Help Equip Students, Pastors, and Missionaries in Africa

Next month, I am returning to South Africa for a mission trip. Joining me this year is a close friend from our church, Kenny Powell. I had the privilege of baptizing Kenny several years ago and later officiating in Kenny’s wedding to Merrilee. He is a good friend, a devoted follower of Christ, and an emerging leader in our church.

Back to Back to the Bible

So, I’m excited to be bringing him along for his first, and my sixth, mission trip to the Back to the Bible Training College in Barberton, South Africa. We will spend a week in preaching, teaching, counseling, and training students for pastoral ministry.

Brian with the staff and students of BBTC 

Equipping Believers by Bringing Books

I’m convinced that equipping fellow-believers in third world countries with books and tools for spiritual growth and ministry is one of the greatest opportunities that we have for using our resources for the kingdom of God.

This year I would like to help the faculty and students of BBTC in four ways:

• Put an ESV Study Bible into the hands of every first-year student and faculty member

• Serve as a partner with Desiring God International by bringing over 1000 books (which they have donated free of charge) for distribution to the students and staff of the college

• Provide for each student and faculty-member a copy of my recent book, Christ Formed in You: The Power of the Gospel for Personal Change

• Purchase new books (reference works, commentaries, and theology) to donate to the BBTC library

How can you help?

In order to accomplish these goals, we need to raise money.

• Because they are too heavy to carry or ship, we will purchase the ESV Study Bibles from a distributor in Africa. These cost about $50.00 each and we need 80 copies this year.

• Desiring God International has donated their books free of charge, but we still have to pay extra luggage or shipping fees to transport them (costing between $1 and $2 per book).

• And though we will purchase copies of my book at a steep discount, they still cost money and have to be packed and carried.

• And reference books, commentaries, and theological volumes suitable for libraries are also quite expensive.


So, I'd like to ask you to consider giving towards this need. I can assure you that every dollar you send will be used for purchasing and shipping books. None of your giving will be used to finance our actual travel costs. If you or your organization would like to help, please send your donation, payable to Fulkerson Park Baptist Church, to the following address with “Books for Africa” written on the memo line of your check:

Fulkerson Park Baptist Church
c/o Brian Hedges
1234 Fulkerson St
Niles, MI 49120

Thanks for prayerfully considering this opportunity to invest in the lives of others.