ERIK ALSGAARD
| | A palette-full of Bibles were among 4,800 Bibles contributed by the Maryland Bible Society for the youth of ROCK 2005. |
BALTIMORE ? At the recent ROCK 2005 retreat in Ocean City more than 4,200 youth were given the opportunity to take a Bible home with them. The 4,800 Bibles were presented by the Maryland Bible Society. The 11, 12 and 13-year-olds who attended the concurrent confirmation rally Jan. 22, received another gift especially for them. After Bishop John R. Schol spoke, directing his remarks to the nearly 400 confirmands but inviting all youth to listen to his discipleship message, he presented each confirmand a CD, 'Now Playing Worldwide' by Gotee Records, that included a wide variety of music and groups, from hip hop to mellow. The American Bible Society partnering with the Maryland Bible Society covered two-thirds of the cost of the donated Bibles, said the Rev. Ray Moreland, executive director of MBS. 'Biblical illiteracy is the number one problem for the church in this century,' he said. The job of the Bible society is to help counteract that trend. At the end of ROCK 2005, Tom Price, conference youth director, invited churches with outreach ministries that could use Bibles to pick up what they needed. There was not a Bible left. |
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