Reconsidering importance of Open Source for Scriptural translation, mission and ministry

Recently, the most popular and power scriptural translation software need to deal with issues of Win 10 update.

One of my concerns  is that thousand of end users and hundreds of scripture translation projects depend on one company. And the majority resources depends on Logos.  On one hand we should be gracious and thankful for such partnership. At the same time I think we should reconsider the issue that most of the scriptural translation human resources and the related linguistics and language technology resources/development for the ministry are from one country and dependent on one company.

What can be other options?

From CDAB to ABCD -- Audio Bible of Chinese Dialects

When you sing begin with Do,  Re， Mi, when you share Good News or Scripture with Chinese dialects communities or diaspora, you started with ABCD -- Audio Bible of Chinese Dilaects/Diaspora.
Yes, I change the name of Chinese Dialects Audio Bible to ABCD,  I think it is easier for people to remember.

Audio -- technology keep changing, printing technology has adopted to distribute the Scriptural text for a long time. With the technology of media and many of the unreached group are not likely reading the scripture because of the absence of writing system.

Bible -- God's Word and the message for His Redemption plan, His Passion and His Mission. This guide the churches and us to understand Church's purpose and God's plan in our life, our personal mission.

Chinese -- I was born as Chinese and I am still pondering what does it mean to be Chinese and what is God's mission for the Chinese, to the Chinese and through the Chinese.

Dialects -- Chinese writing was unified about 2000 years ago, but Chinese are communicating mainly with spoken dialects of Chinese or regional Chinese in their daily life.  How can we appreciate and make good use of the diversity of Chinese languages and culture for God's Glory and Mission.

If you would like to learn more about ABCD, you can find more info:

GitHub:

https://github.com/JChungYS/ABCD

For a pilot project: Hakka Scriptural Reading and audio Bible group:

Whatsapp group:客家金句朗读

Facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ABCD2025/

开发众包（Crowdsourcing)华人方言有声音圣经库

小弟建议建立华人方言有声圣经库。请大家代祷、分享、参与。香港和世界各大成市讲各种方言的人不少，华人教会操个种方言的兄姐和新移民的初信者可以在参与中学习、成长。

https://github.com/JChungYS/CDAB/blob/master/README.md

Chinese Dialect Audio Bible Repository through crowd sourcing

Hi, I am proposing a CDAB repository. Let your labor not in vain on Labor day. Chinese Dialect Audio Bible Repository through crowd sourcing, eg.wechat, whatsapp group, Please share, pray and be part of the project. There are many Chinese dialect users from Chinese churches and new immigrant community in major cities in the world. One Chinese version can be read by different dialects, which are the mother tongues of some illiterate and/or new immigrants. Can we put this scriptural "translation/transmediation" project along with urban mission and engaging Chinese diaspora. Your prayer, sharing, networking and participating are certainly appreciated. How do you think?
https://github.com/JChungYS/CDAB/blob/master/README.md

One minute Ridiculous TBTA

Global Open Source Projects for Evangelical Laities Initiatives 开源福音宗旨

華人教會領受了福音福分兩個多世紀，神的福音--神的話與大使命，白白得來的福音是否也應該白白的施與.。開源福音博客希望聯系華人信徒自愿者以他們的專長、分享資源來協助教會完全神所交付教會的使使。請代禱，請聯系，請分享。

Chinese churches have been receiving the blessings of the gospel more than two centuries, the gospel of God - the Word of God and the Great Commission, Freely receive should be freely give. GOSP4EL Blog is to network Chinese Christians, especially volunteer laity to serve with their expertise, knowledge, skills and other resources to assist the church to carry out the Great Comission.

Please pray for these projects.
Please help us to network and connection.
Please use and share your thought, ideas, resources ....

Distinctive of GOSP4EL -- 2016 October Revised version(frm Jeremiah's news letter):

G – Glocal 全球化Globalization 和本地化 Localization 在新興起的南半球，亞洲的宣教力量如何與華人教會和西方合作，特別是在Diaspora 散居者的城市的跨語言和跨文化的事工。在後殖民的理念下，宣教士按聖經真理教導，服侍當地族群，建立本地化的教會，讓本色化的教會可以自處並與普世教會聖徒相通團契。近年繼續顧問工作，參與不同會議，學習使用社交網絡，作聯繫的工作。大中華地區跨越語言、文化的合作、思想在世界、亞洲城市少數族裔的事工並以不同的媒體和不同的策略，把他們母語聖經和福音介紹給他們。

華人宣教士在國際宣教團隊中，語言、處事方法有別於西方；下一代因西方教育和國際教學語言常被西化。海外華人教會、華人宣教士的傳承的過程，有甚麼文化、語言值得保留。開始搜集和研究有連接普世、有華人語言文化背景、聖經為基礎的教育系統-在家教育、補充教材。

O – Open Source, Open Data 教會、差會機構、神學院及其他伙伴跨學科的共同協作、開發、共用資源；並讓資訊更公開和透明，特別是應用高科技、學術成果於普世宣教的伙伴聯繫、媒體、策略、聖經翻譯中。TBTA用人工智能電腦軟件協助聖經翻譯工作。已在去年十一月公開源代碼。開源理念、創意思維對基督教傳統建制可能帶來衝擊，日後要走的可能是又漫長又艱難的路。

S – Sustainable 可持續獨立發展並倍增。宣教工作在創啟地區要考慮創造價值，並足以自我維持、成長、倍增，整全信仰緊貼生活與職場。誠信、有見證的基督企業家，專業人士一直對可持續的宣教運動有很大的影響，在職場事工、城市宣教的新方向，相信將會有更重要的角色。要聯繫並學習了解基督徒社會企業、營商宣教（BAM）、宣教營商(MAB)。此外傳承創造衍生價值，堅持使命的有機體（Organism），需要導師、培養新一代的顧問和宣教領袖，除了在本地生根成長，枝條更要往外伸展。

P – Partnership for Profitable Projects 結伴盈利項目
世界宣教氣候極速變化，恐怕傳統恐龍架構未能適應，後結構的理念以合作、功能、敏捷實踐、發展項目以最小的行政結構和網絡來達成策略性的宣教效果，信徒與教會更多直接參與。盈利Profitable 是指對社會、教會的貢獻和正面的改變。

4 – For 為到（教學相長）
兩方面的為到：第一是為到以福音信仰為基礎的信徒提供參與、貢獻、共享資源以完成大使命，成為別人蒙恩的器皿。第二是為到參與者因參與而生命得以操練、建立成為大使命的成果。

E – Evangelical 福音信仰為基礎
創新的底線不能低於聖經的福音信仰基礎，但我們卻要在宣教、科技、神學及其他領域的互動和應用方面有更多的研究、反省、綜合統效的應用。

L – Laity 信徒皆祭司、全民皆兵。
宣教的參與並非少數宣教士的專利，全球化、科技、交通的發展，讓信徒和教會能更直接參與宣教項目。平信徒的專業、技術正好填補了傳統宣教人力資源的不足，在改善宣教人力的質和量，提高多樣化的人力資源和造就參與者的生命成長方面都不容忽視。






2015 version 特點 Distinctive：
Glocal(Chinese diaspora - Global and Local)
全球本地化（特別是華人）-希望發展非英語、非歐洲語言為主的

Open Source, Open Data
免費開源資源、高透明度、大眾參與

Sustainable
可持續獨立發展

Projects with Technology and Transformation
以項目和技術為重心, 終身渴慕、學習聖經参與神話語的工作、利己利人

Evangelical Engagement
以聖經為標準,以福音為基礎

Laity Volunteer - Priesthood of All believers
發展平信徒自愿者資源-信徒皆祭司。

Is great commission about leadership or followership?

I have been involved in leadership training ministry for a number of years. The origin of the leadership program related with Townsend Institute and was found by the founder of Wycliffe Bible Translator,Uncle Cam. The focus of Townsend Institute was training leader/administrative about how to relate with people rather than how to lead people.
As I am reflecting the content of the Bible, I think the term "leader" tend to be used in political sense in the historical context. The great commission is about making followers but not making leaders. I think the Bible provide guidance to relate with people more than to lead others.

As we are trying hard to contribute and obey the Great Commission for the Kingdom
I think we have to be careful and reflecting the Great Commission and the Greatest commandment along with the ultimate destination about where we are going to. I hope we don't love people because we want to see something change, we want to see something change because we love them. It can be rather plastic and easy to show our love in two weeks designed training template. Some missionaries( I feared not majority) came to HK/
China loving us by being with us, learning the difficult Cantonese Chinese and paying very high cost for whom they served for decades, being with us very transparent with integrity of their words and deeds. Instead of recruiting us as part of their team they became ones of us. Instead of making followers of his owe, they have been making us the disciple of the Master.

My prayer is, "God, help me to
1. be a better follower and faithful servant to obey and respect you as the Son love the Father
2. enjoy the privilege of fellowship with Christ  and companion of the Holy Spirit
3. with the hope  as heir and co-ruler of the Kingdom come."