Forum on Asia Bible Engagement in Bangkok, September 30-October 3, 2024

 

The Bible Engagement Asia Forum which took place in Bangkok, Thailand, from September 30 to October 3, 2024 was attended by representatives from various national Bible institutes, including from Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. The forum opened with a welcome from the General Secretary of the Bible Institute of Thailand, Mr. Prakich Treetasayuth, who introduced Thailand as "The Land of Smile," tagline which describes all Thai people as friendly, kind and always smiling. In his speech, he hoped that the participants could enjoy the beauty of Thailand and take part in this event with smiles and joy.

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This forum discusses the importance of "Bible Engagement" as a positive interaction with the Bible at the individual, church, and community levels, with a focus on customizing the approach for various audiences and contexts.

 

One of the highlights of this event was the presence of the keynote speakers, Mr. Arun Sok Nhep and Ms. Rosalee Velloso Ewell. Rosalee Velloso Ewell from the United Bible Society (UBS), and Mr. Oldi Morava and Ms. Joanna Heath from the British and Foreign Bible Society. They provided in-depth insights on Bible engagement and shared experiences and best practices from their organizations.

Bible Engagement

 

The Indonesian Bible Institute (LAI) sent four representatives from across departments, namely Albert Tambunan from the Translation Department, Vince Ellysabeth Nandra from the Digital Services Department, Rut Apriyanti Simanjuntak from the Dissemination and Marketing Department, and Caroline Marlissa from the Communication and Partnership Development Department.

 

One of the key points discussed in this forum was the concept of "Audience Pathway," which was introduced as a framework for deepening relationships with people seeking spiritual guidance. The concept consists of several strategic steps that are interconnected and aim to create a deeper engagement with audiences.

Audience Pathway.

 

First step, building connections through effective communication channels. In an increasingly connected world, it is important for biblical institutions to utilize various communication platforms, both digital and traditional, to forge stronger relationships with their audiences. By using the right approach, institutions can listen to the needs, expectations, and challenges faced by individuals in their spiritual journey.

 

Second stepis leveraging the community, which emphasizes the importance of building reputation in the public sphere through discussion spaces and government recognition. In this context, Biblical institutions are expected to create various forums that encourage community participation, both through open dialogue and collaboration with various parties, including the government and community organizations. In this way, the role and involvement of the Bible can be expanded and the support from the community will be stronger. This will encourage many people to engage more with God's word.

 

Third step, forum participants are invited to  know their audience and context. In this regard, Bible institutes need to conduct seminars and trainings designed to understand the specific needs of the audience. Through a contextualized approach, biblical institutions will be able to design existing programs to be more relevant and appealing to the audience. A deeper understanding of the audience will lead to the creation of more meaningful and useful content.

 

Last stepis to encourage audiences to be inspired and engaged in the process of designing and contextualizing materials. By actively involving the audience in the development of the content, they will have a stronger attachment to the material presented, as well as be more motivated to support and apply the teachings of the Bible in their daily lives.

 

On the sidelines of the forum, the LAI team also visited the Thai Bible Institute to share ideas and strengthen relationships between Bible institutes. During this visit, the LAI team discussed various topics, including Bible distribution and fundraising strategies. Each side shared stories of the challenges and struggles faced in spreading the Bible and raising support in their respective ministry areas.

 

This Bible Engagement Forum ended with a dinner together on the Chao Phraya River, which created a moment of warmth and excitement to build cooperation among Bible institutes. We certainly hope that this Asia Bible Engagement Forum will have a significant impact on the ministry of LAI, especially in carrying out the mandate of biblical engagement.

 

The forum also encouraged LAI to further strengthen partnerships with various communities and governments in an effort to strengthen the credibility of LAI's services. Better cooperation with various parties will create greater impact in the mission of spreading the Good News.

 

LAI will continue to strive to make God's word not only accessible, but also easy for everyone to understand.Based on the experience from the Asia Bible Engament Forum , there are various relevant Bible engagement programs to be developed in Indonesia, trainings for church leaders, as well as various collaboration programs with local communities to create a supportive environment for Bible engagement activities. The hope is that more and more of God's people will read the Bible diligently, and be inspired by its values in living in the world.

 

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