SP Ministries

Summary

SP Ministries ("SPM") was founded to promote growth in the field of Christian education by providing resources that can be used to equip leaders and disciple individuals toward Christian maturity. SPM distributes the Gospel and Christian literature and seeks to multiply its ministry's effectiveness through strategic partnering. This organization is a nonprofit. Contributions to it are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. It is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).

Contact Information: [ Back to top ]

Organization Details [ Back to top ]

Purpose [ Back to top ]

SP Ministries ("SPM") was founded to promote growth in the field of Christian education by providing resources that can be used to equip leaders and disciple individuals toward Christian maturity. SPM distributes the Gospel and Christian literature and seeks to multiply its ministry's effectiveness through strategic partnering. This organization is a nonprofit. Contributions to it are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. It is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). In December 2004, the Board of SP Ministries approved a strategic plan for liquidation. The plan calls for the net assets of the combined organization to be distributed in three equal parts, one each to two educational institutions to establish an endowment, and one to a Christian communications ministry. The Board expects the final distributions to take place during the summer of 2005. All three organizations are represented by a trustee on the Board of SP Ministries.

Mission Statement [ Back to top ]

SPM uses the following to communicate its mission:

The mission of SPM is to provide communications products and services based on the Scripture and designed to build lives for Jesus Christ.

Our mission is global and transcultural, primarily to people who cannot afford our products and services. We minister to all ages, especially to children. Where possible, we seek to multiply our ministry's effectiveness through strategic partnering.

Program Accomplishments [ Back to top ]

SPM accomplishments and programs include some of the following:

CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD:
BAHAMAS
- 5,000 copies of The Picture New Testament for the children of Nassau - Partnership with Adventure Learning Centre.

BRAZIL
- 40,000 copies of The Picture New Testament in Portuguese for the children of the state of Roraima in the Amazon Basin - Partnership with Cook Communications Ministries International.
- Bibles and Christian literature in Portuguese, used with a Christian television program (Fabulicious Day - Partnership with Cook Communications Ministries International.
- 100,000 copies of The Picture New Testament in Portuguese, used with more than 50 ministries to street children Partnership with Cook Communications Ministries International.

CAMBODIA
- Translation of children’s books and Bibles for use in Cambodia - Partnership with Cook Communications Ministries International.

CHINA
- Translation work for children’s books to be used in mainland China - Partnership with Cook Communications Ministries International.

COLOMBIA
- The Picture New Testament in Spanish, used by ministries to street children - Partnership with Cook Communications Ministries International.

CUBA
- 10,000 copies of The Picture Bible in Spanish, 15,000 copies of The Picture New Testament in Spanish, plus a Spanish Sunday School curriculum - Partnership with Bible Literature International and Cook Communications Ministries International.
- 15,000 copies of The Picture New Testament in shoeboxes filled with teacher’s supplies to use with the children of Cuba - Partnership with International Network of Children’s Ministry.

HONDURAS
- 20,000 copies of The Picture New Testament in Spanish, distributed to the child victims of Hurricane Mitch - Partnership with The Crowell Foundation.

KENYA, EAST AFRICA
- Copies of The Picture New Testament, distributed to 600 children + faculty in a school supported by the Presbyterian Church of East Africa - a Scripture Press Ministries program, no partner.

MEXICO
- The Picture New Testament in Spanish for ministries that work with street children - Partnership with Cook Communications Ministries International.

PHILIPPINES
- 50,000 copies of The Picture New Testament in Tagalog, to be used by ministries to street children in the Philippines - Partnership with Bible Literature International.

RUSSIA
- Develop a new product for secular education distribution in Russia, using the New Testament portion of The Toddlers Bible as the basis Partnership with Russian Ministries.

UGANDA
- 10,000 copies of The Preschoolers New Testament for the children of Uganda - Partnership with African Christian Outreach.

VIETNAM
- Translation of children’s Bibles and Christian books for use in Vietnam - Partnership with Cook Communications Ministries International.

PRISONERS AND THEIR FAMILIES

COLOMBIA
- 40,000 copies of The Picture New Testament in Spanish for Colombian prisoners and their families - Partnership with Bible Literature International.

HAITI
- 2,000 copies of The Picture New Testament in French for prisoners and their families in Haiti Partnership with Next Generation Network, a division of Trans World Radio.

RWANDA
- 15,000 copies of The Picture New Testament in French for prisoners and their families in Rwanda Partnership with World Relief.

USA
Five ongoing SPM programs (no partnerships with other ministries) with hundreds of thousands of copies of Bibles and Christian literature distributed through chaplains to more than 850 jail and prison facilities throughout the United States.
- New Life Testaments: An easy-to-read paraphrase with 850-word vocabulary plus study notes more than a half million distributed. More than 137,000 have been distributed over the last five years.
- Compass Bible: The New Life version (paraphrase) of the full Bible with study helps especially for prisoners. During the last two years, more than 12,500 have been sent to prisons.
- Power for Living: Popular SP take-home paper, with pictorial stories of God at work in people’s lives. More than 252,000 papers have been given to prisons in the last five years.
- Free for Sure: Studies in the Gospel of John written specifically for prisoners. In the last five years, more than 126,000 have been provided to prisons.
- Prison Mini-libraries: Collections of books for prison and jail libraries, including a Bible, Bible study helps, devotionals and books about Christian living. Almost 10,000 Mini-libraries have been delivered to prisons.

EQUIPPING AND TRAINING LEADERS

BOLIVIA
- 3,000 reference books in Spanish for the library of the Hebron Theological Seminary—Partnership with Gospel Missionary Union.

HANA, WEST AFRICA
- Bible reference library of eight important Bible study reference helps annually for graduates of Bible schools and seminaries a SPM program, no partner.

KENYA, EAST AFRICA
- Bible reference library of eight important Bible study reference helps annually for graduates of Bible schools and seminaries.
- Pastors Bible reference library of eight important Bible study reference helps Partnership with Daystar University.

KITUA, EAST AFRICA
- Bible reference library of eight important Bible study reference helps annually for graduates of Bible schools and seminaries.

MOLDOVA
- Reference book library for the College of Theology and Education in Kishinev, Moldova, a very needy bilingual school near the Russian-Romanian border—Partnership with Romanian Missionary Society.

MYANMAR (BURMA)
- 100 copies each of The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Introduction to the New Testament, NIV Compact Concordance, NIV Compact Dictionary of the Bible, Nave’s Topical Bible, and the NIV Bible Handbook for Christian reading centers throughout Myanmar (Burma) Partnership with BILD, Biblical Institute of Leadership International.

NIGERIA
- 16,000 each of two volumes for a pastors library of 38 volumes, plus partial contribution of a third volume—Partnership with SIM.

ROMANIA
- A total of 50 one-year scholarships for students at Emmanuel Bible Institute in Oradea, Romania Partnership with Romanian Missionary Society.

RUSSIA - Pastors reference library projects, scholarship projects, and two articles for the Encyclopedia for Children in Russian Partnership with Russian Ministries.

SIERRA LEONE, WEST AFRICA
- Bible reference library of eight important Bible study reference helps annually for graduates of Bible schools and seminaries a SPM program, no partner.

TANZANIA, EAST AFRICA
- Bible reference library of eight important Bible study reference helps annually for graduates of Bible schools and seminaries a SPM program, no partner.

USA
- Sponsor training of children’s workers at The 35th and 36th Annual National Pastors and Christian Education Conference (African American church leadership) Partnership with Urban Outreach and Urban Ministries.

WORLDWIDE (54 NATIONS)
- 22 scholarships for international leaders to participate in the First International Consultation on Discipleship in Eastbourne, England, 1999 Partnership with Cook Communications Ministries International.

ZAMBIA
- Bible reference library of eight important Bible study reference helps annually for graduates of Bible schools and seminaries a SPM program.

ZIMBABWE
- Bible reference library of eight important Bible study reference helps annually for graduates of Bible schools and seminaries a SPM program, no partner.

Statement of Faith [ Back to top ]

SP Ministries subscribes to the following doctrinal principles:

STATEMENT OF DOCTRINAL PRINCIPLES

As adopted by resolution of the SP Ministries Board of Trustees, November 2, 1964

The following Statement of Faith expresses the conviction of all Trustees, Advisory Life Trustees, Officers and Executives of SP Ministries and is the doctrinal standard to be signed each year by these persons.

WE BELIEVE - in the great doctrines of the evangelical Christian faith.

WE BELIEVE - that the Scriptures, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired and without error in their original writings, and are therefore our final authority in faith and life (Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39; Acts 1:16; 28:25; 1 Cor. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21; Rev. 22:18-19).

WE BELIEVE - in one God, who exists eternally in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We believe that Jesus Christ, who was God from eternity, was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary and thus is true man and true God (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 1:20-23; 28:18-19; Mark 12:29; Luke 1:26-38; 2:7; John 1:14; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Heb. 1:1-3; Rev. 1:4-6).

WE BELIEVE - that God created a host of angels who were sinless and spiritual beings. Some of them--led by Satan--fell into sin, and now oppose God and those whom God blesses. The holy angels continue to minister as servants of God (Gen. 3:1-19; Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:11-19; Luke 15:10; 2 Cor. 4:3-4; 11:13-15; Eph. 6:10-12; Heb. 1:13-14; 2:6-10; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6; Rev. 12:9; 20:1-3, 10).

WE BELIEVE - that Adam was created without sin, but through his transgression fell from his original innocency. Descendants of Adam are born in sin and are subject to death and judgment, apart from divine grace (Gen. 1:26-27; 2:17; 3:6; 6:5; Pss. 14:1-3; 51:5; 58:3; Jer. 17:9; John 3:3-6; Rom. 3:10-19; 5:12; 6:23; 8:6-7; Eph. 2:1-3; I John 3:8).

WE BELIEVE - that Christ died for our sins and rose bodily from the grave. We believe in His bodily ascension; in His present work for believers as High Priest and Advocate in heaven; and in the “blessed hope” of His personal, bodily return to receive saints unto Himself and establish His millennial reign on earth (Luke 23:46-49; 24:1-53; John 1:29; 14:2-3; Acts 1:9-11; Rom. 3:23-26; 5:8; 1 Cor. 15:1-24, 51-58; 2 Cor. 5:14-21; Eph. 1:20-23; 1 Thes. 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:3-7:25; 1 Pet. 3:18; 1 John 2:1; Rev. 1:5; 19:11; 20:15).

WE BELIEVE - that men can be saved from sin and come into possession of eternal life by realizing they are sinners, believing that the Lord Jesus Christ loves them and has provided salvation through His own shed blood upon Calvary. Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ as personal Saviour and Sin-bearer and is entirely a free gift of God. Salvation cannot possibly be achieved by man’s works (John 3:14-18, 36; 5:24; 6:47; Acts 4:12; Rom. 1:16-17; 3:20-26; 5:1; 8:1; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Rev. 1:5).

WE BELIEVE - that at death the saved enter into the presence of God immediately, to spend eternity with Him. At death the unsaved go immediately into eternal conscious punishment. We believe in the future bodily resurrection of all the dead (Dan. 12:2-3; Luke 16:19-31; John 5:28-29; 1 Cor. 15:22, 51-54; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 1 Thes. 4:16; Rev. 20:4-6, 10-15).

WE BELIEVE - that the Holy Spirit convicts sinners of their need of Christ as Saviour, and regenerates those who place faith in Christ. The Holy Spirit indwells all true believers. As believers yield to His control, He enables them to obey the will of God for them and to lead godly lives separate from the sins of the world (John 7:37-39; 14:16-17; 16:7-15; Acts 2:38; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; Gal. 5:16; Eph 5:18).

WE BELIEVE - in the spiritual unity of true believers in Christ and that all believers are members of the Church, which is Christ’s body and of which He is the Head (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:13-27; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:13-22; 5:23-32).

WE BELIEVE - that all Christians are called and commissioned by the Lord to live to the glory of God and to win others to Christ (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 15:16; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 10:31; 2 Cor. 5:20; Phil. 1:20-21).

History [ Back to top ]

In 1933, Victor and Bernice Cory believed that better Bible training was needed in the Sunday Schools of their day. Out of this belief and passion to provide Sunday school curriculum that was both evangelically and educationally sound SP Publications was founded. Later, in 1945, SPM was born for the purpose of taking the "Whole Word to the Whole World." Through Christian education materials to guide those seeking Christ and to enrich those who desire a deeper walk with their Savior, SPM continues to reach out to some of the most remote areas of the world including African and Russian Christian seminaries and schools with Biblical reference materials for graduating students and pastors; Philippine, Colombian and Brazilian street children ministries with age-appropriate Bibles; U.S. prisons and jails, providing chaplains and inmates with Bibles and Christian literature.

Ministry Needs [ Back to top ]

Prayer and funding are always of highest need as we seek to maintain and grow the ministry outreach of the organization.

Prayer is of vital importance to under gird the ministry through its individual literature programs, for staff and Christian workers who facilitate the programs and outreach, for the many who receive the literature that God, by His Spirit, would change and enrich lives, and for those who provide the funding to make it happen.

Funding is critical to the on-going provision of literature for those who do not know Christ, and for those wishing to enrich their Christian walk but who cannot afford to buy it for themselves.

Specific support and prayer is needed for:

-- Our Bible and literature distribution among prison and hospital chaplains for use in their evangelism and discipleship ministries.

-- Our provision of classic Bible reference books in the form of a mini-library set to African Bible school and seminary graduates embarking on their ministry to the growing African church.

-- Our partnerships with other ministries to provide age-appropriate Bibles and Christian literature to poor and abandoned children internationally.

-- Our training programs and scholarship support of international Christian leaders seeking personal and ministry development opportunities.

We welcome interest from those who are unfamiliar with our organization and wish to know more. We look forward to hearing from you. We are respectful of our donor’s privacy and will not sell or give names and address to any other organization. Your giving records are held in strictest confidence.

SPM thanks you for taking the time to be informed and welcomes your questions.

Research Analysis

Transparency Grade [ Back to top ]

MinistryWatch.com 5 Star Financial Efficiency Ratings [ Back to top ]

This ministry has not been rated