‘Through God’s Faithfulness, Our Locations Had Enough Bibles to Share with Young People Last Year’
May 19, 2021
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — An additional 10 million Americans turned to the Bible over the past year of the COVID-19 pandemic than in years before, the American Bible Society’s (ABS) new 2021 State of the Bible report noted—with one in four adults saying they read the Bible more frequently over this past year than in prior years. The report, released last week, found that over 181 million Americans opened a Bible during the past year, compared to the 169 million adults who used a Bible at least occasionally in earlier years.
These findings are based on a survey done in January 2021 via 3,354 online interviews of a representative sample of American adults nationwide, as well as 91 additional responses from Gen Z youth.
The American Bible Society’s findings coincide with the compelling experiences of Youth For Christ (YFC, www.yfc.net)—which saw a major spike in its YFC 3Story Bible sales during the pandemic.
From March 2020-December 2020, the YFC Store sold 305 YFC 3Story Bibles to staff nationwide; and from January 2020-February 2020, the YFC Store sold another 140 YFC 3Story Bibles to staff as well. In all, YFC staff were able to share the Word of God with more than 445 students ages 11 to 19 in 2020—a number that accounts, by the way, only for YFC 3Story Bibles. The number doesn’t include digital versions of the Bible that were read by students, nor does it include any of the non-YFC 3Story Bibles purchased by faith leaders for America’s young people.
Says Dan Wolgemuth, YFC’s president and CEO, “Clearly, through God’s faithfulness, a variety of our organization’s locations were prepared to have enough Bibles to share with young people during the pandemic. We feel certain that the Word of God comforted and inspired these hundreds of teens, and perhaps many more, during one of the toughest years of their lives—and we continue, every day, to share the Word of God and God’s teachings with as many teens as we can.”
Numerous YFC 3Story Bibles were placed in care packages for teens during the pandemic. When some states first began reopening to small group gatherings after the lockdowns, the Bible was often the first item faith leaders would distribute to teens. The thought-provoking YFC 3Story Bible contains 500 “connection point” questions that inspire teens to read the Bible closely—and to think about its application to their lives. In addition, more than 150 “then and now” features weave together stories of today’s young people with Scripture—helping teens to talk more openly about God and to build deeper, more genuine relationships with one another.
The YFC 3Story Bible, based on the organization’s 3Story discipleship program, encourages teenagers to better understand how God’s story overlaps with the story of their own lives and that of their friends—resulting in deeper fellowship with others and with God. YFC’s hardcover product can be found online here.
Youth For Christ staff and volunteers are encouraged by the YFC 3Story® concept, which is based on the belief that kids will be reached for Christ when they’re met at their point of need—and as workers connect their stories with Jesus’s story. The ministry efforts of YFC are changing lives, one young person at a time.
YFC haschapters impacting thousands of communities across the nation that seek out and serve youth from all walks of life. Many teens today are silently struggling through a variety of challenges and issues—and now they see the living power of a loving God. Youth For Christ encourages staff and volunteers to be the good news while also sharing stories of the Good News of Jesus. It involves building relationships through the ups and downs of everyday life in order to lead young people to Christ.
Youth For Christ has been a pillar of missional ministry since 1944, when the Rev. Billy Graham served as YFC’s first full-time staff member. Since then, Youth For Christ has continued to be both a rural and urban ministry on a mission, and it is always about the message of Jesus. YFC reaches young people everywhere, working together with the local church and other like-minded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who lead by their godliness in lifestyle, devotion to the Word of God and prayer, passion for sharing the love of Christ, and commitment to social involvement. Youth For Christ operates in over 100 nations and has more than 140 chapters that impact communities across America.
Visit the Youth For Christ media page here. Learn more about Youth For Christ at its website, www.yfc.net, Facebook and Instagram pages, Twitter feed @yfcusa or on Vimeo.
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To interview a Youth For Christ representative, contact Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Jeff Tolson, 610.584.1096, ext. 108, or Deborah Hamilton, ext. 102.
