USA
(MNN) — Audio Bibles are being deployed around the world, from "boot
camp" and base chapels to veteran's hospitals and war zones.
Faith
Comes By Hearing's Jon Wilke explains what they're doing. "The Military
Bible Stick is a portable audio player. It's about the size of a pack of
chewing gum. It's pre-loaded with a dramatized New Testament. We've especially designed this one for the
military for low-light situations," so that it can be taken along on
missions, or used in close-quarters, or in day-to-day activities on a base.
Why
use a digital player with the Bible? Wilke says it's one way of reaching today's
generation more effectively. He says
young people tend to listen to portable audio devices around two hours a day–that's
more than enough time to listen to the Bible. On the FCBH 40-Day Plan, participants can hear the New
Testament by listening just 28 minutes a day.
How
will the Bible Sticks be distributed to the military? Through the
military's "churches," which in this case are the chaplains, says Wilke. "Faith Comes By Hearing has recently
partnered with Campus Crusade for Christ. That's a chaplain network of about
350 active duty and reserve chaplains. They serve the 1.4 million people in
active duty."
The
ministry has already been testing the sticks on the field. They've sent out about 1,500 and have had
great responses. Because they're so
well-received, FCBH has already placed an order for 4,000 more that will be
ready for distribution in June.
When
asked how many are they hoping to distribute, Wilke said, "They're going
to be doing distribution with the Bible Sticks, so we can get today's service
member into the Word of God. We're more interested in life-change than we are
in distribution. It's more about letting God do His work through His Word in
today's military members and their families."
Pray
for the funds to come through to support this project. Pray, too, for the military families touched by
this project and for those who are deployed, that they will receive comfort
from the Word of God and respond to the hope of Jesus Christ.
If
you're interested in helping fund this project, click here.
