SHARINGFALL/WINTER 2015

WELCOMETO THE RETURN OF SHARING MAGAZINE!

We’re excited to reintroduce you to this special publication and share stories about what God is doing through Community Bible Study. In the past few years, we’ve seen God at work in lives around the globe … and we’ve heard so many reports of lives being changed through the study of His Word that we just had to find a way to, well, share them!

Each new edition of Sharing magazine will highlight where God is working in CBS. In this first edition, we’re giving you a look at the big picture. And we do mean big! God has expanded the ministry into more than 80 countries.

Enjoy these stories of God at work, and plan to join us for future editions of Sharing as we highlight His work among all ages around the globe.

Come and see how God is transforming lives through His Word!

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TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IN OUR COMMUNIT IES THROUGH CARING , IN-DEPTH BIBLE STUDY , AVAILABLE TO ALL .

MISSION STATEMENT

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A NOTE FROM K IMM

A NOTE FROM K IMM04

CBS INTRODUCT ION06ISAIAH 55

KIMM CARR

Executive Director, CBS

Jesus never drew lines. He never said, “Ok … I’ll teach her God’s Word … and I’ll heal him. But, sorry, I can’t help you because you’re different.”

In God’s eyes, all means “all.” Everyone. Whoever will.

That’s why I love to read Isaiah 55. It star ts with such a warm welcome. A welcome from the hear t of God: “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters.” And to all who come, God promises redemption. Transformation. Relationship. No one who comes to Him is ever turned away. God is available to all. At Community Bible Study, we long to follow the hear t of God. To make His Word available to anyone and everyone who wants to accept Christ’s invitation to come. Our invitation extends across denominational lines. Across political lines. And across international boundaries. Wherever people desire to learn about Christ and to become His disciples.

I’m excited to share with you how God is working here in the United States and in 85 other countries around the world. As you flip through the pages of Sharing magazine, you’ll read stories of lives changed through the power of God’s Word. I hope that as you read, you’ll be encouraged to pray for CBS brothers and sisters around the world and encouraged to keep growing in God’s Word.

Thank you for sharing your time and your life with Community Bible Study. Thank you for helping us extend Christ’s welcome with those who need to hear. All of them.

Love,

Kimm

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CBS IN EUROPE14

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CBS M IN I STRY SURV I VES ATTACK

CONTENTS

THE AFR IC A CHALLENGE15

18 FUTURE PLANS AND BUDGET

ONE MORE CHANCE

CBS … F IRST 40 YEARS

M IN I STRY SNAPSHOTS

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CBS INTRODUCTIONCommunity. It’s our hear tbeat. A communion united by purpose: to support one another through the study of Scripture and to encourage each other to walk more closely with Christ each day.

No matter where you experience Community Bible Study, you’ll find a warm welcome and a grace-filled fellowship. From the very beginning, our mission at CBS has been to make disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, and our vision has been to see lives transformed through the Word of God. God has called us to develop in-depth Bible studies for people in all walks of life. Here is a brief snapshot of the people we serve and the five essentials we are called to practice as we bring His Word to those who long to hear.

FIVE ESSENTIALSI N D I V I D UA L S T U DYTransformation happens as individuals engage with God in His Word. Stimulating Home Study Questions help par ticipants apply the timeless truths of the Bible to their daily lives.

E N C O U R AG I N G D I S C U S S I O NParticipants gain additional insights and grow in their confidence with God’s Word as they discuss the Bible passage in a safe small-group setting.

E F F E C T I V E T E AC H I N GTrained teachers highlight and illustrate the central idea of the Bible passage and its practical application in each person’s life.

I N S I G H T F U L C O M M E N TA RYRespected theologians help par ticipants understand the passage’s historical context and how the passage relates to the rest of Scripture.

C A R I N G C O M M U N I T YCaring leaders pray for and encourage par ticipants to grow spiritually and to connect with one another in a loving and supportive community.

As we seek to follow God’s leading, we see Him continue to open new doors for the ministry. We are humbled and honored to be a par t of His great work.

WE SERVEADULTS

CHILDREN

STUDENTS

YOUNG ADULTS

PRISONERS

SPECIAL-NEEDS ADULTS

86 COUNTRIES

64 LANGUAGES

NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS IN THE USA

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Click video to watch the powerful testimony of Katherine Wolf – former model,

stroke survivor and speaker.

WHAT CBS PARTICIPANTS SAY ABOUT THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF GOD’S WORD

“My boys love CBS ; they love their teachers, the stories, their fr iends, the songs, and their craf ts ! They love CBS so much that they even like to ‘play’ CBS.”

Melissa, Anaheim Hills, CA

“I asked my mother if she might like to come to CBS and study Genesis and see her daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter every week ! And again, to my

surprise, she said ‘Yes ! ’ Four generations are praising God together!”Vicki, St. Louis, MO

COME, EVERYONE WHO THIRSTS , COME TO THE WATERS… 7

ONE MORE CHANCE

Karen and her mom in 2011

“I felt so encircled with prayer. I had such hope ! ”

Karen, a Community Bible Study participant, shares

her journey to finding the mother she never knew;

and how a CBS community supported her.

Karen had been g iven up for adopt ion, but when i t came to her b ir th mother, she never gave up hope .

In 2011, Karen star ted sifting through 46 years of records and addresses, hoping to find the woman who had given her up for adoption. “I thought if God wanted me to be in her life then He would open the doors.” After a lengthy search, Karen narrowed her search down to a short list of names. Then she star ted calling everyone on her list. One of the phone calls was answered by a woman named Ruth Ann. “Your given name,” the woman said, “is Melissa Ann.” At long last, Karen had located her bir th mother.

The women talked for hours and before they hung up, Karen and Ruth Ann agreed to meet in person. When the day came, Karen met and prayed with

her CBS friends, asking God to bless the reunion. God answered. “When I walked up to her house she met me with a smile and a hug and some

tears,” Karen says. “We spent the whole day together.”

The bond between the women deepened. “We grew very close very fast and shared a lot of sweet moments together.” But Karen noticed a difference between herself and her mother. “Something was missing in her life: a relationship with Jesus Christ.” When Karen shared her faith, Ruth Ann was quick to set boundaries about such topics. “She told me

up front that would be an ‘off limits’ subject with her because she did not believe.” Karen respected her mother’s request but refused to take no for an answer. “I prayed God would speak to her hear t and make a way.”

GOODBYE SO SOON

Karen’s opportunity to share Christ came sooner than expected. In the spring of 2014, Ruth Ann suffered severe breathing problems. The doctor’s diagnosis: a paralyzed diaphragm. Despite treatment, Ruth Ann’s problems worsened, and by October 2014, she contracted pneumonia. Doctors placed her on a ventilator and kept her heavily sedated as they fought the illness. Ruth Ann’s condition worsened. There was little that anyone could do.

Karen, meanwhile, continued to pray for an opportunity to witness to her mother. She also prayed for a Christian nurse who would understand Ruth Ann’s spiritual needs. God listened. Not long afterward, Karen was sitting in her mother’s hospital room, reading Scripture when a nurse named Rita came to check on Ruth Ann. It was a checkup that Karen never forgot. “Rita came in and said to me, ‘I like the book you’re reading.’ I knew right then that God heard and was answering my prayer.”

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Karen holding her mom’s hand the day before she passed away

A S I STER IN SCRUBS

God had even more surprises in store for Karen. As she and the nurse talked, they found they shared a common bond. Both were involved in Community Bible Study groups. “She was a CBS sister! Not only her, but there were two other nurses on the floor who were CBS sisters.” What happened next is par t of the reason Community Bible Study exists. Rita told her co-workers about Ruth Ann’s spiritual needs, and the three of them star ted praying. Word spread to Karen’s CBS group, and the request was sent to an area director who then aler ted other groups in the region, each one praying for Karen and her mother. “I felt so encircled with prayer. I had such hope!”

Karen asked the nurse to lower her mother’s medication so she could share the gospel with Ruth Ann. “I prayed and prayed, and then I spoke to her.” But Ruth Ann was not ready to listen. “After I told her the gospel, she got very agitated, and Rita came in and had to sedate her again.”

24 HOURS TO L IVE

Ruth Ann’s body was failing. Both lungs were infected and were no longer working. Plans were made to remove life support. Karen sat by her mother’s side, explained the decision, and let her know the time and date of the final procedure. She again shared Christ with her mother. “With one more day left, I asked her if she had made peace with God through Jesus Christ, and if so, to lift her eyes because she was so weak she couldn’t squeeze my hand. She shut her eyes tight and winced in pain, so again she was put back under sedation.” Karen was desperate to make her mother understand. “I didn’t know if I would have another chance to talk to her.”

THE F INAL CONVERSATION

On Ruth Ann’s last day, mother and daughter shared a few final moments together. “I was so scared to talk with her anymore. I was afraid she would again reject Jesus and die without Him. I told her this was the last time we would talk, and I asked her if she had thought about her salvation and made peace with God. Her eyes welled up, and she cried and nodded yes and squeezed my hand tightly!” Karen’s prayers were answered. “I fell on her chest and cried and praised God.”

In the space of three short years, Karen had found her bir th mother, lost her bir th mother, but gained precious memories of an unexpected relationship. She also experienced God’s unforgettable grace. A grace that changed her mother’s hear t and gave Karen the promise of an eternity together with Ruth Ann. She also discovered the unexpected gift of community. “I was very thankful for my CBS sisters, who God placed around me to hold me up in prayer through this time. In turn, they shared my joy of the complete goodness of God to me.”

HEAR, THAT YOUR SOUL MAY L IVE … 9

CBS … F IRST 40 YEARS

U.S. CLASSES

God started with a single class in 1975 and spread caring, in-depth Bible study across the USA and around the world — and He’s not done yet!

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7,1921980

21,2501985

35,0501990

51, 6501995

75,0002000

104,0012005

142,7682010

233,5202015

5001975

USA

THE AMERICAS

AFRICA

EUROPE

SOUTH ASIA

EAST ASIA-PACIFICMIDDLE EAST

GLOBAL PARTICIPANTS

86 COUNTRIES 64 LANGUAGES

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CBS MINISTRY SURVIVES AT TACK

Niger church after the fire

Once t he b l a ze bu rned ou t , P a s to r Rem i re tu rned to h i s home , hop i n g t h a t a f ew o f h i s po s se s s i on s h ad e s c aped t he f l ames . Wha t he found was no th i n g shor t o f m i r a cu lou s .

Jesus told His disciples that there is a cost for following Him: “In the world you will have tribulation.”

Two thousand years later, His words continue to ring true. Even fellow CBS par ticipants are suffering for the cause of Christ. But like those early believers, today’s persecuted Christians hold fast to Christ’s promise in John 16:33: “But take hear t; I have overcome the world.” One pastor from the country of Niger has experienced both persecution and Christ’s promise.

Muslims in Niger rioted after their nation’s president took a stand against Muslim attacks. Islamic leaders were outraged and turned their anger toward the Niger Christian community. Rioters burned nearly 70 churches and homes in the country. One of those churches – the hardest hit – belonged to Pastor Remi.

When the riots were over, Pastor Remi’s church was little more than a burned-out shell. Everything inside was gone: seats, the sound system, and the roof were destroyed in the flames. Pastor Remi also lost his home when rioters set the house ablaze. The pastor and his family escaped with only the clothes on their backs and a laptop computer. The house fire was so intense that two of the rioters died in the flames.

In one corner of the building lay a stack of perfectly preserved Bible lessons. The CBS study of the book of Acts had survived the fire.

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CBS Bible Study lessons that survived the fire in Pastor Remi’s home

Pastor Remi’s Bible that survived the blaze

As word of the discovery made its way through the town, the pastors of four nearby churches came to visit Pastor Remi. Each pastor held CBS studies in their church and wanted to see the Bible lessons for themselves. It was a cause for celebration. The pastors took the discovery as a sign that God was spotlighting their people’s need for in-depth Bible study.

As a result of Pastor Remi’s tragedy, seven other pastors heard about the CBS lessons and began hosting studies in their churches. As for Pastor Remi, his faith has grown stronger. He and his family continue preaching and teaching, confident that God will provide for their needs.

Currently, 12 CBS groups are meeting in the town of Niamey, Niger. Pastor Remi’s group is among them. While they struggle to find meeting places, they continue to come together for study – sometimes reading by candlelight or flashlights. Their faith is spreading. While Muslim rioters had hoped to extinguish the light of Christianity, God has turned the situation into a beacon of hope. Now, churches in other African nations are asking for Community Bible Study lessons so they too can share this in-depth teaching with their communities.

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CBS IN EUROPEThe ongoing violence in the Middle East is forcing people to flee their homes and seek refuge abroad. Refugees from Syria and Iraq find new homes among the growing Arabic-speaking Muslim and Christian communities in Europe. And it is here in countries like France, England and Germany that the Christian Church has an opportunity to bridge the gap between East and West, and share the Good News with those who may have never had the chance to hear it in their homeland.

For many years, Europe has struggled to deal with the influx of Arabic-speaking immigrants. Nations like France find that the Muslim population is growing faster than any other people group. Communities – European and Islamic – struggle to integrate. Suspicion and unrest have become the norm. There are no easy answers.

But God is stirring hearts, raising up leaders who, like Wycliffe, Luther and Tyndale, challenge the Church to share the Gospel in a fresh, clear way so that people of all nations can hear and understand the story of Jesus.

Ashraf is one of these leaders. Ashraf works with Community Bible Study International. He and his colleagues are translating CBS studies into the Arabic language.

Current studies include the books of Luke, Genesis, and Daniel. When not involved in translation work, Ashraf meets with young Muslim men and women – many of whom are disillusioned by the violence and destruction committed in the name of Islam.

Within the CBSI groups that are being created all over Europe are Arabic-speaking Christians from a variety of backgrounds. Ashraf sees the value of such diverse groups which will serve to strengthen and deepen the Christians’ faith and bring former Muslims to a new-found faith in Jesus.

Please pray for protection for Ashraf and for CBS leaders who are ministering to Arabic speaking people in Europe. Pray that God will open hear ts to His Word. Some CBS par ticipants have seen nothing but hatred and violence. Pray that they will come face-to-face with the Prince of Peace and experience life-changing transformation.

Ashraf, key CBS leader in Europe

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THE AFR ICA CHALLENGE

CLICK HERE TO PARTICIPATE

God is doing amazing things in Africa! More countries are asking us to bring CBS’s life-changing Bible studies to their communities, but we do not yet have the resources to say yes to all the requests. Now there’s a way to help! Friends of the ministry want to support Community Bible Study International’s expansion into 10 African nations, so they’ve launched the Africa Challenge.

That means when you give to the Africa Challenge, your gift will be doubled for twice the impact! A gift of $100 becomes $200 with the match, and $1,000 becomes $2,000.

Will you pray about making a donation to help us reach the $40,000 matching grant for the Africa region? Please share this ministry outreach with your local class and prayerfully consider par ticipating in the Africa Challenge grant. And be sure to write “Africa Challenge” on your check memo line or specify “Africa Region” for your online gift. Thank you! God’s Word is powerful in every language and culture. Imagine the difference we can make!

These fr iends wil l match donations to the Afr ica region up to $40,000 through Apr i l 19, 2016!

MY WORD … SHALL NOT RETURN TO ME EMPTY … 15

MINISTRY SNAPSHOTSThe Commun i t y B ib l e S tudy f am i l y reaches a round the wor ld . God ha s b l e s sed the p rayer s o f H i s peop le and the s tudy o f H i s Word by open ing doors to b r i ng CBS g roups and l e s sons to na t ions hungr y fo r the Good News .

Click video to see testimonials from CBS members.

WHEN I GROW UP

Sherry – a CBS par ticipant in Sulphur Springs, Texas – was driving her 4-year-old daughter Sarah and her friend Cassie to their weekly CBS classes when she overheard the young girls talking.

“When I grow up,” Cassie said, “I want to be a nurse.”

“I want to be a princess,” Sherry’s daughter Sarah replied.

“You can’t be a princess,” Cassie corrected her friend. “We live in America.”

Sarah held fast to her dream, claiming that her Community Bible Study teacher had told her there were no such rules. “Miss Gail says that Jesus is the King of Kings, and since I belong to Jesus, that makes me His princess!”

Sarah may be only 4 years old, but it sounds as though she’s quickly developing a grown-up faith!

FOR YOU SHALL GO OUT IN JOY …16

FROM WITCH DOCTOR TO WITNESS : JUDITH’S STORY

Judith’s daughter-in-law was dying. So in keeping with her African tribal religions, Judith slaughtered a goat, hoping it would appease the evil spirits and restore the girl’s life.

It wasn’t the first time Judith had conducted a sacrifice. Satanic rituals and dark practices were a part of her life as a witch doctor. But this time, something went wrong, and Judith was on the receiving end of the spirits’ anger. “I fell down and lost consciousness and was nearly dead for three days. When I came back to life, I found my daughter-in-law had died. I was very disappointed.”

Then something happened that Judith could not explain. “I heard a voice calling me, and I could not see a person. I immediately woke up and went to church so that they could pray for me.”

She also turned away from the darkness and evil spirits. “I gave my life to Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God. I repented of all of my sins, and He forgave me. I love Jesus and I will never go away from Him. In my trials and problems He meets me, and He meets all my needs.” Judith now attends a CBS study in her city. “It is my prayer that we continue getting CBS materials to help us study the Bible all of our days.”

A FAMILY AFFA IR

When Christ changes a life, people take notice! In fact, one person’s testimony can often influence others to put their faith in Jesus. That’s exactly what happened when Jay, a prisoner at a Pennsylvania correctional facility, became a Christian and star ted attending a CBS class.

When he learned that his CBS teacher attended church in the same town where his mother lived, Jay encouraged his mother to visit the church. She attended, received Christ, and invited her boyfriend to come to church. It took some time to convince him, but after he saw the changes in Jay and Jay’s mom, he too agreed to visit.

His decision was life-changing. Not only did he commit to Christ, but when the church pastor showed him God’s views on marriage, the boyfriend realized he couldn’t keep living with Jay’s mom. But he wasn’t ready to give up the relationship! Instead, he looked at the minister and replied, “Then I guess I’m gonna have to get the camper out till we can get married.” God’s Word is still changing lives, and we’re honored to play a small part in sharing it with others.

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FUTURE PL ANS AND BUDGETThroughout the pa s t 40 yea r s , we ’ve seen God ’s f a i t h f u l ne s s a s we seek to fo l l ow H i s l e ad ing . And we rema in commi t ted to H im a s we look ahead to f u tu re m in i s t r y oppor tun i t i e s . Commun i t y B ib l e S tudy ’s goa l s fo r the fo re seeab l e f u tu re a re :

MULTIPLY UNIFY SIMPLIFY FORTIFY

We will grow CBS as the Lord leads.

We will restructure CBS to reflect one unified ministry

within five years.

We will simplify the process for creating and operating CBS classes

CBS F i nances : Your G i f t s , God ’s Work

Curr i cu lum Leader sh ip Tra in ing and Deve lopment

Techno logy Next Generat ion of Ch i ldren & Young

Peop le

Host Church Suppor t

In ternat iona l Min i s t r y

Loca l C lass Operat ions & Shepherd ing

F ie ld Suppor t

10.1% 14.5% 7.6% 16.1% 7.2% 13.2% 12.9% 18.3%

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Understanding that CBS’s resources are God’s provision, we will develop financial

plans to support the needs of the ministry while guarding the core essentials of CBS and remaining true to the Word of God.

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CBS F i nances : Your G i f t s , God ’s Work

ISAIAH 55, ESV

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money,

come, buy and eat ! Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without price.

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,

and delight yourselves in r ich food.

Incline your ear, and come to me;

hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,

my steadfast, sure love for David.

Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.

Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,

because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,

for he has glorif ied you.

“Seek the Lord while he may be found ; call upon him while he is near ;

let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts ;

let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,

declares the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the ear th, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there

but water the ear th, making it bring for th and sprout,

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it .

“For you shall go out in joy and be led for th in peace ;

the mountains and the hills before you shall break for th into singing, and all the trees of the f ield

shall clap their hands.

Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress ; instead of the brier shall come up the myr tle ;

and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign

that shall not be cut off.”

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