Pastor Lalit* leads a church in South Asia. When he heard about ShareWord Global he jumped at the opportunity to host an Ignite evangelism training event. He knew the power of the gospel and knew that the members of the church needed training to share it.
It was at this event that he and his church received the Light magazine to share with their community. The Light magazine was first created for a Canadian audience, but as more ministry work was done internationally, something needed to be done. Nothing in the magazine looks like Pastor Lalit’s world. A photographer was engaged with taking South Asian-style photos and made it brighter from a colour palette perspective.
Scripture verses used in the magazine were selected to match the cultures in the region, one of which was Hinduism. The pillars of the Hindu faith were taken into consideration, and what the gospel says about it. The religious and social contexts were incorporated, along with the language.
The love and thought that went into contextualizing this magazine for a South Asian audience was what made Pastor Lalit so excited to use this resource. Many people in his neighbourhood were Muslim and Hindu, and he felt this was the perfect starting point before giving new believers a full Bible.
Dheeraj* was excited to use this resource, too. Every day, he sat in a nearby park and read the Light magazine. Passersby would ask what he was reading, and he always explained who Jesus is and gave his testimony. Sometimes they would ask for a copy of the magazine, and Dheeraj always wrote his name and contact information on the magazine, along with an invitation to church.
Days passed, and then months. Dheeraj continued to sit in the park. But no one called. That didn’t stop him from continuing to pray for each and every person he spoke to.
Then one day at church, the pastor asked if there were any first-time visitors in the congregation. Seven people stood up. And when the pastor asked who invited them, they all had the same answer: Dheeraj, the man sitting in the park with the Light magazine.
This one idea, a dedication to sharing the gospel with the lost around the world created the Light magazine and has reached so many people in South Asia. It has shared the Light of the World, and Pastor Lalit is only one of the faithful believers helping to spread it.