by Ben Edwards, Vice President of CBN International
Superbook is a ministry partner with INCM. INCM celebrates with them, the journey God has taken them on, as they launch a new curriculum product.
I am reminded of Matthew 13, where Jesus teaches about the farmer who scatters seeds. Some fall into the thorns but others fall into fertile soil and produce good fruit. As children’s ministers, you have remarkable opportunities to sow seeds into the lives of the next generation. Most likely, your ministry is aided by staff, volunteers, and valuable resources that all work in concert to bring the Gospel to the children in your community.
I want to encourage you to keep sowing! Jesus’ parable teaches us to be sowers full of hope for the harvest!
My focus is to help equip the local churches within the international community with the seeding of God’s Word. I am always encouraged to witness countless lives transformed from locally sown seeds. An example comes to mind when local Japanese communities began to experience Superbook, an animation series created in 1981, which told the adventures of two kids and a robot sidekick as they traveled back in time to experience the great stories of the Bible. Through these broadcasts, the Bible became the best-selling book in Japan.
From that first seed sown in Japan, Superbook went global—in multiple languages—far surpassing anything that could have been imagined. Today, its new episodes continue to touch the lives of children around the world. As you answer your call to sow seeds into the lives of children, resources like Superbook, and many others presented at the Children’s Pastor Conferences this year, can help develop these seeds into fruit—abundant, good fruit! Be encouraged that your work in your church is not only impacting your local community, but also the fruit of that work may someday have rippling effects felt around the world.
Jesus said, “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (Matthew 13:3-8).
Be encouraged!
Ben, Vice President of CBN International, felt God’s call to international ministry at a very young age. His desire to work in communications led him to pursue a bachelor’s degree in radio, television and film at the University of Texas and a master’s degree in communication from Regent University. He then became news director for The 700 Club and served as director of international programming, where he was responsible for the development of CBN productions in 40 countries.
Under Ben’s leadership, a children’s animation division was created in 1995 and has become one of CBN’s most effective global outreach tools.
Ben works with production and ministry teams throughout the world, developing partnerships to reach people who have not yet heard the Gospel.
