Gideons bolster efforts in 3rd largest mission field—the U.S.A.
It is hard to believe, but sadly true: the United States of America has become the third largest mission field in our world today. Estimates of unsaved people in the U.S.A. range from 54% to 70%. In response to this startling revelation, Gideons plan to distribute 12 million copies of God’s Word in the U.S.A. alone during their 2008-09 fiscal year.
Perhaps the most sobering way to visualize the spiritual decline in America today is to take a walk down any U.S.A. neighborhood street. It is very likely that two out of three of the people you encounter are lost. They do not know Jesus as their Savior.
What impact can The Gideons make through the distribution of 12 million Scriptures in the U.S.A.? Perhaps there is a more appropriate question…What can God accomplish through 12 million Gideon-placed Scriptures? The Lord tells us that His Word “shall not return unto me void” (Isaiah 55:11).
According to Barna research, less than one out of ten people, who makes a decision to follow Jesus, does so in the context of a church setting. Most will enter into a relationship with Jesus by seeing His life and Kingdom lived out in the lives of others. That’s what Gideons do; they live a Christ-like life, sharing His Word and witnessing to those they meet. And God constantly multiplies these efforts as is apparent through the regular flow of testimonies received at The Gideons International headquarters. (Click on the “Changed Lives” section of this Website to see and hear recent testimonies.)
This goal of 12 million Scriptures is without question an ambitious undertaking for Gideons in the United States. While Gideon Scripture distributions, around the world, increased by one-third from 2004 through 2007, U.S.A. distributions have remained relatively flat. Gideons in the United States have worked sacrificially to provide Scriptures around the world, yet total Scripture distributions in the U.S.A. have averaged approximately 10.5 million annually for the last few years. In 2008-09—a time when Gideons mark the 100th anniversary of placing the first 25 Bibles in a hotel back in 1908—we will initiate an increased focus and effort on distributing Scriptures in the United States.
The opportunities are certainly plentiful for The Gideons International to achieve this 12 million Scriptures goal, especially through the primary distribution channels we have found so effective for spreading God’s Word over the past one hundred years.
Many people think that The Gideons provide Bibles only in hotel and motel rooms, but these placements represent just a fraction of the total copies of God’s Word distributed across the United States (and around the world). Gideon Scripture distribution channels include schools and colleges, hospitals and medical offices, jails and prisons, plus many more facilities. In addition, Gideons regularly distribute New Testaments to police, firefighters and United States military forces.
Of course, hotel and motel rooms continue to be an ideal location for magnifying the impact of each Bible. According to hotel industry studies, there are more than 4.5 million hotel and motel rooms in the United States. When you consider that each Gideon-placed hotel Bible has the potential of reaching 2,300 people in its six-year life, that’s more than ten billion possibilities for people to read God’s Word.
So, if Scripture distribution opportunities are so prevalent, what will it take for The Gideons to reach more lost people in the U.S.A. with the Word of God? There are two major challenges. First, we need more Gideons distributing Scriptures. With so many distribution channels (some requiring repeat visits, such as colleges and prisons), every current Gideon—and new Gideon recruited—must be dedicated to the 12 Million Scripture goal. Secondly, Gideons need ongoing donations to secure the Bibles and New Testaments necessary. Scriptures provided for the United States are funded primarily by offerings and gifts Gideons receive from churches, plus proceeds from Gideon Expressions greeting cards (formerly the Memorial Bible Program).
Yet, this is not about dollars; it’s about lives that are lost—as many as 210 million in the United States. It’s also about an investment in the future of the U.S.A. While Gideons commemorate one hundred years of Scripture distribution around the world, we must strive to ensure that every man, woman and child in the United States—where this ministry began—has the opportunity to receive God’s Word and experience His saving grace.
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