Indiana — Rich Uphus, personal ministries leader for the Cicero (Ind.) Church, and other members living in Arcadia, Ind., wanted The Passion of Love to be read by everyone in their town. They pooled resources and distributed the book, a letter and a Sow 1 Billion card to community residents. The letter was personalized with the names and addresses of church members residing in Arcadia.
Hello Neighbor,
You may or may not have seen the movie, The Passion of Christ, but more than likely you have heard about it. For some of us, though, a movie may be good but the book is usually better.
The book, The Desire of Ages, deemed by the Library of Congress as one of the foremost commentaries on the life of Jesus Christ, has been condensed to include just the chapters about the final days of Jesus’ life and His resurrection (references are provided in each chapter so that you can use this book to complement your Bible study).
Some of us from Arcadia have read this book and found it to be very good. Because this book has been a blessing to us and our families in such a profound way, we wanted to share it with our neighbors. Please find enclosed a copy of The Passion of Love as a gift from our families to yours.
God bless,
Your Neighbors
After the books were mailed, the response from neighbors was so favorable the church expanded this outreach endeavor to include the surrounding towns of Atlanta, Cicero, Sheridan and Tipton.
On Sabbath, May 8, Cicero members held a special season of prayer for The Passion of Love books that would soon blanket these communities near their church. Over 120 enthusiastic members gathered at the elementary school gymnasium to prepare packets for their neighbors. In just over an hour, over 11,000 packets were assembled for distribution
It didn’t take long for word to trickle back that their neighbors appreciated the kindness of Cicero members. One woman read the book and then returned to the post office to see if she could obtain three additional copies for her adult children. Another woman visited the Adventist Book Center (ABC) in Cicero to see if she could purchase more books. Lloyd Jacobs, ABC manager, had exactly the number of copies she requested and gladly shared them with her. Another neighbor searched the Internet to find the phone number of a member who was listed on the letter, and then called to say “Thank you.”
Cicero members are praying for their neighbors who have received the books and claim the promise found in Isaiah 55:11: “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
The Passion of Love is a sharing book available through Remnant Publications in Coldwater, Mich.
Collene Kelly, Cicero Church correspondent
