Dear Friends,
Thank you for your continued interest in CGM and the work of providing good quality theological education material to partner organisations around the world. We are grateful for your prayers and for your financial support.
In this newsletter you will find updates about our PTC translation projects; a new subject in our resources; and a trial of some new technologies. We will also introduce you to two of CGM’s partner organisations.
PTC TRANSLATION PROJECTS
We have about 14 active translation projects. Good progress has been made with some of our major translation projects, for example:
French
19 of 20 subjects have been translated into French. 12 of these subjects are available online while the remainder are in the queue to be made ready for online use.
Portuguese
Again 19 of 20 subjects have been translated. Four are currently available, while the rest are in the queue for processing. We are working hard to make more subjects available.
Malagasy
8 subjects have been completed with the translators working on 2 more. 6 subjects are currently being used by our partners in Madagascar – St Patrick’s Bible College and in PTC training seminars.
NEW TRANSLATION PROJECTS
Lisu
Our partner in Thailand (JOFC) has begun work on the translation of PTC into the Lisu language which will be used in Myanmar and Thailand among the Lisu people.
Tongan
Translation of the first subject has begun. This is our first Pacific Islands language project.
Nepali
This translation project will initially help the Nepali community in Sydney but it is hoped that it will be a valuable resource for the rapidly growing church in Nepal.
PRAY
PRAY for all of our translation teams.
Translation is a detailed and time-consuming process and some of the teams can only work on the projects part-time. Their work is invaluable to the students who can study Biblical theology in their native language. Give thanks for the many subjects that have already been completed and in use around the world. Pray for the ongoing work of translation for all of the above languages. Give thanks for funding that has already been received for these projects.
GIVE
Would you like to support our translation projects? Some projects are fully-funded but others are in need of funds. See our website to donate to one or more of our projects. You can give to our CGM Translation Fund to support all of our projects (where needed) or you can give to a specific language.
A NEW SUBJECT
A new subject is being added to our PTC resources – New Testament 4 (NT4), which provides an overview of Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, Jude, and Revelation. We can now offer 20 subjects to our Partners.
We are currently preparing this subject for Partner use. Our French & Portuguese translators are ready to begin translation of NT4.
TRIAL OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES
“Offline Interactive”
We have reported in a previous newsletter about the development by CGM of a technology which allows PTC subjects to be downloaded on devices – even low-spec phones often used in developing countries. What is exciting about this technology is that the interactive parts of the subject (i.e. revision quizzes and exams that are automatically marked and which gives feedback to students) will function properly offline. This means that an internet connection is only needed for the initial download of the subject. However, our team is also working on a device which can create a local Wi-Fi hotspot, which will allow students to ‘download’ the subjects without any connection to a Wi-Fi network or mobile phone provider. This has great potential in developing countries where people have low-spec phones but either can’t afford to pay for data or where there is no mobile phone coverage.
We are planning to conduct a trial for this technology with one of our partners – the Anglican Church in Madagascar, using the local language of Malagasy.
PTC on Megavoice
Megavoice is a Christian ministry which began in Australia but now has a global reach. Megavoice creates or sources audio content and then distributes it via devices that they design and manufacture for use in developing countries. These devices are usually small and can be recharged using solar and/or other electrical sources.
Often the content on Megavoice devices is the Bible but other Christian teaching or teaching used in Christian ministries can be uploaded. We have agreed with Megavoice to conduct a trial of PTC on Megavoice.
We suspect that a purely audio version of a PTC subject will have limited use. This is because it was created as a text-based resource and definitely not written for use as an audio resource. However, we have recorded a PTC subject in Malagasy and we aim to trial it together with the ‘interactive offline’ technology. This technology would allow a student from an oral preference society to follow the text on their phone but also to listen to the lesson on their Megavoice device.
We are hopeful to conduct the trials for both technologies at the same time in Madagascar (in the Malagasy language), sometime in the coming months.
MEET OUR PARTNERS
MOCLAM
On the MOCLAM website its ministry is described in this way: ‘The goal of MOCLAM is to make accessible yet high quality theological education available to Spanish speakers throughout Ibero‑America. We offer an undergraduate program consisting of 18 subjects, which have a focus in biblical studies.’
MOCLAM is a CGM partner and their 18 subjects are based on Moore College’s PTC subjects.
MOCLAM has a close relationship with Moore College with all their course material being made available by Moore College through CGM. MOCLAM also has a strong relationship with CMS. All the current MOCLAM workers are CMS missionaries and, with one exception, all are Moore College graduates. The International Director of MOCLAM is CMS missionary, Adrian Lovell in Bolivia.
2024 is a consolidation year for MOCLAM after the Covid years. Covid lockdown in Latin America and also in Spain were long and many ministries suffered. However, 2024 is looking bright with MOCLAM intensives already being run in Mexico and Argentina in January.
EGLISE EVANGÉLIQUE LIBRE DE NOUVELLE CALÉDONIE (The Evangelical Free Church of New Caledonia)
The Evangelical Free Church is the largest protestant church in New Caledonia. They approached CGM a few years ago asking permission to use PTC in French as the basis for their pastor training in their Pastoral Institute (Institut de l’Eglise Evangélique Libre).
This came about through a Moore College graduate, Peter Hynes who is the pastor of an independent evangelical church that has links to this larger denomination. Initially Peter was the main teacher at the Institute but he has been slowly training a group of pastors in the denomination to take over the teaching responsibilities.
Peter continues to teach students in the latter years of the course and also to train the teachers. In 2024 there are 6 first-year students who will be taught by local teachers.
Pray for the students, as well as the main teacher at the Institute, Pastor Beinon. Pray too for Peter Hynes as he teaches and mentors the teachers.
Please pray for MOCLAM and The Evangelical Free Church of New Caledonia.
THANK YOU
We value your prayers for us and our partners. Check out our website and learn more about the ministry of CGM and our gospel partners. Please consider partnering with us in prayer and also by financial support of one of the exciting new translation projects
Thank you.
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