Global Bible Month: God's Word for Everyone, Everywhere
For millions of Christians around the world, reading the Bible is as simple as opening a book or tapping an app on their phone. But for millions of others, access to God’s Word in a language they understand is still out of reach.
This November, Christians around the world are celebrating Global Bible Month, a worldwide initiative encouraging people to engage with Scripture and rediscover the power of God’s Word in their daily lives.
It’s also an opportunity to remember those who are still waiting for the opportunity to read, hear, and experience the Bible for themselves—and to consider how greater access to Scripture can help accelerate the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
Celebrating the Power of God’s Word
Global Bible Month brings together churches, ministries, and believers around a shared commitment to Scripture. Through initiatives like the 30-Day Bible Challenge, Christians are encouraged to spend time in God’s Word every day throughout November.
The Bible is central to our faith. Through Scripture, we discover who God is, learn about his love for us, and understand his purposes for our lives. God’s Word equips us to grow as disciples and share the Good News of Jesus with others.
As 2 Timothy 3:16–17 reminds us:
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (NIV).
For those of us who have easy access to Scripture, Global Bible Month is an invitation to deepen our engagement with God’s Word. But it’s also an opportunity to consider how we can help make that same experience possible for others.
Remembering Those Still Waiting
While many Christians have access to multiple Bible translations, millions of people around the world are still waiting for Scripture in a language they understand.
According to Scripture access statistics published by Wycliffe Bible Translators, the need remains significant:
- Approximately 1 in 5 people worldwide still do not have the full Bible in their language.
- More than 3,000 languages have no known Scripture translated into them.
- More than 1.5 billion people do not have access to the complete Bible in their language.
Yet there is also tremendous reason for hope. Bible translation is underway in thousands of languages, and churches and ministry organizations around the world are collaborating to bring God’s Word to more communities than ever before.
That’s why Bibles is one of Finishing the Task’s five B goals: working toward a world where everyone, everywhere has access to God’s Word.
And this goal is about more than making Scripture available. It’s about giving every person the opportunity to encounter the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.
How Bible Access Helps Multiply Disciples and Churches
The impact of Bible translation extends far beyond the individual reader. When people have access to God’s Word in a language they understand, it can help lay the foundation for new believers, healthy churches, and multiplying disciples.
For church planting movements around the world, access to Scripture is especially important. As new communities of believers form, they need God’s Word to guide their faith, equip their leaders, and teach others about Jesus.
When Scripture becomes available in a community’s heart language, believers can study and share it directly with others. Through printed Bibles, audio recordings, and oral Bible storytelling, God’s Word can reach people across different literacy levels and cultural contexts.
Bible translation and church planting can also reinforce one another. In many parts of the world, churches and disciple-making movements are participating in translation efforts, helping make Scripture available to the very communities they are seeking to reach. Access to Scripture helps make the ongoing work of discipleship possible.
As more people encounter God’s Word, they can become disciples who make disciples, helping the Good News spread through families, communities, and generations.
Three Ways to Take Action This Global Bible Month
As we celebrate Global Bible Month, here are three simple ways to participate in what God is doing through his Word around the world.
1. Engage with God’s Word every day.
Take the 30-Day Bible Challenge or commit to spending intentional time in Scripture throughout November. Whether you read a chapter, listen to an audio Bible, or study a passage with others, make room for God’s Word to shape your life.
Visit Global Bible Month to learn more about the initiative.
2. Share God’s Word with someone else.
The Bible is meant to be shared. Consider inviting a friend to read Scripture with you, sharing a meaningful passage with someone who needs encouragement, or helping someone who doesn’t yet know Jesus discover what the Bible says about him.
Romans 10:17 reminds us, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (NIV).
3. Help bring Scripture to those still waiting.
Pray for communities that do not yet have access to God’s Word in their language. Learn about the organizations working to translate and distribute Scripture, and consider how you or your church can support their efforts. Visit finishingthetask.com/bibles to learn more.
Through collaboration with ministries around the world, we can help accelerate the work of making God’s Word accessible to everyone, everywhere.
God’s Word for Everyone, Everywhere
Global Bible Month is an opportunity to celebrate the extraordinary gift of Scripture and the ways God continues to work through his Word.
But as we open our Bibles this November, let’s also remember those who are still waiting.
This Global Bible Month, let’s celebrate the Bible by engaging with it, sharing it, and helping make it accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Learn how you can help bring God’s Word to everyone, everywhere.
