Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, located on Home Road in Powell, will hold its first Bible drive and walkathon fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 13, to collect Bibles and raise money to ship them to Africa. The event, sponsored by Thrivent Financial, will be held at Dublin’s Kaltenbach Park, located at 5985 Cara Road, with registration for the walk running from 8-10 a.m.
Organized by a small group within the church, the goal of the event is to raise $5,000, which the group hopes will entirely cover the mailing and shipping cost of the Bibles. The Bibles will be mailed to Love Packages at its collection center in Illinois. According to its website, Love Packages is “a ministry aimed at putting Christian literature and Bibles into the hands of people around the world.”
Rita Selle-Grider, who has organized the event along with her husband, said a 35-pound box will cost $20 to ship to the collection center. A container shipment, she said, could cost anywhere from $3,000 to $9,000.
“Many of us have multiple Bibles but don’t use them all,” Selle-Grider said. “This is a great way to re-use them for the benefit of many. The hunger for God’s Word in Africa, and in other countries, is huge, and these unused Bibles, therefore, will be a great blessing.”
She added, “Not all Christians practice the Great Commission as we ought to. Participating in this Bible Drive Walkathon is catching up in a different way. To know that many people will be eternally saved and strengthened to endure their often dire situations is a blessing in itself, in return.”
People are encouraged to participate in a variety of ways, whether it be donating, joining in the walk, or becoming a sponsor. The event will take place rain or shine, and Bibles should be in fair to good condition. Early registration is preferred and can be done by emailing Selle-Grider at [email protected]. She can also be reached at 740-531-4369.
Selle-Grider said Kaltenbach Park’s well-maintained and even walkways are friendly to strollers and those who may not walk so easily. Dogs are also welcomed to participate in the walk.
In addition to this Bible drive and walkathon, the church group has also held spaghetti dinner fundraisers in the past to aid the local Lutheran Social Services and Delaware City Schools food pantries. They plan to make the Bible drive and walkathon an annual event.
