This week we’ve been highlighting the work of four Christian organizations based in Canada. I realize that our readership here is three-quarters American, but I wanted to give visibility to these groups, and if you’re in the U.S. and choose to donate remember that while you won’t get a valid U.S. income tax receipt for this one, your dollars will go a lot farther because of the currency difference.
Christian Salvage Mission is proof that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. This organization takes books to places where they are needed, on the mission field where English-speaking workers, unable to bring their libraries with them — appreciate the infusion of fresh resource materials and devotional reading. Furthermore, increasingly, larger numbers of indigenous peoples are learning English, including local pastors and Christian workers.
The organization packs container loads which are shipped using money from donations and money from AIR MILES donated by people who don’t wish to save them for their own use.
There are three ways people get involved.
- If you believe in the power of Christian literature you probably have pet causes (such as Wycliffe Bible Translators) and you can add Christian Salvage Mission to the list of organizations worthy of your financial support.
- If you are in Canada and know someone who is downsizing their personal library, you can let them know that CSM is an option, especially if that person did any formal Bible college or seminary study and has the type of library pastors are always wanting to get their hands on — but this can also include donations of obsolete Sunday School curriculum or surplus copies of Our Daily Bread in addition to books, commentaries, devotionals, old hymnbooks, etc. — you can arrange to get them to a CSM representative (who are all across Canada) by contacting them in Hamilton through their website or by e-mail; or if you’re reading this in the United States, two similar ministries exist. This site also clarifies the types of materials they are needing.
- Prayer!
…A year after getting involved, we finally got to see their office and warehouse in person. Located in a modest industrial unit in southeast Hamilton it’s hard to believe that from this small space, material goes out to various countries with life-changing potential.
Volunteers sort materials daily. These people have a unique window on the world of Christian literature printed both now and in years past.
Murray answered our questions in the warehouse and described their work in detail.
CSM takes a wide variety of materials and has volunteer coordinators and drop off centres in almost every Canadian province.
Thinking Out Loud 