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The Bible App: YouVersion Reading Plan Brings Hope, Joy, and Inspiration

A YouVersion reading plan is a great tool to help you engage with the Bible, giving you a manageable portion of Scripture to read each day. Some reading plans cover the entire Bible, some focus on specific topics, and still others offer devotions to help you reflect on what you’re reading. When one such devotional plan, Fostering Hope, launched in May in honor of Foster Care Awareness Month, it received an immediate response, with thousands of people subscribing to read it.

As people in the YouVersion community—people just like you—use the tools in the Bible App™ to connect with God’s Word, He softens hearts and changes lives, literally all over the world. The stories you share with the rest of us—about what God is doing in your life—are an integral part of the revolution taking place in how people are connecting with the Bible. In the coming months, we’ll be sharing some of your stories right here. Today, we have an email from Nigeria, specifically about the Fostering Hope reading plan:

Dear Doctor Deb,*

I wanted to let you know what an inspiration you were to me when today I stumbled onto your Fostering Hope Bible reading plan. Something about it struck me, and before I knew it, I had read all 31 days—just this morning. I couldn’t put it down. I wept in some parts and prayed in others, but reading it changed my life. My prayer is that just as you have been a ray of hope and joy to many helpless and hurting people, God will help you too.

I just had to tell you that today.

God bless you,
Bola A.

P.S.: We’ve been considering different options for women’s ministry in our church, and more than ever I see we need to include adoption. I trust that God will show us the way.

*Doctor Deb is the author of the Fostering Hope reading plan.

Do you have a story you’d like to share with us? Here’s how:

  • Video. Upload a video of 4 minutes or less to YouVersion’s Vimeo page. (Please include your first name and last initial and tell us where you’re from.)
  • Facebook. Even if you tell us your story on video or through the form below, please consider sharing at least some of it with the whole YouVersion community, right on YouVersion’s Facebook page. We love encouraging one another to daily seek God and engage with the Bible.
  • Right Here! Tell us your story in 400 words or less:



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New in the Bible App for BlackBerry: Dashboard, Notifications, and Support

We want to make connecting with God’s Word as simple and as fast as possible for the YouVersion BlackBerry community, no matter where you are. The Bible App™ for BlackBerry offers you several exciting new features in the latest release, version 3.3, available immediately in BlackBerry App World or as a direct browser download:

  • Dashboard. The brand new Dashboard launcher gives you instant access to the features you use most, directly from the completely redesigned welcome screen!
  • Notifications. New Notifications help the Bible App communicate with you how you want, letting you know when you reach milestones like completing a reading plan, or sharing important YouVersion news with you, right inside the app.
  • Support. Now you can get assistance fast, connecting directly with YouVersion’s Support team—again, from right inside the Bible App.

Let us know what you think on Facebook and Twitter, and please be sure to spread the news to all your friends who have BlackBerry devices!

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2 New Afrikaans Translations for the Bible App and YouVersion.com: NLV and DB

YouVersion Versions and LanguagesAs part of a partnership with Christlike Uitgewersmaatskappy, YouVersion is very pleased to offer, for the first time, the Nuwe Lewende Vertaling (NLV) and Die Boodskap (DB) Afrikaans translations of the Bible, available right now through the Bible App™ and at YouVersion.com. Simply look under Afrikaans on the Versions list in the Bible App, or select Bible, Versions at YouVersion.com.

The Bible App is spreading across the entire planet, being added to literally thousands more devices every single day. And yet, of the many requests we receive at YouVersion for languages people would like to use to engage with the Bible, Afrikaans is consistently near the top of the list. We’re thrilled to be in a position to share these excellent translations. If you have friends or loved ones who would like to experience the Scriptures in Afrikaans, please be sure to share this exciting news with them.

If you’re in the YouVersion community, you’re part of a worldwide revolution of people connecting with the Bible—and with each other—anytime, anyplace, in more than 40 languages (so far). YouVersion’s driving purpose is to make God’s Word freely available to as many people as possible, wherever they are in the world. When we get to do that in their heart language, we consider it a tremendous privilege.

To our brothers and sisters joining us in the beautiful Afrikaans language, welcome to our global YouVersion family!

2 Nuwe Afrikaanse Vertalings vir die Bible App en YouVersion.com: NLV en DB

YouVersion Versions and LanguagesAs deel van n vennootskap met Christelike Uitgewersmaatskappy, is YouVersion verheug om vir die eerste keer die Nuwe Lewende Vertaling (NLV) en Die Boodskap (DB) Afrikaanse vertalings van die Bybel, beskikbaar te stel deur die Bible App™ en deur YouVersion.com. Kyk onder Afrikaans op die lys van weergawes in die Bible App of selekteer Bybel, Weergawes by YouVersion.com.

Die Bible App is besig om dwarsoor die hele planeet te versprei. Dit word by letterlik duisende toestelle bygevoeg elke dag. Van al die versoeke wat YouVersion elke dag ontvang vir vertalings, is Afrikaans konstant naby bo aan die lys. Ons is dus ongelooflik verheug om nou in n posisie te wees om hierdie fantastiese vertalings met julle te deel. As julle vriende of geliefdes het wat graag die Woord in Afrikaans sal wil beleef, deel asseblief hierdie opwindende nuus met hulle.

As jy deel is van die YouVersion gemeenskap, is jy deel van n wêreldwye revolusie van mense wat elke dag met die Bybel – en met mekaar – enige tyd of plek, in meer as 40 tale (tot dusvêr) verbind word. YouVersion se missie is om die Woord van God vrylik beskikbaar te maak vir soveel mense as moontlik, waar ook al hulle in die wêreld is. Ons beskou dit as n geweldige voorreg om dit te kan doen in hulle moedertaal.

Aan ons Afrikaanse broers en susters wat by ons aansluit, welkom by ons wêreldwye YouVersion familie!

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A Look at the Passages Interactive Bible Exhibit

At YouVersion, we love the Bible. If you love the Bible too, or even if you’re just trying to understand it more, you really should make it a point to check out the Passages Interactive Bible Exhibit. This extraordinary collection includes such rare pieces as cuneiform tablets, unpublished biblical and classical papyri, Dead Sea Scrolls, beautiful illuminated manuscripts, and even a large portion of a Gutenberg Bible! The self-guided tour leads you through the history of the Bible, from its earliest beginnings in the hands of Jewish scribes, to early Judeo-Christian culture, through the struggle to get the Bible into the common language of the people, all the way up to modern printings and the influence of technology. Along those lines, our very own Bible App wraps up the exhibit! In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, until October, the Passages exhibit will be traveling to Vatican City in Rome, then later to New York City.

Passages Exhibit Website

The driving passion of the YouVersion community is to help as many people as possible experience and engage with God’s Word. The Passages Interactive Bible Exhibit offers a unique opportunity to fully explore the sacrifices and dedication of the countless people who made possible the Bible we enjoy today, spanning thousands of years, many of them literally giving their lives to ensure that the story of God’s love would reach us. Don’t miss your chance to see firsthand these one-of-a-kind antiquities!

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God’s Words, Your Heart Language: YouVersion and the Bible App

As our special live webcast mentioned last week, of all the people currently installing the Bible App™ onto their devices, 25% of them have their default language set to something other than English. (Just two months ago, that number was 12%.) When a person is able to read or listen to the Bible in their heart language, God uses that opportunity to connect with them in a truly special, unique way. We have a short video for you today about one such story, an opportunity where a Bible App user got to share God’s Word with a woman who was able to experience it for the very first time in her own language:

When people in the YouVersion community (like you!) use the Bible App™ to engage with God’s Word and share it with others, He softens hearts and changes lives, literally all over the world. The stories you bring back to the rest of us—about what God is doing in your life—are an integral part of the revolution taking place in how people connect with the Bible. In the coming months, we’ll be telling more of your stories right here.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Here’s how:

  • Video. Upload a video of 4 minutes or less to YouVersion’s Vimeo page. (Please include your first name and last initial and tell us where you’re from.)
  • Facebook. Even if you tell us your story on video or through the form below, please consider sharing at least some of it with the whole YouVersion community, right on YouVersion’s Facebook page.
  • Right Here! Tell us your story in 400 words or less: