Bible books for Muslim Indonesia’s schools March 30, 2026

In Indonesia, a Southeast Asian country that’s home to the world’s largest Muslim population, LHF teams are seizing the opportunity to introduce public, private and Christian school students to the one true God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Last year, Imelda Aritonang led the LHF Indonesia team in presenting one- to three-hour programs in more than 80 schools across Jakarta and North Sumatra, where they shared Bible stories from LHF’s Indonesian A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories, conducted quiz games over the material, sang songs, made crafts and played games.

“Most of the groups we serve are mixed in terms of religious background,” Imelda said. “Even in Christian schools, it is very common to find Muslim students enrolled. In public schools, the majority are usually Muslim.”

While distributing free books for the children is very important, LHF team leaders have found that simply handing out books is often not enough.

“Many children have a very limited understanding of the Christian faith ― who Jesus is, what salvation means and why the Gospel matters for their lives,” Imelda reflected. “Even among Christian children, basic knowledge of Christian teachings is often very minimal.

“The additional activities help bridge that gap,” she continued. “They allow children to engage with the message, ask questions and begin to connect God’s Word with their daily lives.”

That said, being allowed to keep their Bible storybooks and Small Catechisms allows the children to keep learning about the Savior even after the LHF teams must return home.

“Teachers have noted that the books encourage the children to read more attentively and to retell Bible stories in their own words,” said Sri Rezeki, one of the LHF team teachers. “This shows not only interest, but also growing comprehension and engagement with Scripture in a way that feels joyful rather than forced.”

The children can take their books home to share with their families, but their teachers also continue to use them in the classroom.

“Each week, the children read a selected story together and are then invited to retell what they have read,” Sri said. “Several schools and communities have shared with us that the children eagerly read the books they receive, often completing them within a short period of time and asking for additional reading materials.”

“The children’s reactions are often very moving,” reflected Imelda. “Many of them open the books immediately, start reading and look through the pages with great excitement. You can see it in their eyes ― curiosity, joy and genuine interest!

“With some books, especially A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories, we have seen that the joy is not limited to children. Parents and even grandparents are often very happy to receive these books as well, especially in smaller towns and rural areas where access to good quality, attractive Christian books is very limited. In many of these places, people are truly hungry for God’s Word and grateful for resources that help them learn and grow in faith together as families.”

Due to the immense popularity of LHF’s school programs, the need for reprinting Indonesian Bible books is never ending! Can you help? Every $5 you give prints one of these books for an Indonesian child. Click here to give now.