Bybel-Media (én Kerkbode) vier nuwe tuiste

Maandagaand 22 November het Kerkbode en LiG saam met al die ander publikasies in die stal van die Christelike uitgewer Bybel-Media hulle intrek gevier in hulle nuwe tuiste by Boekhuis op die kampus van die Andrew Murray Sentrum vir Spiritualiteit op Wellington.

Dié verhuising, so midde-in die pandemie, bring meer as net ’n einde aan die verbintenis met die organisasie se vorige adres, die Ferguson Hall-gebou in Kerkstraat. Dié trek na Boekhuis (voorheen Huis Gawie Hugo) is ook in pas met die digitale transformasieproses waarmee Bybel-Media (BM) die laaste 18 maande besig is.

Dr Nico Simpson, BM se hoof- uitvoerende beampte, verduidelik: “In 2020 het Bybelkor, LiG, Kerkbode, Jeugfokus, Goeie Nuus Media, Mema en die Nehemia-Bybelinstituut die finale treë in die rigting van ’n ‘digitaal eerste’-organisasie gegee. Dit beteken nie ons gaan nie meer gedrukte produkte en hulpmiddels aan individue, gemeentes en gemeenteleiers voorsien nie. Dit beteken wel dat ons ons as ’n media-organisasie vir die 21ste eeu posisioneer.” (Sien ook sy volledige toespraak onder. – Red.)

Vir al dié ‘huise’ in die uitgewer is daar nou ’n nuwe tuiste by Boekhuis. “Dit is met ’n gevoel van dankbaarheid … en baie vreugde in ons hart dat ons vandag hier staan,” het ds Danie Mouton, direksievoorsitter van BM aan die personeel, direksielede en gaste by Maandagaand se geselligheid gesê.

Mouton het ook vir ds Nioma Venter as nuwe direksielid verwelkom.

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• By die vreugde van die geleentheid was daar ook hartseer vir kollegas wat nie meer daar is nie – in besonder vir die jarelange raakvat-werknemer Mario Small wat onlangs oorlede is. Sy 25 jaar nalatenskap sal met ’n boom in die pragtuin van die kampus gedenk word.

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Toespraak deur dr Nico Simpson, uitvoerende- hoof van Bybel-Media, 22 November 2021

The Book House

For BM, this building is an outer symbol of the inner transformation that has taken place over the past three years. This space is giving us this space in which to embody our renewed purpose. For Carl Jung, buildings represented our struggle for identity and belonging. He said a new home symbolises your newfound self-understanding, groundedness and belonging.

Two and a half years ago, the Board envisaged what we are celebrating today. Under Danie Mouton’s leadership they laid the first bricks which became a new vision for Bible Media. (I need to remind you that they initiated this digital transformation more than a year before lockdown, and before other businesses started going digital.)

And with the help of strategist Prof Marius Ungerer, Ruben and Hein (and others) our internal digital team became excited about unlocking the future of Bible Media.

Inside our coffee hub in the centre room there are four posters. The first is our  PURPOSE: Inspire the Christian Way. We want to motivate and support people to follow Jesus.

How are we going to do that? Poster 2 says: OUR MISSION: Facilitate transformative experiences on a multi-purpose platform.

We create moments of inner and outer change. We will do this on a digital platform where believers can discover the programmes and resources of partners. And we have started developing this collaboration platform. The Youth Focus Catechism programme, developed by the Synodical Team for Sunday School, is on Missio. It comes with downloadable worksheets, presentation plans and even WhatsApp pictures for online community-building.

The Women’s Groups material of Nehemiah Bible Institute is available as Manyano, ready for use on mobile devices. Empowering women to lead and share.

The third poster describes the future we are seeing:

We imagine digital solutions first. Our premise is that the products and services we offer should be as digital as possible. Therefore, we imagine these outcomes as being used in digital form by an ever-growing community of clients.

For example, last year during lockdown, we quickly transitioned our lectionary sermon product, Woord en Fees, into a successful digital subscription product.

We do client-centric innovation underpinned by the belief that a win for clients, partners and employees is a win for us all. Therefore, we focus on meeting the needs of the organisation’s current and potential clients.

We are driven to innovate. We are passionately driven to get things done in a way that benefits people, planet and profit. To do this, we challenge conventional thinking, we share ideas freely, and we embrace failures as learning experiences.

For example, just last month we hosted our second online readers’ day, LiGter. We made changes based on what we’ve learnt from the first event, and it was received with great appreciation.

We strive to do the right thing. Our practice of being honest, being consistent and being uncompromising in our adherence to moral and ethical values gives direction to everything we do.

We choose to get things done together. We work collaboratively in teams to create and achieve what we envision. We know the value in working together with all stakeholders – including our employees, partners, clients and service providers – in a networked environment.

Let me add: We have had the most amazing support from our partners: the leadership of the church invited us in and showed their support. Our sister organisations have gone the extra mile to accommodate us. Hugenote College renovated the building with love, and the Christian Literature Fund opened up space for our stock. The Andrew Murray Centre for Spirituality welcomed us as a neighbour. Our architect, Jaco Bruwer, skillfully guided us to customise the space. We acknowledge and appreciate this goodwill.

The last poster is our sacred text, that of Mark 1. We have been waiting for the text the whole time. When it was given to us, the Spirit confirmed our calling: To follow Jesus and be fishers of people. Hence our purpose: Inspire the Christian Way.

I want to end by mentioning our extraordinary team. Their humbleness may fool you. They are gifted and resilient. Each one of them. They have done the almost impossible over the past 18 months.

The “new classrooms and library building” at the Missionary Institute, Wellington, was inaugurated on Thursday, 19 September 1940. And now, 80 years later, on Monday, 22 November 2021, we officially move into this building and we call it The Book House.