defining disciple

dis·ci·ple  noun \di-ˈsī-pəl\

November 2012 cover.

"Nigeria's Red Letter Bible"

The blood-spattered Bible on the cover of this newsletter is a graphic symbol of what it means to be a Christian in northern Nigeria. The Bible was retrieved from the Deeper Life Church in Gombe state after a Jan. 5, 2012, attack by Boko Haram militants. Church leader Chenma Ngwaba was speaking during a Thursday evening prayer meeting when three 

young extremists suddenly began firing weapons through the church window. "They were shooting everybody there," said Chenma, who lost his wife and 10-year-old son that night. Chenma's six-month-old daughter survived, but eight other believers were killed, and more than 20 were injured.

Despite horrific attacks like these, courageous believers at the Gombe church and others throughout Nigeria refuse to give in to fear. "Christians are not discouraged," said Rev. Dr. Soja Bewarang, president of the Church of Christ in Nigeria. "We believe the scripture that Jesus told us, that if they persecuted him they will do the same to us. We are not discouraged, but rather our faith on a daily basis has been increased."