Page 82 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2017

GIVING BACK bibles abound
SPREADING THE WORD
ONE GOOD BOOK AT A TIME
story by Alexis Williams photos courtesy of BEAMS
A Gulfport-based ministry is shipping bibles all around the world and spreading the word of God in more than 150 countries. The Bible Education and Missionary Service (BEAMS) based at Faith Baptist Church serves 4,000 missionaries internationally and ships hard-back bibles in 40 different languages.
“We believe the word of God has the answers that we need for this life and more importantly for eternity,” said minister Arthur Lockard, who serves as associate director of the BEAMS ministry. “We ask others, ‘what would you do if you didn’t have a bible in your life? And, would
you consider helping someone who needs a bible?”
BEAMS raises funds through various churches to buy bibles and then packages them with help from volunteers. “For every $8 we receive, we are able to get a bible shipped,” adds Lockard. Other funds must
be raised to cover the high costs of international shipping.
Each bible sent overseas contains a label with the name and address of the book’s donor as well as an envelope asking the new owner to send the donor a thank you note. Missionaries are grateful for these free bibles. Lockard says BEAMS
Bible Education and Missionary Service
228.832.1096 | www.beamsbibles.com
received word that a missionary in Africa rode a bicycle over 100 miles to pick up the much-needed free bibles.
BEAMS recently received a letter from Steve Reyes, a missionary in Chile. “What a privilege to distribute the BEAMS bibles we are entrusted with,” Reyes wrote. “There is so much joy in giving someone their very first bible. They are humbled
to know that a church in another country cares for them so much, you pay for and send bibles.”
BEAMS has been distributing bibles since 1972 and has provided more than one million bibles worldwide.
228-864-4845
BEAMS Bible Ministry
www.smbm.net
is a proud supporter of
82 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • December 2017 FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net
SHIPPING BIBLES ALL AROUND THE WORLD