Our process of ordering books begins at the end of the year. We start taking orders for books from the churches. We give the churches 10 months to pay for their orders. During the year local church publishing leaders promote the books so that members can buy the books. The books they buy are not for random distribution, but for distribution in the neighborhoods and territories around the churches.

All payments from the churches have to be in by the end of October.

Conference publishing directors send missionary book promotional videos to the churches so they can promote the program. The promotion starts first in churches to prepare members, and the second promo is in public media to prepare the public to receive the books.

Publishing directors plan a consecration and thanksgiving program regarding the missionary books.

The Steps:

Fasting: Publishing directors plan a fast for themselves, together with local church publishing leaders, one month before beginning the intensive distribution promo.

Planning with Pastors: Three months before the book distribution conference publishing directors meet with local church pastors to explain the plan and give pastors a copy of the missionary book to read for themselves.

Planning with Partners: Conference publishing directors organize a general meeting with all other stakeholders/partners (publishing, personal ministries, youth, and Pathfinder leaders) to discuss the plan of distribution and also listen to their ideas and recommendations. They also discuss the distribution territory of the churches. Conference publishing and personal ministry leaders motivate the leaders for the distribution, so they can motivate church members to distribute the books. In the general meeting, two months before distribution, books are distributed for leaders to read for themselves.

Reading: The books arrive two months before distribution. After the general meeting with leaders, a month or two before distribution, church members read the book together during church services.

Scheduling: At least one month before distribution, publishing directors send an announcement letter to all the churches to announce the distribution, consecration, and thanksgiving program with a video, so the leaders can announce it every Sabbath.

Digital Media Promo: Publishing directors send WhatsApp promo to church members.

Media Promotion: Advertising in the public media starts two weeks before distribution. Conference publishing directors go to the most popular TV and radio programs to promote the missionary book and announce its distribution date. The program is also promoted on Facebook pages, Prioridat Curacao, and all other social media.

Minutes before the TV or radio program a WhatsApp announcement will be sent to church members.

Countdown: Ten to seven days before distribution publishing directors start a WhatsApp countdown. The countdown can be a published quotation of Ellen G White. Members may also share the announcement through WhatsApp.

Consecration: All church members are invited to the consecration program. Government officials may also be invited to assist.

Distribution: All church members, in their uniforms, meet Sabbath morning at their churches. They sing, pray together, and go through a small meditation before they go out. Church publishing leaders or personal ministry leaders organize members regarding on which streets to distribute books. At midday they meet and share their testimonies with each other at church. If they did not finish, they will continue in the afternoon until they finish.

Thanksgiving: In the thanksgiving program, all the churches come and share their videos and testimonies of the distribution. All the videos and pictures will be published on the publishing Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Publikashon-273922629996119/)

Results:

Church members will be excited by the distribution. Churches will be full of people. They received good responses when they distributed the books, because the public had already heard of the missionary book. People were waiting to receive the books. Even when supplies of the book were gone, people kept asking for books; demand surpassed supply. The Power of Hope had to be distributed digitally to supply the demand. The books were translated in their own language.

Curacao has a population of about 160,000 in 55,000 homes.

2015: 100,000 copies of Health and Hope

2016: 134,500 pieces of literature (130,500 magazines, 4,000 Steps to Christ)

2017: 52,749 copies of Hope lost, Hope found

2018: 45,190 copies of The Power of Hope

If you would like to know more click on the link below.