The great Gospel giveaway

Have you ever asked what is the most effective way to help someone meet Jesus? asks Rachel Jordan-Wolf

INTRO by Mark Greenwood, Director of Elim Evangelism

I was annoyed at myself for being surprised! Let me explain… About 15 years ago I produced a beautifully designed Mark’s Gospel for giving away to people who don’t normally read the Bible. At the beginning of each chapter I asked 16 of my friends to write 100 words on how the Bible had helped them. What I didn’t expect, is how many of them wrote of how the Bible helped them to become a Christian when they were reading it – including one lady who read it in secret under her duvet by torchlight at night, because her mum had taken it from her, but she had managed to find it.

I have become more convinced than ever of the power that is contained within the pages of the Bible and so I am thrilled with this brilliant initiative from Hope Together, one of Elim’s strategic evangelism partners.
 

We want people to meet Jesus, and to help them do that we need to make sure that everyone can read the life of Jesus for themselves. Have you ever asked what is the most effective way to help someone meet Jesus? The ‘Talking Jesus’ research did just that. It turned out there were two top answers – one we can’t easily change for people: growing up in a Christian family, but one we can: reading the Bible.

The Talking Jesus research also asked non-Christians where they would go to find out more about the Christian faith. The most obvious place was Google, but then they said reading the Bible or visiting a local church.

The Talking Jesus research also showed us that the younger generation are the most open to finding out about the Christian faith. When a Christian mission agency went out on the streets to give out Bibles, they asked 1,500 young adults what they would look for in a Bible. Two things mattered to those they asked – what the Bible looked like, and how easy it was to read. So, great design and simple English!

Hope Together and Biblica took these findings seriously and created some beautifully designed contemporary Gospels using an easy-to-read English translation, the NIVR. We are now partnering again to create a stunning Gospel of John for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, which is celebrated this year.

We are looking for churches who want to get involved in the Great Gospel Giveaway in 2025 to purchase cheaply in bulk beautiful Gospels and give them out ‒ in schools, around their community, door-to-door or on a simple Bible table in the street.

Some churches have already started, and in 2024 some 18,000 of our contemporary Gospels were handed out – many on the streets. I have had the privilege of being part of this and seen just how attractive this simple offer of a beautiful Gospel is. I have had some amazing conversations witnessing how hungry and searching this generation is for hope, spirituality and truth.

We know that people are open to finding out more about Jesus. We know that these beautiful Gospels are attractive. We know that the Bible has the power to change lives. Let’s give them away!

We would love to hear from churches who would like to get involved in the Great Gospel Giveaway.

This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.