End Bible Poverty by Sacrificing a Cup of Coffee, Company Urges
All over the world, 340 million people are without a single verse of Scripture today. More people live without a complete Bible in their language than without enough food and clean water combined.
Bible poverty is a big deal, one company affirms. “The Bible brings life, and for every day that passes, enough people ... die without hearing the Gospel in their own language,” The Seed Company, a Wycliffe Bible Translators Affiliate, said in a statement.
Their solution? Translate God’s Word into every language on earth, one sacrificial cup of coffee or tea at a time.
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Partnering with several other organizations, The Seed Company is asking supporters to fast from the simple, everyday things – such as coffee, pizza or new clothes – and donate those unused dollars toward translating the Bible.
The initiative, called “The Campaign to End Bible Poverty,” is designed to engage Americans in addressing the spiritual impoverishment experienced by millions worldwide.
To make donations easier, a beta version of the free Web-based Sacrificial Giving App was created, accessible on both Apple and Android platforms.
“Simply download the app and choose to fast from something simple – like a cup of coffee or a piece of pizza, maybe a ticket to the movies with friends – and use the app to calculate the value of what you sacrificed and give that money towards translating the Bible,” the company explained in a statement. “It’s that easy.”
Participants can also create custom groups and invite friends to join to increase the impact and value of the initiative.
“By merging modern technology with the ancient practice of fasting to become closer to God, the application enables users to integrate support for the Great Commission into their daily lives,” the company stated.
“For the price of a cup of coffee, we can collectively help transform millions of lives,” Roy Peterson, president of TSC said. “By uniting faith and technology, we now have a phone application that will give Americans the ability to help fulfill the Great Commission – right at their fingertips.”
The company, which is the fastest growing Bible translation organization in the world, has already helped nearly 700 people groups in 84 countries receive God’s Word in their language for the first time.
“In addition to receiving first-hand accounts of life-transformations in our work, we also receive reports about how churches grow and communities begin to thrive as more and more people receive Scripture in a language they understand,” Peterson added.
“The fruits of the Bible translation help resolve social problems that range from literacy rates to crime rates. In a recent study, the Center for Bible Engagement found a correlation between a working familiarity with Scripture and the reduction in destructive behavior. Between first-hand knowledge and proven research, we have long realized the need for a campaign to end Bible poverty,” he said.
Raising awareness of Bible poverty, the company and all of its partners hope to eradicate oppression in cultures and governments where God’s Word is restricted, and bring all those without access to Scripture a copy of the Bible in their own language.
“The Sacrificial Giving App [helps] you fast from a few simple things here and there to make an eternal impact,” said Peterson.
The Seed Company shared in its 2010 annual report the story of one young government worker in Southeast Asia who heard the Scripture in a language he understood through the work of the organization. “I only wish that years ago I could have heard God’s Word as clearly in my own heart language as it speaks to me in this closely related language,” the young worker said.
“If I had, then perhaps the course of my life would have been much different. But now I have come to know God through His Word and can share it with others who live near me.”
For just the price of a cup of coffee, supporters are collectively helping to transform millions of lives and finally putting an end to Bible poverty.
For information or to get involved, visit http://www.endbiblepoverty.org. Join the movement and help translate the Word today, one verse at a time.
A special kickoff event for the “Campaign to End Bible Poverty” will take place at the Walt Disney World’s Night of Joy event Friday night and Saturday.
