Bibles for the World

Bibles for the World plans to distribute

1.4 million copies of John’s gospel for Pentecost

A leading Bible organization aims to break the record for the number of scriptures given out in a single day. Bibles for the World will distribute approximately 1.4 million copies of the gospel of John in 20-plus countries as part of a global evangelism effort on May 23, the day before Pentecost..

“It is record-breaking in that it’s the single largest provision of scripture in history for a one-day evangelistic event,” said John Pudaite, president and CEO of the Colorado-based nonprofit organization.

Partnering with likeminded organizations, Bibles For The World has given away more than 40 million scriptures — mostly John’s gospel and the New Testament — for free in 128 countries since the ministry began in 1971. This month’s landmark effort is part of the Global Outreach Movement’s “GO Day,” involving teams from numerous international mission agencies that make up the annual worldwide evangelism outreach.

“If we have only one chance to get a copy of God’s word into someone’s hand, we choose the gospel of John, as it is the most compelling and complete of the gospels,” he said.

His ancestral village of notorious headhunters in India was radically transformed after a Welsh missionary sent them a single copy of John’s gospel.The village chief sent back a message: “Sir, please come and explain the meaning of this book.”

As a result, the gospel went from hut to hut, with local believers, including Pudaite’s grandfather, spreading the word from village to village. Eventually, the tribal missionaries took the gospel to other parts of India and South Asia, where people had never heard the name of Jesus.

“This all started with a single copy of the gospel of John,” Pudaite said. “That’s why we believe in the power of God’s word to transform communities around the world today. This year, we will distribute well over three million copies of John’s gospel.”

GO Day will see teams of missionaries share the gospel message in more than 70 countries through one-to-one street evangelism, going door-to-door and large-scale events. More information is available at www.biblesfortheworld.org.

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