly by groups as large as 300 people. The Proclaimer was developed primarily as a playback device for poor and illiterate people who may not have any other source to hear Gods Word. .
FCBH E-mail contact: [email protected].
