How a big, Bible-loving lion is transforming young lives

For the past two decades, the Bible Society of Egypt has used Kingo, the big, Bible-loving lion, to teach children Biblical values through engaging animations, videos, music, and large-scale live events. These efforts have impacted well over one million children since 2005 and there is still great excitement surrounding Kingo. However, this year the Bible Society are adapting to meet the needs of today’s families by transitioning to a Vacation Bible School (VBS) model.

In recognising the need for more focused and impactful teaching, the transition from expansive festivals catering to thousands at a time, to smaller, localised events was a natural move. During the school summer holidays, small classes of children benefit from spending several hours a day over the course of a week engaged in a curriculum of Bible teaching and activities all taught by dedicated teams of volunteers from local congregations, using the resources provided by the Bible Society.

Magda, a volunteer Sunday School teacher from Upper Egypt said, “We couldn’t have presented these lessons so well without the aid of this package, providing illustrations, the object lesson materials, the picture books, the activity book questions and fun competitions, and a teacher’s guide to help us make use of all these wonderful resources.”

Small Gatherings, Big Impact

The Bible Society’s vision has not changed, they still long to equip children with foundational Christian principles by using the beloved Kingo character and content that was originally written by the American Bible Society.

Christian children in Egypt face unique challenges in a predominantly Islamic society, where access to Biblical resources is limited, and many are unable to regularly attend church. This has led to an extremely limited understanding of the Scriptures, but through engaging with local congregations, the Bible Society has realised that these smaller gatherings, instead of the large festivals, help the children to focus more and remember the stories and principles they are being taught.

On top of this, the transition to a VBS model has helped to strengthen the relationships between the Bible Society and local churches, as well as encouraging the Church in Egypt. The team have been heartened by this impact so far and are hopeful that eventually it will encourage more local fundraising initiatives, which will assist to further the Society’s work.

Bridging the Gap

There are around ten million Christians in Egypt yet, at any given time, the churches of Egypt only accommodate about 20% of Christians. Through the historic largescale Kingo festivals, and now the Kingo VBS program, the Bible Society of Egypt is helping the Church to reach the other 80% of Christians. The school summer holidays are a long break, and with parents at work, churches open their doors to provide space for these children. This gives church volunteers and staff the opportunity to build relationships with these families and help them to engage with the Bible once again.

In 2025, the Bible Society of Egypt are planning to partner with 500 churches across the country to run these Vacation Bible Schools, with an aim of reaching and serving at least 80,000 children. At the end of the week, each child is gifted with an illustrated Bible storybook called 103 Selected Bible Stories. It is hoped that by reaching these children, they will go home and share the stories and biblical principles they have learnt with their families.

Will you join us in supporting the Bible Society of Egypt as they empower the next generation of Christians?

Pray with Us

Please join with us as we pray for the Bible Society of Egypt and their Kingo VBS program:

• Pray for the children who attend these VBS programs, that they will gain an understanding of the Bible and its relevance for their lives.
• Pray for the 500 churches who will run VBS this year, that they will be well equipped and be incredibly blessed by their service to these children.
• Pray for the Bible Society of Egypt as they resource and partner with local churches to run the VBS program.

Donate

You can help the Bible Society of Egypt to empower the next generation, by giving a financial gift:

• £15 could provide 3 VBS teachers with the pack of tools and resources they need to run the week-long VBS event.
• £32 could provide 100 children with the 6 activity booklets which they use throughout the week of VBS.
• £90 could give 125 children a copy of the Selected Bible Stories book for them to take home and learn more about God with their families.

Thank you for partnering with us to support the Bible Society of Egypt.