Parents have embraced the NEXT Manga book series for its Biblical accuracy and its ability to capture and keep the attention of tween and teen readers. Unlike secular Manga which may include Shintoism or contain inappropriate elements, Tyndale’s Manga series offers positive, biblically-based content.
NEXT recently donated 25,000 copies of Manga Messiah in Arabic to Syrian refugee children in Lebanon and Jordan. Thousands of refugees find themselves in life-threatening situations as they make their way out of warzones and away from the atrocities plaguing their homelands. They are forced to leave their families, property, religion, and all that is near and dear to them. In the midst of sadness, refugees are finding hope as they meet Christians who share the Gospel through the love of Christ.
Lidal shares the story of how a Muslim woman, a refugee from Syria dressed in a traditional burka, came through the doors of a church in Amman. Muslim women simply do not enter Christian churches, especially without a male escort. The woman explained to the pastor there that she met a man dressed in white in her dream. This man told her to go to a specific street and enter a particular building. He told her she would receive help there. The location given to the woman turned out to be a Christian church that serves over 800 refugee families every month through their refugee outreach program. According to the church’s pastor, many of the refugees have opened their hearts to receive Jesus as their Savior. This church is one of many churches using Manga Messiah as an outreach tool for ministering to Muslims.
Tyndale is contributing to this work by continuing to publish its biblically-based Manga series. There are currently five titles with a sixth title releasing in 2017. Manga Messiah , Manga Mutiny , Manga Metamorphosis , Manga Melech , and Manga Messengers are available everywhere Christian books are sold.
This article was written by Becky Brandvik, Senior Acquisitions & Development Manager at Tyndale House Publishers.