FAQS

Who is Bible League?

What is the Bible Famine?

How does Bible League achieve its purposes?

What is the Project Philip Program?

What is the Bible-based Literacy Program?

Does Bible League provide training for Church Planters?

How does Bible League serve persecuted Christians?

What is the cost of a Bible cost?

What version of the Bible does Bible League use?

How is Bible League International funded?

What is Bible League’s Affiliation?

Are donations to Bible League Tax deductable?

 

Who is Bible League?

Bible League is a global not-for-profit organisation that plants God’s Word in many countries around the world. We strive to end the global Bible Famine among various groups, including persecuted Christians, Muslim countries, and the poor, where Bibles are hard or impossible to access. We serve the under-resourced church and other partners around the world by providing Bibles, biblical resources, training and translations to transform lives and help people meet Jesus Christ.

Founded in 1938, Bible League has placed more than 890 million Bibles and biblical resources in the hands of people around the world. Today, we are excited about the new ways God is using Bible League to impact our world for His kingdom, through more Easy-to-Read™ Bible translations, Digital Resources, Evangelism and Discipleship resources, Bible-based Literacy and by training Church Planters.

What is the Bible Famine?

In many parts of the world Bibles are too expensive or too difficult, even impossible to access for the people who are interested in Christianity and following Jesus. The term Bible Famine is indicative of the shortage/lack of Bibles in these parts of the world. Just like a shortage of food leads to a famine in a country, so too does a lack of spiritual food, specifically the Bible, result in a Bible famine. Many of the areas and countries within which Bible League works are places that are susceptible to Bible supply shortages for many reasons, including persecution, government restrictions and other inhibitors.

How does Bible League achieve its purposes?

Bible League partners with the local church on the ground in the countries in which we work. We resource our partners with Bibles and biblical resources supplied to churches, ministries, and organisations who use the Bible as a key component in evangelistic outreach, discipleship, and church planting. We partner with local, regional, and global groups to reach the world for Christ.

What is the Project Philip Program?

The heart of Bible League’s global strategy is Project Philip Bible studies, that train local church members in evangelism and discipleship. Project Philip provides a personal connection between a trained ‘Philip’ (based on the story of Acts 8), who comes alongside and clearly explains the need for salvation through Jesus Christ and a life of holiness, sharing new faith, and becoming part of a local church. Project Philip Bible studies are globally proven to prepare believers to help others understand and believe God’s Word. It allows adults and children to discover new faith through the Gospel, grow spiritually, and build the local church throughout the world.

What is the Bible-based Literacy Program?

An important part of sharing God’s Word is literacy. But many who desperately need the message of the Gospel struggle with reading, especially in impoverished regions of the world. Our literacy program teaches reading and writing skills using Bible-based text. As adults and children learn to read and write, their eyes are opened to the truth of God’s Word.

Bible-based Literacy has a powerful influence, with both social and spiritual value. Lives are transformed through learning and trusting the Gospel, and new opportunities for evangelism arise naturally from the excitement of learning to read God’s Word. Literacy raises educational levels and living standards throughout communities.

Does Bible League provide training for Church Planters?

In places where there are no local churches, and for growing churches eager to share the Gospel with those who have never heard of the gift of salvation, we provide biblical resources and training for Church Planters. We help local believers become Church Planters by providing pastoral training as they spread the Gospel in their own community and country. They are motivated, mobile, and equipped to share the Gospel, grow the church, and disciple new believers.

How does Bible League serve persecuted Christians?

We have relationships with churches and Christian organisations in areas where Christians risk persecution for their faith. These courageous people share our calling to bring others into relationship with Christ and into fellowship with a local body of believers. Bible League provides Bibles and biblical resources in appropriate formats and languages, including digital formats, to strengthen local Christians in their faith and empower their ministries in the face of persecution.

What is the cost of a Bible?

Bible League partners with the local church in the countries where we work. We always communicate with the partners and give them the resources that will work best in their cultures and contexts. This means that we use both purchased Bibles and others which we order from printers. The pricing of the purchased Bibles is determined by our suppliers, but for the ones we print ourselves, there are a number of factors that affect the costing:

  • The Paper – thin Bible paper, as most of us have in our Bibles in Australia, is one of the most expensive papers in the world, due to its minimum thickness (gsm – grams per square metre) and maximum strength (best fibre content and whiteners). We do use other grades of paper which are less strong and less durable in some of the Bibles we print. The lower grammage paper is preferred as it makes for a thinner overall Bible, however it comes at a higher price.
  • The Cover – Soft Covers (paperback-type) Bibles are the cheapest binding option, but have the least durability and longevity of all covers. The next level up of cover is a vinyl cover (“washable rubbery-plastic”), which is durable and hard-wearing. And the hard-cover Bible is the most expensive and most durable cover available.
  • Volume – economies of scale make a massive impact on the unit price of a finished Bible cost. In countries where we print 300,000 to 400,000 Bibles in each print run, we are able to produce a paperback-covered Bible for between $7 - $10. However, in other countries where the language or usage volumes require a lower quantity print-run of perhaps 10,000 or 20,000 copies, the Bibles can cost between $16 - $24 each.
  • Distribution – transport is a factor in planting Bibles in the field. The most cost-effective way is to print in-country, this way reducing transport costs. However, in many closed and persecuted countries we cannot print in-country and need to print in neighbouring countries and transport the Bibles into the destination country in small shipments, hence increasing the costs.

What version of the Bible does Bible League use?

The Bible is central to all ministries of Bible League. We use the Easy-to-Read™ Bible wherever it is available. Where the Easy-to-Read™ is not currently available in a particular local language group, we source Bibles from other Bible agencies.

Bible League publishes and provides Easy-to-Read™ translations of the Bible. Currently, Easy-to-Read™ Bibles and New Testaments are available in more than 30 languages. Bible League is committed to making the Easy-to-Read™ Bible available in the 100 most-spoken languages of the world, thereby providing access to Scripture that is easy to understand to more than 90% of the world’s population.

How is Bible League International funded?

Bible League receives gifts from individuals, churches, foundations and other organisations who share the value that the Bible is essential for evangelism, discipleship, and church growth. Bible League’s Global Partners in the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand work together to present opportunities for giving and prayer to Christians, churches, and ministries around the world.  Bible League Australia holds a charitable fundraising authority under section 16 of the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991.

What is Bible League’s Affiliation?

Bible League is an interdenominational Christian service organisation actively supported financially and in prayer by churches and individuals from many denominations.

Are donations to Bible League Tax deductable?

Donations to Bible League Australia are currently not tax deductable. However, businesses are able to gain some tax advantages by supporting the ministry through a business sponsorship. 

Bible League New Zealand International gifts are tax-deductible for gifts toward New Zealand Purposes only.

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