SLM North America
By Brian Thompson
What an awesome task to reach North America for Christ! According to World Population Review, there are approximately 377 million people living in just the three areas: Canada, the Caribbean, and the United States. Many have never heard about the good news of the Gospel. Source of Light partners with many churches, Christian organizations, and even families to help them be effective in their efforts to serve Christ. The seven Branch offices, along with our headquarters in Madison, Georgia, spend their time evangelizing and discipling people for Christ and training others to do the same. We have over 400 Associate Discipleship Schools just in the United States. Whether they have many students (some as large as 40,000 students) or just a few (on average 50 active students), they are performing the important job of reaching and discipling millions for Christ.
Key Facts about our Branches in North America:
- SLM Canada is a family operation for the Homotowskis. They also serve to supply Child Evangelism Fellowship in Canada with their follow-up materials.
- SLM Kansas serves both English and Spanish-speaking students from their office just outside Wichita, Kansas.
- Bible Studies By Mail is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Their robust staff of volunteers help the Evans to work with thousands in the Southwest (many of whom are incarcerated).
- SLM Alabama has been with SLM for many years. Marjorie Hall and her daughter, Jean Steelman, use help from their church to grade the students’ lessons.
- SLM Haiti is partnering with churches to distribute and grade approximately 40,000 lessons a year.
- SLM Jamaica uses a Bible bookstore as a hub for the ministry of discipleship and evangelism. They offer free lessons to schools as well on the eastern end of the island.
- Follow the Source is near Treasure Beach on the southwestern side of Jamaica. They use the lessons in the public schools to reach hundreds of children. The teachers work with them to distribute the lessons.
SLM materials offer hope and help to those who need more of Christ. The Madison Discipleship School receives so many letters from students telling us about the impact the lessons and the discipleship of our graders have had in their lives. Gabriel, one of our students, said “I believe that after reading this lesson I have realized that I had not been born again but now through this study I could understand a little better what the Bible says about being born again and I have put my faith in Jesus Christ and in His Word and I know that by faith that I can be born again right now, believing in Jesus Christ.”
Bible study lessons provide a wonderful opportunity to bring disciples to the path of following Jesus Christ. One of the best offerings we have for evangelism is Who is Jesus Christ? This booklet confronts the reader with the Gospel helping them to recognize the need to decide about who Jesus claimed to be and what to do about their sin problem. It is easy to hand out and will give you opportunity for follow-up.
Another effective way to help people grow in the Lord is to share with them the course, Practical Christian Living. The 24 lessons cover a range of topics that are important in having a close relationship with our Savior. A person’s attitude and reactions are so critical in maintaining a good Christian testimony. Lessons cover anger, bitterness, forgiveness, and more. This series concludes with the proper attitude of stewardship towards time, money, and talents.
If you’re looking for ways to get involved, come see Source of Light’s discipleship program in action! Every year over 100 people come to work at the home office’s Madison Discipleship School. They help us with the lessons, but more importantly they get a close look at the impact of the program. Through grading lessons and learning exactly how to disciple through correspondence, many have overcome fears and returned home with a renewed burden for reaching souls for Christ.
There are many Associate Discipleship Schools across the North American region that are accomplishing magnificent work. These schools find ways to minister to the specific set of people God has put in their path. They may be reaching people through the local homeless shelter, or nursing home. Some have carved out a specific group to work with in their community (i.e. Amish or Jewish). A lot of times all it takes is someone with a burden or vision to reach the lost. SLM has the tools to fulfill those leadings from the Lord. The Bible tells that the harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; there are simply not enough workers. Pray with us that He will send more in His fields to help us.
