The Stone
Publishing Trust

EXTRACTS FROM THE SPT ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2022

Registered Charity 1034689

Trustees: David Burr (Chairman), Philip Coldrick, Kenneth Hollands, Eric McPhail, Keith Parkin, Keith Wickens

This is our report on the work of the Trust in 2022. Although we were able to continue operating throughout the pandemic its decline has helped a return to greater normality. The magazine “Youthful Days” remains in increasing demand, as does the supply of Bibles for those abroad who could not otherwise afford them. Tracts have been widely distributed both at home and abroad. The support of fellow believers in our Lord Jesus Christ by way of prayer, contributions to the magazine, gifts and legacies has been deeply appreciated. The trustees have met remotely as required and have sought throughout to comply with our obligations to the Charity Commission.

YOUTHFUL DAYS

Youthful Days continues as a bi-monthly magazine for young people, with a growing circulation currently in excess of 3,500 copies. Within the UK, numbers have stayed fairly constant throughout the year, with some decline in existing readership compensated by new subscriptions, which has been the pattern over the past few years.

The major part of the distribution is overseas to all parts of the world, but mainly to African countries, where material for the young is in short supply. Regular contact is maintained with Christian leaders in whom confidence has been established over a period of time, who are active in promoting God’s word in orphanages and churches, and who use Youthful Days in their Sunday schools alongside the Bible to help explain Christian teachings to the children who attend.

Through the dedication of these pastors and teachers, we believe the Lord has opened doors for the distribution of fundamental Gospel truths in towns and often remote villages that would otherwise be far beyond our reach, and we are seeing a steady increase in requests as new churches are included.

There is increasing interest overseas in the Bible Class, answers for which are scored locally, and after consolidation here in UK become the basis for the issue of personalised certificates which seem to encourage the children. As at the end of 2022 the Bible Class numbers totalled over 550, most of whom were in Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique.

One of the Sunday school teachers in Zambia writes:

‘We thank God for Youthful Days Magazine books, that we as a ministry have been receiving. They are a great tool for teaching the Sunday school children. The word of God that the children are learning is so helpful, they have learned to pray, growing in their spiritual walk.’ Mrs Sharon S. Siabbulila.

Another writes:

‘The Youthful Days comes with teachings that are helpful in the day to day lives of the children, and even us the teachers.’ Joe Phiri.

The support of those who contribute in so many ways to the compilation of each issue of Youthful Days is very much appreciated, both contributions and proofing, with special thanks to Eric McPhail for the Students questions and answers and the Word Search, and to David Greeves for the Gleaners and Searchers and various work associated with the Bible Class overseas. Thanks are due too to Keith Parkin for the packaging, labelling and dispatch of the 3,500 copies every two months, and to Ian Coldrick for assembling material into the readable format that we know as Youthful Days.

Keith Wickens (Editor)

BIBLE DISTRIBUTION OVERSEAS

Requests for Bibles have continued throughout 2022 as communication is now back to pre-pandemic conditions. Bibles have been supplied to Nigeria mainly through the good offices of “Joy to the World” Christian bookshop in Ibadan, which enables Bibles to be purchased in sterling for distribution locally. We continue to provide Bibles to contacts in Benin City direct from England as there is not reliable contact in that part of Nigeria. There continues to be a desire for God’s word in Zambia and also in Malawi, where we have established contacts in the Zambian Bible Society and the Malawi Bible Society who are happy to supply brothers in those countries with Bibles for which we can transfer funds easily from the UK. The contact in India who is well known to other Trustees has been provided with a number of Bibles in local Indian languages. Our contact in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has also had some French Bibles for his students who receive one as part of their graduation ceremony. All this amounts to a total of over 11,000 Bibles.

Some acknowledgements:

Brother in Christ... I hope you are well. Happy New Year. Recently I came across a middle-aged woman who got your Bible who was so happy that then she started reading immediately with her 12-year-old son. Her prayer for you was that as Esther and Joseph found favour before the eyes of men and women so you will find favour in the name of Jesus Christ.

Dear brother in the Lord Jesus Christ,
Glorious christian greetings to you all from me to you all in Jesus’ wonderful and precious name. This is the day the Lord has made, He commands us to rejoice and be glad in it. I pray for you all this day that you will rejoice and be glad in Jesus’ name. Thanks for your prayers and remembrance me too. I am praying for you and the Lord will answer you and bless you beyond every measure in Jesus’ name. We have been engaged in street and village evangelism and the Lord has been faithful. Many lost believers now found their way back to the Lord. Please remember us regarding the Bible needs, those who have no Bible and need Bible are thirsty for the word of God. Ogun state really need the gospel. Please I need your prayers, am going through some spiritual attacks. I need your support in prayers to overcome every evil plans of the devil.
Thanks, Pastor Celestine

TRACT AND BIBLE DISTRIBUTION

The Trust continues to supply a variety of tracts free of charge to any who wish to distribute them. With the ending of Covid restrictions the number of tracts printed and distributed is approaching pre-pandemic levels again. A total of 300k tracts were distributed in 2022. Tracts distributed in the UK invite the recipient to apply for a free New Testament: few people ask for one but one man at the end of 2022 wrote: “I recently turned 50 and feel like a lost soul with no purpose or direction, full of conflict and confusion, afraid to let go and surrender”. Such letters are followed up with a Bible and letter and, where possible, a conversation. Some of the tracts written by Brian Parr are being translated into Ukrainian and Russian and also some of the African languages where we have demand for them. More of these will be made available in 2023.

Several of the Trust’s recent pamphlets have been placed alongside a variety of religious publications in several prisons. One inmate expressed appreciation of the pamphlet entitled “Piety” by Ken Clark and another wrote to the SPT address making a similar comment about the hymn quoted at the end of “the Ten Lepers” gospel preaching by Joe Taylor.

WEBSITE

We continue to provide a website with information on all current publications and an archive of the now discontinued Living Water magazine. There is also a section devoted to the Youthful Days magazine and the Bible class. Visits to the site have remained steady with the pages for the Tracts, Youthful Days and the Living Water archive being the most popular landing pages. We aim to make all new publications available to read online. God willing, it is anticipated that more titles will be added in 2023.

BOOK ROOM

Second-hand ministry, tune books, and reference books such as concordances, Bible dictionaries and commentaries are available via Graham Boyes.