This is it: Your chance to be a part of Bible history.

Map

For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” …But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him?

Romans 10:13-14

A few months ago, we introduced you to the #BibleForEveryone challenge,1 inviting you to join us in the historical move of God already underway: helping visionary ministries get God’s Word translated for the billion-plus people who still don’t have it. English speakers can select from 50 different versions in the Bible App, but did you know…?

Thousands of the world’s active languages still don’t even have a complete New Testament.

Some languages have portions of Scripture, maybe a chapter or two of the Bible, but many still have no Scripture at all. Translating the Bible into a new language used to require decades. But today, by collaborating on new processes, innovating with new technologies, and sharing resources, visionary Bible translation organizations have drastically reduced that cycle — in many cases to just a few years.

Now, the world is about to change.

Last year, Bible translators from around the globe set the shared goal of translating at least the New Testament for 99.9% of the world’s population by the year 2033. Just think about what that means. Consider one of the last things Jesus said to his disciples after his resurrection, just before he ascended into heaven:

“Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.…”

Mark 16:15

Don’t miss out.

If Bible translators reach their goal, not only will that command be possible, but it will be fulfilled within our lifetimes. What will happen when every person on earth has the same opportunity to experience the life-changing power of God’s Word that we already enjoy? Become a part of the Bible history taking place right now, and let’s find out!

Kingja People

We’re in.

At YouVersion, we believe that with your help, we can see Bible translation accelerated even further. We’re already working closely with Bible translation partners to identify high-impact projects that translators could complete quickly with just a little more funding. Life.Church is in, too: committing to match up to $1 million of all contributions the worldwide YouVersion community makes toward Bible translation over the next four years.2

Are you in?

Thanks to the generosity of those who supported our first project, very soon, almost 75,000 people in Zambia will be enjoying the book of Acts in their native language…for the first time ever. Today, we’re announcing our next project:

Help the Kinga people of Tanzania complete their New Testament by the end of 2017.

About 140,000 Kinga people live in Tanzania. The Kinga are primarily subsistence farmers, growing potatoes, wheat, peas and maize. Many Kinga identify as Christian, and they enjoy reading and listening to Scripture in church and hearing it read on the radio. Unfortunately, although a Kinga translation of the New Testament was first printed in 1961, that version is no longer available. In addition, the Kinga language has changed so much since that publication that most Kinga people today would struggle to read it.

They’ve already started.

The Kinga are working now with Bible translation ministries to create their own complete, easy-to-read New Testament, expected to be ready before the end of this year. This modern version will be stored online, so it will always be available, now and to future generations, in smartphone, web, and print formats. You can help them finish:

Give Now

Let’s wipe out Bible poverty together.

In the coming months, we’ll continue sharing with you about the other projects for which we’ll be matching funds, and we’ll update you on each project’s progress. Get in now on this worldwide move of God. Pray and ask Him to continue accelerating the work of translating His Word into every language. Ask Him to prepare the hearts of those who will be hearing about Him for the first time. And give.

Then one day, you’ll have the great joy of standing before God’s throne and seeing some of the very people that your gift helped bring there:

After this I looked, and there in front of me was a multitude that no one could count, people from every tribe and every nation.

Revelation 7:9a


Notes

1 Refer to original blog post: “History is being made, right now. Be a part of it.”

2 All contributions received through the #BibleForEveryone campaign will be used exclusively for the purpose of Bible translation. Life.Church is contributing $1 million over the next four years. During calendar year 2017, Life.Church is contributing $250,000, spread across four different, high-impact translation projects. As each project is completed, any remaining funds are then applied toward the next translation project, as selected by YouVersion and its partners. (See original blog post for full details.)

Announcing the Winners from YouVersion’s 2017 Half-Year Challenge

Two weeks ago, we invited you to join us for our first-ever Half-Year Challenge. Users who completed at least seven days in a row of Bible Plan daily readings anytime between June 25 and July 8 were entered into a random drawing for our grand prize: a T-shirt, a sticker pack, a mug, and an Amazon Fire tablet! The results are in, and the lucky winner is:

Julie L.

Congratulations, Julie!

(Don’t forget to install the Bible App on your new Fire tablet!) 😉

Half-Year Challenge Prizes

Throughout the Challenge, many registered users who shared which Plan they were reading with the hashtag #HalfYearResolution also won prizes.1 Here they are:

Caitlin M.

Laura G.

Lauren B.

John M.

Donna G.

Michael F.

Scott N.

Halley H.

Keri C.

Maricela M.


1 Weekly winners will be contacted through the social media channel where you posted. The grand prize winner will be contacted through the email address associated with your YouVersion profile. Winners can expect to receive their prizes within the next few weeks. Refer to our original post for complete contest rules.


Half-Year Challenge Badge

Of course, the Half-Year Challenge isn’t about prizes. It’s about connecting with God every day through his Word. So to everyone who completed our first-ever Half-Year Challenge: Way to go! If your special Half-Year Challenge badge hasn’t already appeared on your YouVersion profile, you should see it sometime within the next week.


Keep your momentum going!

We hope your time in God’s Word during these last two weeks has drawn you closer to him. And we hope each day helped you refresh your daily Bible reading habit. Our statistics from past Challenges are clear: once you establish a daily habit for several weeks, that momentum can carry you forward on a streak of consistent time in the Bible.

And, with thousands of Plans in dozens of languages, your next new favorite Plan is just a couple of clicks away:

Discover Plans


Bible App icon

The Bible App

The Bible App has been installed on almost 276 million unique devices, all over the world. In addition to offering more than 1,500 Bible versions in almost 1,100 languages, the Bible App now features almost 3,300 Bible Plans across dozens of languages. Plans help you build a Bible habit by bringing you select Scriptures each day, and adding context that helps you understand what you’re learning. And the Bible App is always free.

www.bible.com/app

Now Your Children Can Experience the Bible App for Kids in Swedish!

Bible App for Kids

Today, together with our partner OneHope, we are pleased to announce the launch of the Bible App for Kids in Swedish. Now, more children than ever have the opportunity to enjoy a Bible experience all their own.

Switching between languages is easy, right in the app’s Settings:

  1. Make sure you’ve updated your app to the most current release.
  2. Open the app and tap the gear icon ) to open Settings.
  3. Tap Language and select the one you want.

The audio will now play in that language, and any text will appear in that language, too!

Please help us celebrate this great news!

Share
Tweet
Email


About the Bible App for Kids

Developed in partnership with OneHope, the Bible App for Kids is from YouVersion, makers of the Bible App. Designed to give children a delight-filled Bible experience all their own, the Bible App for Kids has already been installed on over 15 million Apple, Android, and Kindle devices, and it’s always completely free. Kids from all over the world are now enjoying the Bible App for Kids, in 28 languages — now including Swedish!

Apple Badge Google Badge Amazon Badge

YouVersion’s 2017 Half-Year Challenge: A fresh start to your Bible habit.

Half-Year Challenge Starts Soon
If you joined us for the 21-Day Challenge earlier this year, then you know how great it can feel to start a daily Bible reading habit. We’re convinced that one of the best ways to start engaging with the Bible every day is to complete one short Plan after another.

That’s what the Half-Year Challenge is all about: helping you renew your daily habit of connecting with God’s Word.

For two weeks beginning June 25, let us inspire you!


Prize Pack

Here’s how it works.

Between June 25 and July 8, complete at least seven days in a row of Bible Plan daily readings, and you’ll earn our special 2017 Half-Year Challenge badge, and be eligible for exciting prizes.

You don’t have to do just one Plan that’s seven days. You can be in the middle of a Plan that’s longer than seven days. Or you can complete a Plan that you’re already doing, then start a new one immediately after it. Just make sure you complete at least one day of at least one Plan every day, for seven days in a row!


Official Rules

📲  Get the Bible App

Make sure you have the Bible App installed on a device (or devices), or on the web at Bible.com, that you will be able to use every day from June 25th to July 8th.

✔  Sign Up for a Free Account

If you haven’t already, create your own free YouVersion account (or sign in with Facebook or Google).

📑  Start a Bible Plan

Sign up for a Bible Plan — or for several. We recommend that you browse through Plans that interest you and use Save for Later to collect the ones you want to use for the Half-Year Challenge.

Note: You don’t have to begin a new Plan on June 25th. If you already started a Plan before June 25th — or more than one — that’s great! Just keep going, and don’t miss any days. (Keep reading for more.)

🗓  Read Each Day

At least 7 days in a row from June 25th to July 8th, go to your Plans > My Plans and complete the daily selection for at least one of the Plans you’re subscribed to.

IMPORTANT! Each day when you complete your selections, make sure they get checked off. (More on this in a moment.)

👏🏽  Share Your Progress, Be Entered to Win Prizes

After you complete a day’s reading, inside the Bible App, go to that Plan’s Info page (  More icon  > Plan Info), tap the share icon (  Android Share icon  or  iOS Share icon  ) and share your Plan to Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and include the hashtag #HalfYearResolution. Sharing is not necessary to earn your Badge, but it is required to be entered to win one of many prizes we’ll be giving away.

IMPORTANT! When you post on social media, we cannot see posts that are “Friends,” “Private,” or “Only Me.” Make sure that you mark your social media post as “Public” — AND that you include #HalfYearResolution — or we won’t be able to see your entry.

1 Prizes include YouVersion-branded items such as a T-shirt, stickers, drinkware, tablets, and more. Prizes are subject to change or substitution based on availability. Winners will be contacted with details about how to receive their prizes. Because of some limitations with international shipping, not all items will be available to ship to all countries.

🏅  Earn a Badge!

All users who complete the Half-Year Challenge — reading the day’s selections from at least one Bible Plan each day for 7 days in a row (June 25th to July 8th) — will receive their special commemorative badge in the Bible App. (No Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram posts required.)

IMPORTANT! Badges will be automatically awarded based upon having 7 days in a row checked off during the Challenge. This is why it is so important that you ensure that each day’s reading is ACTUALLY CHECKED OFF.


Start by finding some Plans.

The Half-Year Challenge begins in just a few days, so we recommend that you start looking now for the Plans you’ll want to do during the Challenge. The Plans we’ve listed below aren’t required for the Challenge; they’re just some ideas to help you get started. When you find a Plan you think you’d enjoy, open it and tap “Save for Later.” Then, remember to start your Plan on June 25!

Discover Plans

Thanking Godly Dads… and Becoming One

Father’s Day

Thank God for dads.

Think back on the “father figures” in your life. Who are the men who have helped you? Maybe someone spoke into your life with wisdom, or showed you kindness when you needed it. Whether it was your own dad — or a teacher, neighbor, or family friend — who was there for you?

For every special Dad in your life, why not send him Scripture to let him know how much he means to you? Call him. Text him with a Verse Image, or even post one on his Facebook page. We’ve included a few of our favorite inspirational passages below to get you started.

Joshua 1:9

Joshua 1:9

…Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.


Ephesians 6:10–11

Ephesians 6:10–11

…Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.


Proverbs 20:7

Proverbs 20:7

The godly walk with integrity;
blessed are their children who follow them.


Become a Dad Who Inspires.

If you’re looking for godly insight for how you can be the type of dad that inspires the people who matter most to you, we’ve put together a list of several Plans that can help:


Father Knows Best: 5 Prayers for Your Kids

Undaunted.Life: A Man’s Devotional

Becoming a Battle-Ready Father

Finding Purpose: A Guide for Men

Confidence of a Champion: 3 Days with MMA Fighter Michael Chandler

WiRE for Men: Two Days to Recharge

Challenging & Contemporary Insights for Men

UNCOMMEN: Reclaiming Your Identity as a Man

Fathers are Needed: Devotions from Time of Grace

Professional Golf and the Bible

Optimal Men’s Health with Dr. Bob

Plans for Men