Our vision

Jesus’ “Great Commission” Forms the Foundation for our Vision

In the first issue of Skjulte Skatter (Hidden Treasures), January 1912, the brothers Johan and Aksel Smith describe the paper’s and thereby the publishers’ vision, in the following way: “Our prayer is that, sanctified to the Lord, the paper will be a benefit to the believers, by shedding light on the paths that lead to a deeper life of fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ. The paper’s goal is to proclaim the truths that lead to faith and godliness. Titus 1.1.” Since that initial beginning at the start of the 20th century, the paper and Skjulte Skatters Forlag have pursued the vision of bringing individuals in connection with Jesus, so that they can come to a personal faith in the gospel. This vision is also safeguarded in the Articles of Association of the Stiftelsen Skjulte Skatters Forlag (SSSF) / Hidden Treasures Foundation Publishers (HTFP).

Meeting People Just Where They Are

In his occupation as a naval officer, Johan Oscar Smith spoke to those he met, and in time won fellow believers along the entire coast of Norway. The same word continued to spread from Norway to several countries, initially in Northern Europe. It was the paper Skjulte Skatter and Skjulte Skatters Forlag that was the uniting “glue" in this work, bringing together all these people in a common faith and a common understanding of the Christian life. Following Smith's death, others continued to travel and preach the word, until the message reached over several continents. Today, there are vibrant local churches throughout Europe, North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australasia.

"The Skjulte Skatter paper is Brunstad Christian Church’s main spiritual organ", writes Kåre J. Smith in the June 2020 edition of Skjulte Skatter. The paper is distributed by Hidden Treasures Foundation Publishers and is translated to 15 languages. The literature produced by Stiftelsen Skjulte Skatters Forlag is translated in part or in its entirety to approx. 20 languages. Brunstad Christian Church’s missionary profile has always been to spread the gospel from person to person, through ordinary encounters with people in their own lives and circumstances. The Skjulte Skatter paper is a good means of helping to spread the gospel.