Christian Library International
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Christian Library International (CLI) is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Raleigh, NC. Its primary purpose is to provide resources for spiritual truth to prisons, shelters and international missions in 40 countries.
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[edit] Primary Mission
“To distribute Christian books, Bibles, tapes, CDs, DVDs, tracts and magazines to prisons, shelters and international missions to share the good news of Jesus Christ.”
[edit] Beginnings
CLI was founded in 1996, establishing a small Christian library of 100 books in a YMCA. Soon thereafter, requests were received from other YMCAs, homeless shelters and international missions in several countries. A Peace Corps volunteer requested Christian books to help teach English to children in Samoa. A hospital in Nepal requested Christian books for its ex-pat staff as well as to share with their local staff. Once the CLI website was up, requests have been received from all over the world. CLI was founded by Kathleen Skaar shortly after receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit gave Kathleen a burning desire to really know God and through Christian books, Kathleen was mentored. Later, she felt others could also be mentored through reading Christian books - some of the greatest minds in Christianity - and was led to establish a Christian Library. When approached, the local YMCA was receptive and CLI began its ministry.
In 2002, CLI began moving into US prisons. The tremendous demand for Christian books in the prisons began to cause the explosive growth of CLI. From 12 outreaches to 32, to 200, to 400, to 900.
Christian Library International will continue to provide Christian books, Bibles and materials to non-church ministries who request them.
[edit] CLI Activities
[edit] Prison Support
CLI works closely to support prison chaplaincy programs and assist the work of the church behind bars.
The over 800 prisons CLI supports have a wide variety of needs. Christian books and Bibles in Spanish are an especially urgent need. CLI approached several foundations and received a grant to purchase thousands of book and Bibles in Spanish for prisons requesting them. Many chaplains do not speak Spanish and hence have no way to minister to these inmates. It is estimated that one out of four inmates in federal prisons is Hispanic.
[edit] Shelter support
CLI works directly with shelter directors to provide appropriate Christian books, Bibles and materials for shelter guests. Bible studies, Christian videos, books dealing with addictions and financial management are especially well received. [edit]
[edit] The Angel Book Mission
The Angel Book Mission is an outreach to the children living in shelters at Christmas. Several local churches and church groups, Christian publishers, Christian authors have donated brand new Christian children’s books for the kids in the shelters. Each Angel Book is gift wrapped, age appropriate with a children’s tract enclosed and prayed over.
In 2004, 600 Angel Books were distributed and in 2005 over 3,000.
A CLI volunteer took Angel Books to a youth detention center. The children opened their gift books immediately but a few did not. The volunteer said it was OK to go ahead and open them but they said they wanted to look at it longer, since it would be the only Christmas present they will be getting. CLI also sent Angel Books to orphanages in Africa which care for children with AIDS. The parents have already died and the children will shortly.
[edit] Christian Book Drives
As CLI continues to grow, there is more and more need for Christian books and Bibles. In January of 2005, the Billy Graham organization contacted CLI with a book donation of 22 pallets of Christian books, Bibles, CDs, video tapes, magazines and tracts. CLI volunteers packed up 550 boxes of wonderful Christian materials and sent them to CLI outreaches all over the US!
CLI conducts Christian Book Drives around the US and in other countries. A book drive sponsor, usually a church or scout troop, promotes the event in the local media, provides a drop point for the books, and then with a team of volunteers reviews the books according to CLI standards, sorts them and packs them in cartons. The sponsor can then take them or ship them to the nearby prisons and shelters CLI supports.
[edit] Inmate Correspondence
Since CLI stamps its books, prison inmates write CLI with requests, comments, prayer requests and praises. A small team of CLI volunteers answers the letters every week, often sending out a special book or Bible. All inmates who write CLI are encouraged to enroll in a correspondence Bible study provided by another ministry. Over 100 inmates have chosen to enroll.
[edit] Results
As CLI continues to grow, over one million prison inmates in the US, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Australia and New Zealand are being ministered to through Christian books and Bibles.
