Biblefresh movement taking Gods Word even further

Christians across Britain have been celebrating the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible this year as part of Biblefresh, and they are helping God’s Word spread even further in the process.

So far, scores of creative projects and events have taken place to inspire Christians and non-Christians alike.

These include an inventive display at Peterborough Cathedral using 3,000 shoeboxes filled with different items to represent the 66 books of the Bible.

Boxes were filled with novel items such as knitted figleaves, Lego men being massacred, and the feeding of the 5,000 jelly babies.

A photographic competition saw lots of people come up with fun and clever pictures to demonstrate how the Bible has changed their lives. Some of them were even pictured far beyond the shores of Britain, including one of the winning entries, a group of men who were pictured at the Dead Sea covered in mud and holding a placard that read: ‘Now I am washed clean.’

The movement has so far raised £21,000 towards translating the Old Testament into Bissa Lebir and the New Testament into Bissa Barka, two native languages of the Bissa people in Burkina Faso, the world’s third poorest nation.

There have also been dozens of Biblefresh-inspired theatre performances, meals and training courses, but some of the most successful initiatives have harnessed social media and digital technology.

Some 30,000 Britons have contributed to the first hand-written Bible in multiple languages. The People’s Bible project has enabled people to handwrite verses using a digital pen.

Part of it will be bound and presented at a national service of celebration to be held at Westminster Abbey on November 16 in the presence of the Queen.

In another initiative, hundreds of Viral Bibles are being given out to random people at Christian festivals and events. Recipients are asked to underline their favourite passages before passing the Bible on to someone else.

Each Bible has a unique code printed on the cover that can then be entered online to track the Bible’s journey.

Some of the Bibles have already travelled across mainland Europe, Africa and North America so far, and to events like Glastonbury and the Church of England General Synod in York.

Krish Kandiah, director of Biblefresh, said: “The Bible's 66 books are inspiring thousands of Christians to live for God 365 days a year.

“The words of the Bible are being translated by Christians into millions of acts of kindness and compassion.

“Countless people, across the UK and around the world are receiving the message of God’s love and forgiveness.

“We're looking forward to the creativity that churches will bring to the Bible in the second half of 2011.”