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Making Connections and Casting Vision

It’s always a pleasure when the YouVersion community has a chance to connect in person, and a few conferences recently have given us the perfect opportunity.

Catalyst 2012 in Atlanta

YouVersion’s Co-Founder and LifeChurch.tv Innovation Pastor, Bobby Gruenewald spoke at Catalyst Labs and with Catalyst Backstage to share a vision for the future, and for our generation to become the most Bible-engaged generation in history. As you watch his interview, be on the lookout for what’s coming up in the Bible App!

National Day of Prayer in the UK

Our YouVersion UK rep, James Poulter, had the following to share about his experience at the National Day of Prayer in the UK:

What happens when you take 3 years of planning, 100 choir members, seven Worship leaders, thousands of churches, and 40,000 Christians from across the UK and put them in Wembley Stadium? The National Day of Prayer – that’s what!

Saturday 29 September saw one of the biggest gatherings of Christians in the UK in more than two decades as the faithful from across the country flocked to sing God’s praises and bathe the nation in prayer under Wembley’s great arch.

If you weren’t able to join the masses, then you can still get involved. Try out the Neighbours: Love Your Streets reading plan on YouVersion for 30 days of devotions and prayers to focus on how you can bring God’s love to those living around you.

 

 

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YouVersion Adds Indonesian and Filipino Languages

The Bible App now in Indonesian and FilipinoNow you can set your Bible App or YouVersion.com to Indonesian or Filipino, experiencing all of YouVersion’s screens, controls, and menus in these—as well as any of twenty-one other languages! Besides Indonesian and Filipino versions of the Bible, you’ll also find reading plans. Simply set the language on your device to Indonesian or Filipino, or select it from within your Bible App Settings. And it’s just as easy at YouVersion.com: just choose whatever language you want from the bottom right. If any of your friends speak Indonesian or Filipino, please be sure to share this exciting news with them!

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 Bible reading plans in Indonesian, as well as four different Bible versions, listed under Bahasa Indonesia.

Three of these Bibles:
Bahasa Indonesia Masa Kini (BIMK),
Indonesian Terjemahan Baru (TB), and
Alkitab Terjemahan Baru (TB), are all provided by key YouVersion partner Indonesian Bible Society.

Download the Free Alkitab App

Filipino

You can also choose Filipino for your Bible App for Android or at our website, bible.com. And you’ll find two classic versions of the Bible in Filipino, listed under Tagalog:

Magandang Balita Bible (Revised) (RTPV05), provided by the Philippine Bible Society, Ang Biblia (TLAB), and Ang Salita ng Dios with audio bible. We’ve also added Bible reading plans in Filipino!

Download the Free Filipino Bible App

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:

YouVersion Indonesian language volunteer Helen G.“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.

YouVersion Filipino language volunteer Tams L.

“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

 

 

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Video Devotionals Launch in the Bible App

You may know that YouVersion already offers hundreds of versions you can read in many languages, along with audio Bibles you can listen to as you’re doing other things. Now we’re also adding video devotionals you can watch on your mobile device and at YouVersion.com!

The Overflow has graciously partnered with YouVersion to provide Video Plans from six popular Christian recording artists. Spend time with Scripture as you enjoy insight from gifted teachers, speakers, and now—musicians!

Each plan brings you video with accompanying devotional text and Bible reading. No matter what your learning style, video devotionals are a great way for you to study God’s Word. Enjoy brand-new content from artists like:

Lecrae – Accompanying the release of his latest album, Gravity, Lecrae has put together a reading plan that takes you into his world, sharing the gospel of salvation and grace. (Also features KB and Derek Minor.) 8 days

Newsboys – Highlighting tracks from their 2011 release, God’s Not Dead, this exclusive plan dives into God’s Word, exploring content from some of the Newsboys’ favorite worship songs, including “Mighty to Save,” “I Am Second,” and the title track. 7 days

Tenth Avenue North – Digging into their album, The Struggle, singer Mike Donehey explains devotional truth behind the title track. Deeper in, you’ll find daily readings for “Don’t Stop the Madness,” “Losing,” and five more Tenth Avenue North songs from the album. 7 days

for KING & COUNTRY – Named one of Billboard Magazine’s “Artists to Watch” in 2012, for KING & COUNTRY put together a devotional that breaks down seven songs from their debut album Crave, including “Proof of Your Love.” 7 days

Dara Maclean – With seven songs from her debut album, You Got My Attention, Dara Maclean offers you an in-depth look at her passion for Jesus, revealing the heart behind tracks like “Suitcases,” “Yours Forever,” and “Free.” 7 days

Hawk Nelson – Showcasing songs from their album Crazy Love, this devotional delves into the verses behind Hawk Nelson’s “We Can Change The World,” “Done Holding On,” and the title track. 7 days

While the video portion of these plans is available now exclusively on iPhone, Android, and at YouVersion.com (and coming soon to iPad!), you can access the text portion on any mobile device where you use your plans. Try one now! They’re easy to find in the New Plans category. And whether you’re watching a video devotional, listening to an audio Bible, or checking out one of our Featured Plans, we hope all of these Plans help you continue engaging with the Bible!

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Bible.com joins the YouVersion family!

The YouVersion family is growing! Today we’re thrilled to share with you the addition of Bible.com. Starting this month, visiting Bible.com will bring you directly to YouVersion’s free online Bible.

Now everybody can find the same simple, ad-free experience already loved by millions—at the Internet’s best domain for the Bible! We’re happy to welcome everyone who’s already part of the Bible.com community, as well as the many people searching for God’s Word online.

Bible.com now provides the same rich Bible experience as YouVersion.com and the Bible App:

  • Read the Bible: Instantly select from nearly 300 versions (including audio!), compare versions side by side, and choose the font and display size.
  • Study the Bible: Easily add notes, bookmarks, and highlights to personalize and learn from your interaction with Scripture.
  • Subscribe to Reading Plans: Cover the whole Bible, focus on a specific topic you’re interested in, or read a rich devotional from a gifted teacher. Choose your favorite plan, and each day, a fresh Bible selection will be ready and waiting for you.
  • Sync with the Bible App: All of your bookmarks, notes, plans, and progress now sync between the Bible App, YouVersion.com, and Bible.com.
  • Enjoy the Bible in many languages: Not only can you select a Bible in any of 140 languages, you can even choose to display the site’s menus and buttons in your choice of 30 languages.

Together, Bible.com and YouVersion now offer a simple, unified Bible experience that keeps Scripture always within easy reach. Whether you searching for “Bible” in an app store or, now, online, you’re always just one short click away from engaging with God’s Word.

Best of all, welcoming Bible.com into our worldwide YouVersion community introduces even more opportunities for you to help people find their way around and enjoy a meaningful Bible experience. Won’t you join us?

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Categories Help Bible Readers Discover Exciting New YouVersion Plans

We’re pleased today to announce two new categories that can help you discover your next favorite plan. Our “Featured” category lists popular and relevant plans you might not have discovered yet, while our “New” category displays plans we’ve recently added. And besides these new categories, we’ve also added several new Reading Plans for you:

From Pastor Mark Jeske and Time of Grace:

Money Matters. Gain insights and wisdom from Scripture about God’s view of money in this daily devotional. 30 days

Happily Ever After. Whether you’re married, or you want to be, or even if you’ve been married before, you’ll enjoy listening to God’s words about this sacred institution. 31 days

Here I Am. Learn how you can use the Psalms daily to express your needs, pains, and thanks to the Lord. 31 days

Teach Pray Plan. Find inspiration every day with meaningful help from the Bible for a deeper, richer prayer life. 32 days

There Is Hope. Direct from the source, read God’s words of comfort and love especially for you. 35 days

Fathers and Mothers Devotion. Discover encouragement and hope for how you can lead—and love—your family the way that God intended. 31 days

From Pastor Jack Hayford:

Praise In the Presence of God. Learn how the power of praise can positively shape your life by continually pointing you to God and His promises. 1 year

Celebrate! These daily devotionals help you grow in power and wisdom as you discover the life of the Holy Spirit through God’s Word. 1 year

From The American Bible Challenge:

The American Bible Challenge – Week 1. Daily Bible study designed to correspond with the new TV show “The American Bible Challenge” on GSN. 7 days

The American Bible Challenge – Week 2. Daily Bible study designed to correspond with the new TV show “The American Bible Challenge” on GSN. 7 days

That’s a lot, but it’s still not everything! If you or someone you know reads Korean, we’ve added four great new devotionals for them. And we also added our 70th Spanish plan! Be sure you let your friends know what YouVersion has for them.

Plans are one of the best ways we know of to engage with the Bible. Just pick a category and sign up for a plan that interests you, and the Bible App will bring you something to read, watch, or listen to each day. Plans are great at helping you learn what God’s Word has to say about specific topics. We even offer plans that cover portions of the Bible (like the New Testament or Paul’s letters to churches), or even to read through the entire thing!

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