• The Bible series producers named the Bible App™ their official app of the series even before the first episode aired.

• During the first episode of The Bible, YouVersion debuted its first-ever national television commercial in the U.S. And it continued to air multiple times each week throughout the series.

• The brand new Videos feature launched, helping people experience the Bible’s stories and concepts visually from inside the Bible App.

• Every Sunday in March landed on YouVersion’s top 10 list for most installs in a single day.

• March 31, Easter Sunday (the same day as The Bible series finale) saw the most installs of the Bible App ever in a single day: more than 3.5 per second… all day.

And while each of these firsts are truly thrilling, even when we take them all together, still they don’t tell the whole story. You, the worldwide YouVersion community, broke several far more important records. Together during March, we:

• Spent more than 3.4 billion minutes reading God’s Word.

• Completed almost 671,000 reading plans, and

• Shared more than 6 million Bible verses through Facebook, Twitter, email, and text messages.

Literally millions of people all over the world discovered the Bible App for the first time during March, thanks in part to your passion for the Bible. Thank you…for reading, listening, watching, and sharing it. You are an inspiration. Together, we’re helping more people engage with God’s Word than ever before.

He is risen!

Together, we celebrate this most important day of the year with followers of Christ from all over the world.

Join us for Easter Restart

Easter marks a time of redemption and rebirth. It’s also a great time to bring a sense of renewal to your life. YouVersion has partnered with American Bible Society to help you embrace the promises and power of Easter through a collection of devotionals:

Sign up for a Restart reading plan with your free YouVersion account:

• Restart: Compassion and Justice Let God’s Word shape how you view and respond to poverty and injustice in a world that’s longing for the hope of Christ.40 days
• Restart: Stepping Out in Faith See your community through new eyes, as the book of Nehemiah reveals God’s heart for rebuilding broken lives and hopes. 40 days
• Restart: Leading With Confidence Explore God’s foundational promises for you and the people you serve—and become the leader He made you to be. 7 days

Watch The Bible Series Finale Tonight

With over 80 million viewers so far, the epic TV miniseries The Bible is helping people explore the Bible in new and powerful ways. It’s also leading millions to use the Bible App in record-breaking fashion.

In the finale of the series, we’ll see a compelling visualization of the Easter story. Watch the conclusion of The Bible, tonight at 8/7c on the History channel.

Now you can use the Bible App to watch and share Bible video content, generously provided by YouVersion partners. You’ll find clips from the History channel miniseries The Bible, which made a big splash during it’s premiere last night. You will also find  The Lumo Project from Big Book Media and Toy Gun Productions, as well as JESUS, the Jesus Film Media movie about Jesus’ life that’s already been shown more than 6 billion times worldwide!

At YouVersion, we’re constantly looking for new ways to help you engage with God’s Word. We believe Videos will help people connect with the Bible by letting them visually experience stories and concepts from the Bible—even if reading isn’t your favorite thing. Sharing video clips will also present new opportunities for you to invite discussion about your faith. And all video content is linked directly to the passages that inspired it, so you can jump straight to the original source!

To check out the Bible App’s new Videos feature, first make sure you have the most recent version of the Bible App on your iOS (iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch) or Android device*. Then simply go to the Bible App’s main menu and select “Videos.”(Wi-Fi access recommended for the best experience.) You can even see the new Videos feature on Bible.com!

*The latest version of the Bible App for Android (4.2) is currently only available in the Google Play store. This version will make it’s way to Amazon and other Android markets around the world later this week.

Reading Plans are one of the best ways we’ve found to help you consistently engage with God’s Word. Simply subscribe to a plan on the topic of your choice, and each day, the Bible App shows you a passage of Scripture for that day. Choose from devotionals, topical plans, portions of the Bible, the entire Bible, and other categories. With more than 400 plans in 30 different languages, you can find something that’s just right for where you are in life.

Selected New Plans

Here are just a few of the new Reading Plans you might want to try:

The Overflow presents new video devotionals from some of today’s leading Christian artists and musicians, such as Casting Crowns, Matthew West, Rhett Walker Band, RED, Sho Baraka, and more! Various lengths

Dave Ramsey’s Financial Wisdom from Proverbs takes you through ten practical, biblical steps to help you start getting your finances in order. From trusted voice on money and business Dave Ramsey. 10 days

New City Catechism video devotional offers a series of questions and answers teaching foundational theological principles. Designed to serve both children and adults. From The Gospel Coalition and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. 20 days

Selected New Categories

We’ve also added some new Reading Plan categories you might be interested in:

Focus on the Family features Reading Plans—including four brand-new ones from President Jim Daly—specifically designed to help families live out their faith based on biblical principles.

Time of Grace offers Reading Plans focused on imparting biblical principles about daily Christian life, with six new plans just added.

To check out all of YouVersion’s newest plans, visit the main Reading Plans page at Bible.com or look in the “New” category inside the Bible App.

As we study God’s Word, it’s helpful to understand the context in which these events took place. The Bible series, from television’s top husband-and-wife team Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, is the greatest visualization of the Bible we’ve ever seen. From Genesis to Revelation, this five-part series combines a powerful collection of stories with live action and truly amazing CGI.*

We’re thrilled that the Bible App has been named the official app of The Bible series. YouVersion is committed to leveraging the best of today’s and tomorrow’s technology to help people engage with God’s Word, and we think The Bible does just that. Very soon, you’ll have the opportunity to access video content from the series directly in the Bible App.

We can’t wait for you to see it! Watch The Bible series on the History Channel beginning 3-3-13. Check your local TV listings for times and keep an eye out for video in the Bible App!

*Please note that these powerful stories contain scenes that are similar to PG-13 content. We encourage you to make the best viewing decisions for your family.

Tweet

We had a special opportunity, thanks to 1615.tv, to talk with several players who are competing in the big game today. Like so many of you, their love for God’s Word has grown by being able to read the Bible anytime, anywhere with the Bible App. Whether it’s sharing the Verse of the Day, adding bookmarks, or listening to audio Bibles, these players are an active part of the global community of people seeking God through His Word.

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What does offline mean?  When you download a version, you can read it literally anytime, anyplace, even when you can’t connect to your service provider or to the Internet. On a plane, in church, or even when you just can’t get a good signal – offline versions help you stay connected and reading the Bible wherever you go.

If you missed your chance last time, have a new mobile device, or if you know someone who would be excited about this offer, spread the word and make sure you take advantage of this opportunity. Special thanks go to Biblica and Zondervan for making the NIV available to the YouVersion community!

This limited time offer will end at 11:59PM on Monday, January 21 Central Time U.S. (GMT -6)

Note: When you look at the available versions on your device, remember to hit the “Refresh” button, to ensure that the list you’re seeing is the most current.

Downloading offline versions:

Many versions in the Bible App™ are available to download to your mobile device, generously provided by Bible publishers free to the YouVersion community. (And several of these are available all the time—not just during promotions.)

Below are links to detailed instructions on how you can download the NIV, or any version that is available for offline download. Be sure you don’t miss this opportunity!

• iPhone/iPod touch
• iPad
• Android
• BlackBerry

If you’re still looking for ideas for your next Reading Plan, here are a few you might try:

Brand New Plans Just Added:

NIV Once-A-Day With six new devotionals, make the Bible a daily habit as you read short devotionals that fit into the pace of life. From Zondervan. various lengths

Made to Crave: 21 Day Challenge Bridge the gap between your desire to live a healthy lifestyle and the spiritual strength you need for lasting change. From Lysa TerKeurst. 21 days

God’s Glory and Your Purpose: Devotions with John Piper In this five-day video devotional, John Piper explains what the Bible teaches about the glory of God, and how it impacts our daily lives. From Desiring God. 5 days

Lead Like Jesus: 21 Days of Leadership Bible-based leadership principles for the effective development of people whose heart’s desire to lead as Jesus did. From Ken Blanchard. 21 days

One: A Marriage Devotional by Jimmy Evans Develop a thriving relationship with your spouse through this marriage-building devotional from Jimmy Evans and Marriage Today. 52 Days

Browse even more new plans…

Tried and True “Classic” Plans:

The One Year® Bible The most popular plan on YouVersion, experience the joy of reading the entire Bible with as little as 15 minutes of reading each day. From Tyndale. 1 year

Right From the Heart 1-Minute Devotions A daily injection of truth, reminding you what matters most in life – a relationship with Jesus Christ. Basically, we cut the fluff and get right to the point. From Bryant Wright and RFTH Ministries. 1 year

The Essential 100 A favorite around the world, the E100 guides you through 50 Old Testament and 50 New Testament passages, helping you see the big picture of God’s Word. From Scripture Union. 100 days

Soul Detox Use this plan to identify what’s been chipping away at your soul, and to cleanse your spirit, as you step into the person God created you to be. From LifeChurch.tv. 35 days

Psalms and Proverbs in 31 Days Encounter God and find comfort, strength, solace, and encouragement that covers the breadth of the human experience. From YouVersion. 31 days

Browse all plans…

The new year offers us a great time to get back to basics on the things that matter most in our lives. The first step may be the hardest, but it’s also the one that has the most power to change your life!

John Piper - Six new devotional plans from renowned Bible teacher John Piper delve deep into the meaning and context of key Biblical principles. Explore Finding Real Happiness (3 days), God’s Pleasure in Creating (3 days), The Fascinating Love of God (3 days), God’s Joy in Jesus (5 days), The Powerful Promise of God (5 days), and Quest for Joy (6 days).

Francis Chan & David Platt - Designed to train disciples (like you!) to make more disciples, this plan is a companion to the Multiply Movement. Co-creators Francis Chan and David Platt share their practical insights for how you can fulfill this most important responsibility for followers of Christ. 168 days

James MacDonald - From Pastor James MacDonald and the acclaimed Walk in the Word series, God at Work will help you see the things God is doing in our world today—and in your life. Authentic Prayer helps you get started in the genuine dialog with God that you’ve always wanted. 7 days each

Matt Redman – This new devotional plan from worship leader and multiple Dove Award winner Matt Redman takes you behind the scenes into the Scriptures and insight that inspired the songs on his popular 10,000 Reasons album. 11 days

She Reads Truth – Designed by women for women, She Reads Truth is an online community that helps women connect with the Bible and with each other. The Galatians (15 days), Ephesians (17 days), and Philippians (11 days) plans from She Reads Truth each offer a daily reading, context and recap, followed by devotional questions.

The Overflow – New website The Overflow offers Christian music for digital download. This month, YouVersion adds three new devotional reading plans developed by artists from The Overflow’s catalog. Check out new plans from Propaganda, Vertical Church Band, and Deon Kipping. 7 days each

What’s a Reading Plan?

If you haven’t already been using Reading plans from YouVersion to get into God’s Word, you don’t know what you’ve been missing! Reading plans have proven to be one of the easiest, most efficient ways you can engage with the Bible every day. Simply search for a plan, study, or devotional that interests you and sign up with your free YouVersion account. Then each day when you open the Bible App, you’ll find a manageable portion of reading waiting for you. It’s easy—and practical! Reading plans serve you with His Word in a way that gives you plenty of time to reflect on all that you’ve just read.

And once you complete the plan you’re on, just come back and search for the next thing you want to learn about. It really is that easy!

Indonesian

Indonesian is now available on the Bible App for iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch), Android, and BlackBerry, and of course at YouVersion.com. We’re also now offering 25 reading plans in Indonesian, as well as four different Bible versions, listed under “Bahasa Indonesia.” Three of these Bibles, the Bahasa Indonesia Masa Kini (BIMK), Indonesian Terjemahan Baru (TB), and Alkitab Terjemahan Baru (TB), are all provided by key YouVersion partner Indonesian Bible Society. The other, the Indonesian NT (WBID) (WBID), is generously provided by the World Bible Translation Center.

Filipino

You can also choose Filipino for your Bible App for Android or at our website, YouVersion.com. And you’ll find two classic versions of the Bible in Filipino, listed under “Wikang Tagalog”: Magandang Balita Bible (Revised) (RTPV05), provided by the Philippine Bible Society, and Ang Biblia (TLAB). We’ve even added 25 reading plans in Filipino!

Because of You…

YouVersion’s simple mission is to make the Bible available to as many people as we can, in whatever language they prefer. While we partner with generous publishers to offer Bibles in the languages people need, there’s a lot more to YouVersion than that—menus, tools, and other resources—that all need to be translated. The only way we can make that happen is with volunteers—people just like you—working together, using their gifts to help share God’s Word with everyone. Of course, we never stop working to improve the Bible App, so there’s always more translation you can help with. If you’d like to help change the world by translating into Indonesian or Filipino (or into other languages), we’d love for you to partner with us!

Here’s just a taste of what it can mean in your own life when you volunteer to help YouVersion with translation, from two of our key volunteers in Indonesian and Filipino:

“I decided to volunteer for YouVersion because I have a desire to see more Indonesians have God’s Word, to read the Word in the language they understand the best so they can grow deeper in the knowledge of who God is, in faith and to love Him. Volunteering for YouVersion drives me closer to God, knowing His heart for the believers and unbelievers. It also motivates and encourages me to serve the Lord here in the States. Hopefully, we will serve Him in Indonesia soon.”
—Helen G., Lucasville, Ohio, U.S.

“I was so inspired and blessed by the excellent work and generous giving of time and effort towards building the Bible App that I decided I would like to help too. It feels great to get to work with people from various parts of the globe. I learn a lot simply from interacting with them. Twenty years ago, this would have been very difficult. Technology, however, has changed how things are done, and my prayer is that Christ followers may utilize technology in sharing with and helping one another.”
—Tams L., Quezon City, Philippines