The Churches and Christian communities in Telangana pay attention to future needs of the people of Telangana. Obliged to the mandate of Jesus our Lord “to make disciples of every ethnic community” (Matthew 28:19), the Bible is presented as a Book for all people to read without any barriers based on caste, creed, gender, region, and religion. We look forward to engaging with people holding to various scriptures. The literature potentialities shared by masses in Europe, America, (also in Latin America) and elsewhere, as discussed above, needs to be presented to our people. The relevance of Jesus and his message needs to be re-articulated to suit the needs of our times. In order to engage with people from every walk, every language and caste, we look forward to enabling the Churches and Christian Communities to present a Bible in Every Home. Approximately four crores Telangana population live in approximately one crore households. Therefore, Bible Society Telangana Auxiliary needs to equip itself to supply one crore Bibles, one Bible to Every Home.
Let us start with the household of Christian communities. The Christian communities to a greater extent live in rural Telangana, who hardly own a Holy Bible. I am afraid that the rural Christian communities may take the New Testament for complete Bible! We are yet to generate a scientific data enquiring about Bibles among the Christian households. Let us, therefore, make sure that “Bible to Every Person” within the Christian Communities. After ensuring Bible in Every Home and Bible to Every Person, it is possible to start scripture engagement to understand God’s activity for liberation from idolatry and sinful structures.
The following are immediate steps towards the aspired ministries of BSI Telangana Auxiliary.
1. We urgently need partnership of Christians as “Patrons” for Telangana Auxiliary, promising a contribution of expenses towards printing of 20 Bibles & cost of each Bible is around Rs. 500/- only.
2. Each Christian need to plan for distribution of at least 12 Holy Bibles in a year; one in every 30 days.
3. Each town Church needs to plan for distribution of a minimum 365 Bibles to the rural Christian communities in a year, i.e., one Bible per day.
4. The women in Church needs to pay special attention to Bible distribution; see that every Pastor’s wife, every woman in the congregation, should own a devotional Bible and develop skills to read and write.
5. In a year one Sunday Service should be allotted for the Bible Society informing developments within the Bible Society of India and making the every person as a partner with the ministries of Bible Society.
6. Formation of Bible Society Branches to facilitate participation of youth, women and men, Sunday school children in the missionary vision centred on the Holy Bible.
7. Theologically speaking Christian communities in Telangana, like elsewhere, are joyfully contributing towards building of new church buildings, renovation of old buildings, towards theological training programmes, and towards ministries of different nature. All of it is very much needed. At the same time the household of God needs to be partners in printing, publishing, distribution of the Holy Bibles and engagement with the communities using the Holy Bible. Through distribution and scriptural engagement discipleship is possible. Therefore, let us renew our mission agenda with prayer and reading of scriptures with the others; reading of scriptures publicly.
