The ancient history of Greece marks the landscape of this idyllic Mediterranean country. It is a Biblical country in that the Apostle Paul ministered in several of its cities such as Athens, Corinth, Berea and Thessalonica. The rich Greek culture makes it an intriguing place to visit.
The Greek Orthodox church maintains a tight grip over the people’s religious and even political views. Greek law prohibits anyone from evangelizing or even having a conversation of faith with a child under the age of 18 without express permission of the parents. This places serious restrictions on evangelical churches seeking to reach the next generation.
Out of the cooperative efforts of Gospel Literature Services and the Greeks during the 2004 Athens Olympics, an idea emerged as a possible tool to reach the Greek children. A Greek magazine especially designed for children that would present a Christian world view captured the imagination of the Greek believers. In 2006 Regular Baptist Press designated the Vacation Bible School missionary offering to this project. The magazine idea sat in limbo for a few months during the transition of leadership at GLS. Chris Hindal picked up the project and began corresponding with Fotis Romeos, the primary Greek contact. In April of 2008, Chris set down with the publication team in Athens to flesh out the details. GLS agreed to provide most of the content and the funding for the first four issues. Those four issues will be distributed free through various venues chosen by the Greeks.
The Greeks are passionate about this project and believe that the children will pass the magazine among themselves as well as take them home. Each issue will contain a subscription card. They feel there will be enough interest through subscriptions to sustain a regular publication as an outreach to children. The projected launch date is January, 2009. Pray that God will use this magazine as a tool to reach the children in an otherwise restricted culture.