Bringing the Bible into the
heart of family life

These people will benefit from the launch of the Cradle of Life project by the Bible Society of Brazil and World Vision. The project aims to provide a Christian viewpoint to families on issues such as family life, domestic violence, and the rights of children and adolescents. Tamboré, Brazil. Photo: BSBrazil/Samuel Santos (BRA03DJ-7.JPG)

TAMBORÉ, Brazil — A link forged between an organisation with extensive experience in producing biblical material and one which undertakes a wide range of social work is proving to be a winning formula in Brazil.

The Bible Society of Brazil has a very busy printshop with 170 employees and the capacity to produce 90,000 Bibles a month (see World Report 369/22).

Its partner, World Vision, is a Christian relief and development agency which works in almost 100 countries. It has been present in Brazil since 1975, operating through 60 Area Development Projects to serve around 30,000 families.

Viewpoint on violence

Together, the Bible Society and World Vision have developed the Cradle of Life project, designed to give families a Christian viewpoint on social issues such as domestic violence, family life and children’s rights.

The Society has spent two years developing two books and three CDs which form part of a special kit to be distributed by World Vision. Pilot distribution in one rural and one urban community has produced promising results.

The kit is designed to appeal to both children and adults, with all the material being specific to Brazilian circumstances. The CDs offer songs, readings of biblical texts and dramatised stories dealing with particular social issues.

These are linked with an activity book containing the words of the songs, information about the rights of children and adolescents and a series of exercises. The other book tells the story of Joseph.

Family issues

The Cradle of Life partners are now planning large-scale distribution of the kit. In each community, distribution will be preceded by awareness-raising meetings with groups of families at which general issues relating to the family will be discussed. This approach will “awaken in people the wish to learn more about [social] problems and to discuss them from a Christian standpoint,” according to Sueli Catarina de Carvalho, the World Vision employee who is heading the project.

The “essential core” of Cradle of Life , Ms Carvalho explains, is “that [in] a relationship with God, the creation of values, citizenship and social participation are developed.”

A longer version of this article appeared in the July-September 2003 edition of A Biblia No Brasil, the publication of the Bible Society of Brazil. (WR 380/14 - 10.03)