The importance of good books

It is without doubt: good books, besides the Bible, are a huge blessing and very important! Our church here in Togo is actually a good example of this. In the 1990s, 'Europresse' organised conferences in Togo. Europresse is the 'French-language wing' of a Christian English publisher "Evangelical Press". Books were sold during these conferences. It was through reading these books that a group of young men really began to see the importance of the 'doctrines of Grace'. God saves, by grace and through faith in Christ alone! It gripped them and they decided to start a church that would proclaim this Biblical message! Today, almost 35 years later, that Gospel may still be there and the Lord has blessed EGCT!

These are the books these young men were reading at the time:

But what Europresse sells in Togo nowadays is literally a drop in the ocean. Books are expensive because almost all of them have to be imported from France or Canada.

A few months back we came into contact with a missionary from Niger who, in collaboration with 'Puplish4all', has started a successful 'on-demand-printing' print business in Niger. In turn, the Canadian publisher 'Publications Chretiennes' is giving permission to them to print 500 of their titles in Africa! What a difference will it make to the church in Togo: when the next generation of young men has access to good and affordable books! The church's problem in French-speaking West Africa is, as they say, "the church is miles wide, but only a few inches deep". Books are the means to change that.

We are now in contact with this American-based organisation to install an 'On-demand printer' in the new building as well. Firstly, in preparation, we hope to send one of the young men from the church to Lomé to study 'graphic design'. We will also be able to send someone to work in Niger for a few months to learn how the printing is organised there.