The enthusiasm of the Christian community in welcoming Bible Week in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, was clearly evident. The event, which took place from 3–6 August 2026, attracted 5,563 participants, exceeding the organising committee’s initial target of 4,000 people. The inaugural Bible Week, organised by LAI and its partners, carried the theme “The Word of God from Generation to Generation”  which is based on the passage from Psalm 78:3–4 (TB-2).

 

Over the course of four days, people of all ages and backgrounds took part in a variety of activities, ranging from visits to the Bible Museum, seminars and competitions to a literature exhibition. Children, teenagers and young adults were the most prominent groups taking part in the series of events.

 

Bible Week is not limited to exhibitions; it also serves as a space to introduce, understand and pass on the Word of God to the church’s future generations. Participants came from various churches and schools around Kupang, representing a range of denominations, both Protestant and Catholic. Among the participating schools, Citra Bangsa School was recorded as one of those with the highest number of participants.

 

One of the participants in the New Translation 2 (TB2) Bible seminar, Nuge, revealed that the seminar helped him understand the Word of God in language that is more relevant to modern-day life.

“What I gained from this New Translation 2 Bible seminar is that the New Translation 2 (TB-2) helps us to read and understand God’s Word in a way that is relevant to our present times, using the language we use today,” said Nuge. Junita Wilinautu echoed this sentiment. In her view, updating the language in a Bible translation does not mean altering the Word of God, but rather helping people today to better understand the meaning of the Holy Scriptures. “In fact, the content of God’s Word has not changed; it is the language through which people understand that Word that has changed with the times,” said Junita.

 

The large number of visitors also posed a challenge in itself for the organising committee. With more than 5,500 participants, the flow of visitors to the exhibition and seminar areas was extremely heavy. On several occasions, the organising committee had to go the extra mile to ensure that the entire programme of events ran smoothly.

 

In addition to exhibitions of items from the Bible Museum’s collection, competitions and seminars, Bible Week also provides a platform for community economic empowerment through booths run by MSMEs supported by Bank NTT. Visitors can also view various Bible publications from the Indonesian Bible Society (LAI), as well as other publishers, such as: UBB GMIT, Kalam Hidup, and BPK Gunung Mulia.

 

The organising committee expressed its appreciation to the Kupang City Council for hosting the event and providing support for the inaugural Bible Week. Support also came from the Head of the Bank Indonesia Representative Office for East Nusa Tenggara Province, Adidoyo Prakoso, who also supported the organisation of the event.

 

Appreciation was also expressed by the LAI Central Office team directly involved in the Bible Museum’s operations. A member of staff from the LAI Central Office in Jakarta described the Kupang Bible Week as one of the largest Bible Museum exhibitions they had ever been involved in. In a WhatsApp message, he even remarked that the exhibition’s design and décor felt akin to a Bible museum in the United States.

 

LAI Museum curator Wahyu Anas, who was on hand throughout the event, described the enthusiasm of the people of Kupang with great passion.&“Kupang Bible Week was truly fly to the moon. I felt my energy was at its absolute peak. Perhaps this is what it felt like when the Lord Jesus ministered to and taught more than five thousand people from morning until night,” he said.

 

It is hoped that the success of this inaugural Bible Week will not end with just a four-day event. The enthusiasm shown by the people of Kupang is a vital asset for building a broader movement to foster a love for the Word of God.

 

Through the theme “God’s Word from Generation to Generation”, Bible Week serves as a reminder of every Christian’s calling to share God’s works with the next generation. As the message in Psalm 78:3–4 states, faith is not only to be lived out, but also to be passed on, so that the knowledge of the Lord may continue to live and grow from one generation to the next.