Last fall as the Ebola virus continued to spread in West Africa, mission-minded donors received word of an urgent global initiative to deliver The Story of Jesus to churches in Ghana.
The churches had already come together in 2013 to envision a national evangelism effort. They selected the illustrated story as an ideal resource to reach children and their families. Then Ebola raised the stakes.
The donors’ response was swift and generous. Because of the initiative, 5.3 million copies of The Story of Jesus were printed and delivered to Ghana by spring 2015—all for about sixteen cents per copy.
The virus came frightfully close to the country’s borders. It never crossed into Ghana, but it awakened a spiritual need.
Using The Story of Jesus, churches in Ghana are just beginning to minister to people who face those lingering questions of life and death. They need a spiritual remedy that only the gospel can provide.
Coming to Life
Reports from churches in Ghana affirm how The Story of Jesus comes to life in the hearts and minds of children. Each booklet includes a contact card from a nearby church to invite children and their families to attend and learn more about Jesus.
In a Dream
As Christians were distributing The Story of Jesus in a village, they came upon some boys playing soccer in a dusty playground. At first, none of the boys showed interest.
Then one of the spectators, who was watching the game, accepted a copy of the story and sat down to read it. One of the boys became curious—because he knew that the spectator was not a reader. Yet why was he so interested in the booklet? The boy accepted his own booklet and began reading the story.
Within moments, the game came to a halt. Soon all twenty-three boys had The Story of Jesus in their hands.
A boy named Fadi read the booklet on his way home. He finished reading it before nightfall and couldn’t stop thinking about Jesus as he went to bed. If Jesus is the way to heaven, then I want to follow Him. But to do so would go against my family tradition. Scenes from The Story of Jesus filled the boy’s dreams.
The next morning Fadi gave his life to Jesus. Three days later, he walked seven miles to a village to meet with a Christian who lived there.
Please Pray
Please pray for children like Fadi as they grow to love and know Jesus, and that entire families would be drawn to Christ through the outreach and ongoing ministry of local churches across Ghana.
We give thanks that the gospel is touching so many hearts in West Africa. Pray the The Story of Jesus will reach even more churches to share the good news with their communities.
