Dear friends of CGM,
Thank you for taking an interest in the work of the Centre for Global Mission (CGM). Thank you, as well, if you have recently given money in support of CGM or one of the CGM translation projects. Your gift is a great answer to prayer. Your generosity means that we can make progress on a number of important translation projects for which we have no stable funding.
Since our last newsletter, our CGM team has worked hard to see Bible-based resources made available to a growing number of partners around the world. We have responded to enquiries from ministries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Our conversations have included access to the PTC resources (Moore College Correspondence Course material); translation into various languages and the continuing roll-out of our new PTC Lesson Apps.
In this newsletter we will give an update from one of our partners, share some interesting developments at CGM and provide details about our upcoming event.
PARTNER UPDATE:
AFRICAN ENTERPRISE PTC PROGRAM
We reported in a previous newsletter about African Enterprise’s use of PTC in various African countries to train local pastors. Here is a little background before adding an update.
The main ministry of African Enterprise (AE) is to carry out large evangelistic campaigns in Africa’s cities. Those who respond at these events are referred to local churches for follow-up, but the pastors of these local churches often have no formal training. AE uses PTC to meet this need, offering training to otherwise untrained local pastors.
The once successful PTC program in various African countries collapsed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and personnel changes, but the need for this program is still the same. Now, the CEO of African Enterprise Australasia, The Rev Simba Musvamhiri, has relaunched the program with the help of a number of clergy and lay people from Sydney.
The ‘PTC relaunch project’ initially involves trained people from Sydney heading to Zimbabwe and Rwanda to teach PTC to those who will then become local PTC teachers (i.e. train the trainer). It is hoped that the program may be extended in time to Kenya and Ghana.
2024 TEACHING TRIP
In Zimbabwe courses were run in May and October by Stephen Liggins, Chris Jones and Anthony Donato and his team from Harare Theological College. 30-50 students studied the Introduction to the Bible and Old Testament 1.
In 2025 there are planned visits to Rwanda in May and September (involving 5 teachers from Sydney) and two further visits to Zimbabwe in July and October (involving 2 teachers from Sydney).
Please pray for those who respond to Christ at AE evangelistic events in African cities and their subsequent discipling by local pastors. Pray too for the relaunch of the PTC pastors’ training program in Zimbabwe and Rwanda – pray for those who are travelling from Sydney to teach and those who are being trained as future PTC trainers.
TRANSLATION UPDATE
Many of our partners require PTC resources in a language other than English. A translation project does not just involve translation of the PTC subject notes but also involves:
- translation of Multiple-Choice Question Banks (often requiring translation of an equal or greater word-count than the subject notes)
- translation of images text (from the notes) and the creation of the images for each language and subject
- preparation of the translated notes and Question Banks for online use
- preparation of the translated notes and Question Banks for the new PTC Lesson Apps (providing interactive offline access).
These are highlights of progress with our translations and the PTC Lesson Apps in other languages:
We have two CGM partners ready to commence using the PTC Lesson Apps in French & Malagasy in May 2025. We will be working towards having all translated subjects available in the PTC Lesson Apps.
FRENCH
19 subjects (notes and Question Banks) are completed and in use by several CGM Partners. Four subjects have been prepared for the PTC Lesson Apps, with at least three more to be completed in the coming weeks.
MALAGASY
With the completion of the first level 2 subject (NT2), there are now seven subjects available in Malagasy. Two subjects have been prepared for PTC Lesson Apps, with at least two more to be completed in the coming weeks.
THAI
The Thai translation team have completed a further 2 subjects and are busy working on several other subjects. There are now 5 subjects available in Thai with two more currently being prepared by CGM.
LISU
There are around 1 million people who speak the Lisu language (located in northern Myanmar, northern Thailand, southern China and northern India). The first 2 subjects (notes and Question Banks) have been translated and the translation team are currently working on several other subjects. CGM has some final preparation work to complete so that the Lisu subjects can be used by our CGM Partner.
HINDI
Translation of the first subject has been completed. CGM is in the final stages of preparing Hindi ITB and it should be available to our CGM Partner within the next couple of weeks.
Please pray for those who are working on translation projects. Give thanks for the subjects that have already been completed. Give thanks and pray for the many students who can study PTC in their heart language. Pray for the CGM team as they prepare the Offline Lesson Apps. Pray that more translation work can be completed, providing greater access to theological resources in the least-resourced parts of the world.
2024 ANNUAL PARTNER SURVEY
Each year we survey all our partners – and the majority respond! This is very important for our team as we gather helpful information, including:
- Student activity for each partner (i.e. how many subjects studied and how many students)
- How useful the courses are to our partners’ students
- Partners and their students’ experience in using the CGM IT tools
- What situations or limitations the partners’ students may experience (e.g. available technology, access to the internet, cost of printing)
- Difficulties faced by partners in delivering courses
- What we at CGM can do to help.
We also get some encouraging feedback. For instance, this message from the Diocese of Trinidad & Tobago: “The Moore College Course Manuals and Examination Questions are most helpful to the Diocese in the preparation of Lay Ministers and Candidates for the Diaconate. The manuals are well-written and the information presented are suitable to our current needs.”
In the most recent survey, we also asked our partners about potential use of our new PTC Lesson Apps (interactive offline technology). 10 partners indicated strong interest in using the Lesson Apps in English and other languages. We have begun rolling these out. As mentioned in our translation update above, some further subject preparation is required but progress is being made. One partner has already begun using the PTC Lesson Apps in English.
PTC AND CGM AWARENESS WEEK @ MOORE COLLEGE:
26 – 30 MAY
For many decades, PTC has been an effective tool for people to learn how to read the Bible well and also to learn how to think in a Biblical way. It has been used widely, in Sydney and other parts of Australia, and via CGM where people from over 50 countries have benefited from this teaching.
But for current students at Moore College and indeed for recent graduates, many don’t know much about PTC or how useful it is as a tool in local church ministry here in Australia. While the demand for PTC is high around the world, with thousands studying PTC in many languages through CGM, there are relatively few using PTC in Sydney and in other parts of Australia. While awareness of PTC is low, many students and graduates also are not aware of the work of CGM.
Both the Moore PTC Department and CGM want to change this – at least for current students. In the last week of May, in the lead-up to the Moore PTC graduation event, we will hold the PTC/CGM Awareness Week. During the week, at both morning tea and lunch, students will have the opportunity to interact with the PTC and CGM Teams.
Please pray that students will become more aware of Moore PTC and CGM and that in the future they will use PTC in their ministries and support the work of CGM.
Please note the difference between the Moore PTC Department and CGM:
Moore PTC – students enrol with Moore College, pay per subject and on completion of subjects receive Moore College awards (non-accredited).
CGM – has no students but provides PTC to partner churches or organisations which teach the courses to their students and give awards in their own name when their students complete courses. CGM facilitates the work of its partners by developing IT tools for our partners so that they can deliver courses to their students and also translates PTC in other languages, as required (and as funds permit).
CGM ANNUAL EVENT:
EMBRACING HARD MINISTRY – THE BIBLE AND THE PRACTICE OF GLOBAL MISSION
Since New Testament times, some of those motivated with a passion for sharing the Good News of Jesus have embraced ministry in very hard places, struggling with stony ground and with little or no obvious gospel fruit. For hundreds of years and in many places around the world, this has also been the experience of some cross-cultural mission workers.
But what does God think? Whether in a local church or in a missionary location, how does someone decide between struggling on faithfully, despite the lack of visible gospel fruit or moving to more fertile ground where God’s Spirit is more obviously working and where fruit is more available?
To help us think through these types of questions, Richard Chin will help us examine the Bible and David Williams will give insights from the history and practice of Global Mission. A question time and panel discussion will follow.
Why not come in person with your Bible Study group or watch individually or with a group online? To book please go to: CGM: Embracing Hard Ministry: The bible and the practice of Global Mission – Moore College
Serving missionaries and the Moore College community have free entry and for all others there is a small fee to cover costs.
PRAY
Please continue to pray for all of the CGM partners around the world. Pray as they identify the most effective means to deliver PTC courses to students in their varied local contexts.
Please pray as well for our CGM Team:
- Marty Olmos – Educational Technologist
- Rev Tim Hu – IT and Partner Training
- Lynn Darwall – Translation coordination and CGM administration
- Bishop Malcolm Richards – CGM Director
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.
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.
Thank you.
Read more . . .
