Christian Library International
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Christian Library International (CLI) is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Its primary purpose is to provide resources for spiritual truth to prisons and international missions in 45 countries.
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[edit] Primary Mission
“To distribute Christian books, Bibles, tapes, CDs, DVDs, tracts and magazines to prisons 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 and then 1,200.
Christian Library International will continue to provide Christian books, Bibles and materials to prisons 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 900 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.
Prison chaplains tell us they have no budget for purchasing Christian books and Bibles and depend on Christian ministries like CLI to donate these materials.
“We have a strong Christian population at MacDougall and your shipment of books and study materials will go far to encourage, enlighten and strengthen them. We also have many unsaved individuals – so your gift will also help in evangelical ways. We have no operating budget and we are not financially sponsored by the state, so we rely on gifts such as yours. Thank you. Our prayer is that God will richly bless you for your thoughtfulness and willingness to serve the Body of Christ.” Chaplain Lance Neal, MacDougall Correctional Institute, South Carolina
[edit] International Affiliates
In January 2008, CLI began CLI Costa Rica - a self supporting affiliate to collect and distribute Christian books and Bibles to prison inmates in Costa Rica. See our website for details. [edit]
[edit] The CLI Youth Mission
in 2007, in keeping with our focus on prisons, the CLI Youth Mission will distribute age appropriate Christian books Bibles and materials to incarcerated youth ages 8-18.
[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 shipped 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 and the CLI Leadership Bible Study
Since CLI stamps its books, prison inmates write CLI with requests, comments, prayer requests and praises. A team of CLI volunteers answers inmate letters every week, often sending them a special book or Bible. All inmates who write CLI are encouraged to enroll in the CLI Leadership Bible Study. Over 800 letters were received and answered from prison inmates in 2007.
[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.
