Although this year the Indonesian Bible Society has entered its 71st year, there are still many Christians in Indonesia who do not fully understand the vision, mission and ministry of LAI. LAI and its partners often come to various churches and fellowships to introduce and convey their vision and mission. One of them was in the Sunday Service at the Maluku Protestant Church (GPM) Nehemia, Ambon. In a presentation that lasted about 7-10 minutes, LAI specifically conveyed the One in Love (SDK) Program which presents the Bible and its parts to Christians living in various remote areas in the archipelago. The SDK program seeks to meet the need for the Bible for God's people who have difficulty obtaining it due to economic and geographical factors. LAI has a vision for God's word to reach all generations. This means that the Good News must be easily obtained and easily accessible to everyone. This vision is outlined in the mission of translating, publishing, and presenting the Good News in partnership with various parties. Relying on its own strength, LAI will not be able to reach and serve all Christians spread across various regions in the archipelago. Therefore, partnerships with various groups including churches are a necessity.
In a presentation at GPM Nehemia, Ambon, LAI presented a video showing the ministry and impact of the SDK program, including SDK activities throughout 2024 and the plan to distribute the Bible through the SDK program for 2025. The SDK program has been running for more than 20 years, starting in 1990 when LAI raised support to distribute 2,500 Bibles in a year. A quarter of a century later, in 2025, LAI plans to distribute 155,000 Bibles to be distributed to 155,000 people of God in various parts of the archipelago. For the Maluku region, the main focus of the SDK program in 2025 is Seram Island (East Seram and North Seram Classis, a total of 32 congregations, 8,113 copies) and Buru Island (North and South, 59 congregations, 15,557 copies).
LAI invites the congregation to support the SDK 2025 program by praying, spreading information, and supporting through donations. Donations can be given through an envelope containing a support form that can be filled out and submitted to the donation box provided or to the pastor/council. Donations can also be made through bank transfers to the account listed on the form or by scanning the QR code. Transfer information can be sent to the WhatsApp number listed. Routine support can be done by filling in complete data and checking the "Routine" box. In addition to the SDK program, LAI also announced the publication of the 2nd New Translation of the Bible (TB2) in 2023. The TB2 Bible is here as an update to the New Translation of the Bible (TB) published in 1974. Over the course of almost 50 years (since 1974), many spellings, vocabulary, and meanings of the translation have changed/shifted in meaning. The presence of the TB2 Bible is based on three main reasons: changes in the Indonesian language (for example in the presentation, changes in the meaning of the word "marijuana"), developments in translation science (for example, a more accurate interpretation of Nehemiah 1:8), and recent discoveries of ancient texts (for example, a more precise understanding of the "mountain of sacrifice"). The TB2 Bible is expected to become the standard Bible for churches in Indonesia. The congregation can contact LAI or the nearest spiritual bookstores to order the TB2 Bible.
In closing, LAI expressed gratitude for the prayers, attention, and support of the GPM Nehemia congregation, and prayed for fellow believers in remote areas. The presentation was closed with the greeting "Bible Greetings for All".