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About Manna Publications (UK)

in association with parent organisation Manna Publications (USA)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

                Click here to read about these FAQs:

                FAQ 1. About Manna organisation
                FAQ 2. About author Fred Morris
                FAQ 3. About our Bible commentaries
                FAQ 4. Where & how are they printed?
                FAQ 5. Who pays for printing?
                FAQ 6. Who uses the booklets?
                FAQ 7. Who distributes them?
                FAQ 8. Who translates them?
                FAQ 9. Who makes new books?
                FAQ 10. How to read Manna online?
                FAQ 11. What are the benefits?
                FAQ 12. How can I help?
                FAQ 13. How can I publish books?
                FAQ 14. Books in my own language?

ANSWERS

Manna Publications Bible teaching commentaries were written by Fred Morris in the period 1990 to 2015 after he retired from missionary work. They are based on his perceived need of Bible teaching books written in Easy English when he was a missionary in Africa and Asia. Manna Publications is a not-for-profit organisation. In 2000, Fred established Manna Publications in the UK where editorial skills exist in easy English. We are affiliated to Avail UK www.availmission.com (charity registration 1017386) and support the Evangelical Alliance statement of faith www.eauk.org. Since the year 2000, God has enabled Manna Publications to support the printing and distribution of nearly 700,000 Manna Bible teaching studies in 40+ countries and 40+ languages, by printing typically 500 copies at a time at points of greatest need.
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Fred Morris (1924 - 2018) visited Japan at the end of World War 2 whilst in the Royal Australian Navy and experienced a love for the Japanese. "I knew they needed God just as we [all] do. All are sinners and need to be saved by the blood of Jesus." Later, he met his future wife Lorna, also Australian, and together they settled in Japan to help establish a Christian church and local Christian bookshop. Over the next 50 years, God expanded their ministry as missionaries across Asia and Africa and eventually in Jamaica, where Fred began a Christian literature ministry with Christian Literature Crusade before retiring to the USA. In 1990, he began to write his Manna Publications Bible teaching commentaries for translation and self-publishing and self-teaching projects overseas. See Fred's life story.
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FAQ 3. About Manna Publications self-teaching Bible commentaries

Author Fred Morris used his Bible teaching notes from his missionary days to provide small easy-to-read studies called 'Manna Publications Bible teaching commentaries in Worldwide Easy English', typically 40 pages long. They are self-teaching. We also supply large print versions (A4) which are useful for reading on-screen or on mobile phones. They quote from the NIrV Bible and give Fred's understanding and application of God's truth for today. They include questions for further study and topics for personal meditation. See sample pages Many of Fred's Bible teaching books are now available for free downloading to read or print or translate from this website. Find the English Bible commentaries HERE and the Portuguese Bible commentaries HERE and French Bible commentaries HERE and Spanish Bible commentaries HERE
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FAQ 4. Where and how are Manna books printed?

Fred Morris did not print his Manna Publications Bible teaching studies in the USA then mail them overseas. Instead, he created good quality print masters at home and mailed them overseas in cardboard tubes to his known and trusted Christian contacts to print them locally at the point of need, typically 500 copies at a time. The books are now checked in the UK for Easy English then translated into other languages. These days, the print masters are sent overseas electronically by email in pdf format, together with the funding for initial print runs or for translation into local langauges. See list of countries and languages here . See photo of print shop in Africa here
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FAQ 5. Who pays for the cost of printing Manna Publications Bible teaching booklets?

Manna Publications supporters in the UK and USA fund initial printings of the Manna Bible teaching studies in each country. This happens after the overseas publisher/distributor is approved and a local printer's quotation is approved. The approved publisher is sent the print money electronically along with a print master in pdf format for printing low-cost versions, in black ink only, using coloured paper covers. See photo of books printed in Dem Rep Congo here. Sales money from selling books at affordable prices help fund travel expenses of distributors. Money left over is used for the next print run and can be subsidised by the Manna Publications organisation or overseas churches/missions if needed.
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FAQ 6. Who uses Manna Publications Bible teaching booklets?

Manna Publications Bible teaching courses and commentaries are used by church pastors and members for self-teaching or for teaching in small groups, using Bibles if available. They are used in youth and adult Sunday Schools. They are also suitable for new believers and all who wish to know more about the Christian faith. The Easy English text is useful for adults with learning difficulties or limited reading skills. They are often passed on to family members and are also used in schools, colleges and prisons. Read our "More about Manna" article showing Manna aims and methods for printing and distributing Bible teaching books overseas at the point of need. They are also abailable in large print. They are also available in Braille in Malawi and in the UK.
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FAQ 7. Who distributes the Manna Publications Bible teaching booklets?

Manna Publications Bible teaching studies can be distributed by any approved publisher/distributor who seeks to serve their Lord Jesus in spreading the Good News and extending God's Kingdom on Earth. This can be achieved in rural churches or in home groups in cities and towns. Distributors are unpaid volunteers who are appointed by Manna publishers to arrange distribution of books and collection of sales money and account for their expenses. Distributors often attend church conferences and set up a table-top bookstall. They sometimes gain access to schools, colleges, prisons and hospitals. See photo table top book sale in Malawi.
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FAQ 8. Who translates the Manna Publications Bible teaching commentaries?

Translation of Manna Publications Bible teaching commentaries are normally arranged by an approved Manna Publications publisher in the country of need. He or she should request the latest Manna Publications translator's Word file, in Easy English or français courant, from Manna UK along with the translation instructions. See example .RTF file here: Revelation Chapters 1 to 3. A qualified person must separately proof-read the translation before returning the file by email to Manna UK for make-up as a new Manna Publications Bible teaching commentary.
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FAQ 9. Who makes up new booklets with new titles and new languages and customised covers?

MissionAssist UK www.missionassist.org.uk provide make-up facilities for Manna Publications Bible teaching books in the UK. Currently we have 22 Easy Engliahs Bible teaching commentaries translated into 40+ languages with customised covers for use in 40+ countries. It is normal to add a map on the front cover showing the country and place of printing before sending out the print master pdf file to print at the point of need. See ready-to-print PDF sample of a Manna Publications Bible teaching book (two A5 pages on an A4 sheet) here: Ruth & Hannah for D.R. Congo in the Kisongye language. See some of the countries and languages available: here
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FAQ 10. How do I use Manna Bible teaching booklets online?

You may download the printers files to print our A5 (or half-letter) books at home. Or, instead of printing Manna Bible teaching books, you may wish to read our full colour Manna Publications online Bible teaching books English HERE and French HERE. Or for Spanish books HERE. Or for Portuguese books HERE. These may be downloaded free of charge to mobile devices. These same downloads may also be used for printing in large print onto A4 (or letter-size) sheets. Also see the new Bite-size Manna EASY READ English Bible teaching booklets.
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FAQ 11. What are the unique benefits of Manna Publications Bible teaching commentaries?

• All Manna Bible teaching commentaries were written by ex-missionary Fred Morris who was familiar with local needs in various locations across Africa and Asia. He had the educational abilities and needs of the end readers very much in mind. The books are self-teaching. Read the testimonies from users here.

• All Manna Publications Bible teaching commentaries are edited in the UK by an editorial team with many years of experience in the use of Easy English in Christian literature at home and overseas. They remove Western jargon and culture, explain theological words, and avoid Prosperity and Replacement theology. They ensure the writings are relevant to believers in the one true God Almighty, including Jewish and Muslim believers. They are also helpful for others of little or no religious faith. The team uses the Holy Bible New International Readers Version in Easy English. View online at: NIrV Bible.

• Because the English is easy to read and understand, they are quickly and more accurately translated, without error, into local languages - over 40 to date - as well as other European languages. There are over 20 different titles to date. Learning to read Easy English is also useful in commerce and career development as well as teaching and administration in Christian missions and ministries.

• The printing of Manna Publications Bible teaching studies only at the point of need is almost unique and provides employment for local people in Africa and Asia and work experience in publishing, printing, selling and distributing plus accountability for funding and sales money. (We never print our commentaries in the UK or USA to send overseas.) This in turn enables churches and missions to set up small publishing ministries in the areas they operate with affordable sales money helping to print more titles, supported by subsidies from Manna UK, Manna USA or local missions when available.

Offers of volunteer supporters in the UK, USA and Europe or volunteer publishers and distributors in Asia, Africa and the American continent can contact us here.
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FAQ 13. How can I publish my own Manna Bible teaching booklets?

Churches, missions and individuals worldwide have permission to download and print one or more copies of Manna Bible teaching studies from this website using Format 1: English books for printing HERE or French books for printing HERE. Or for Spanish books HERE using Size 1 or 2. Or for Portuguese books HERE. Alternatively, you can translate and make up your own teaching books using part or all of the English or French text from Format 2, ensuring that the Manna Publications copyright information appears in your literature and it conforms to our Terms & Conditions.
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FAQ 14. How can I publish a Manna Publications Bible teaching book in my own language?

Please contact us here to explain what you want to do. We will then reply with further instructions and tell you how we can help you publish Manna Bible teaching booklets/ commentaries in your own language (as well as in Worldwide Easy English).
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Summary

Manna Publications is the name under which the late Fred Morris published his small Bible teaching commentaries for Asia and Africa. When Fred and his wife Lorna retired, they were burdened to put self-teaching, easy-to-read Bible studies in Easy English into the hands of local Christians/churches/missions wherever there is a shortage of teachers or literature in the continents where they had served as missionaries. This vision continues to grow with more European and local languages translated at the point of need, over 40 to date.

In 1990, Fred and Lorna retired to the USA. They soon commenced publishing Fred's 40-page Bible teaching booklets or commentaries from their retirement home in the USA. In October 2000, Fred established Manna Publications in the UK where more skills were available to edit Bible teaching into easy-to-read worldwide English for use overseas at the point of need.

Manna Publications (UK) is a non-denominational voluntary organisation which supports the Evangelical Alliance (UK) statement of faith. Manna Bible teaching commentaries use the easy-to-read New International Reader's Version Bible 1998 text NIrV Bible which is based on the popular NIV Bible.

• See our News in English for our latest overseas printing projects.
• View a presentation "This is Manna Publications." (PDF)
• View our Publicity article showing Manna aims and methods for printing and distributing Fred's Bible teaching books overseas at the point of need.
• View a sample page showing a typical Easy English Manna Bible teaching book two-page spread.
• View a list of typical features in each book with testimonies.
• Please contact us if you have publishing requests, queries, comments or wish to donate.