As New York City continues to swell in worldwide cultural prominence, the Bible’s cultural influence in the city dwindles. That’s why we’re working on the ground with church and ministry leaders in NYC to help see God’s Word transform the hearts of millions of people who call New York City their home.
Opportunity
As the capital of culture, NYC attracts diverse movers, shakers, and international influencers. The people in this city have the potential to spur worldwide change, to inspire a revival of Bible-engaged followers of God. But first, New Yorkers must be transformed through God’s Word.
Diverse Needs for Diverse Cultures
True to its name as the “melting pot” of American culture, NYC is home to more foreign-born citizens than any other city in the world. Because it is so diverse, no single method or Bible resource can effectively reach every culture in NYC. The Bible needs to be brought to life for people with varied backgrounds, worldviews, languages, and stories.
Christian in Name
71% of people living in NYC identify themselves as Christians. Almost 1 in 3 New Yorkers are Catholic. But only 19% of New Yorkers attend church, pray, and engage with God’s Word. Both Protestants and Catholics in NYC risk divorcing their lives from their faith: cold, empty pews wait to be filled and dusty Bibles on bookshelves wait to be opened. Christian New Yorkers of all denominations need contextualized resources that will help them be transformed by God’s Word.
Transformation
By collaborating with leaders and churches in NYC, we are helping invite people of diverse cultures and backgrounds to engage with God’s Word. We’re working on the ground with ministry partners throughout New York City to reach people at coffee shops, parks, homeless shelters, and Halal carts. Across the city, we are partnering with churches and ministries to deliver contextualized Bibles and resources in multiple languages.
By equipping churches and ministries with Bible resources:
we help deliver contextualized resources to those who need them most.
When Jose walked into a Bible study at a local homeless shelter, his bloodshot eyes revealed that he had lost all hope. At the door, he was handed a bilingual Bible, provided with the help of our financial partners. Jose held his new Bible with limp, dirt-covered hands. With his back hunched and hair disheveled, Jose slumped into a chair and muttered in Spanish: I can’t take this anymore. Life is too hard.
But as he heard the pastor speak about God’s love, something in Jose began to change. He opened his Bible and read God’s words, written for him in his heart language. He tightened his grip on his Bible and began to cry. The Bible study group gathered around Jose and prayed words of hope and restoration for him. Jose left the group, clutching his new Bible, filled with renewed faith for the future.
We’re not only helping churches to go out into the world. We’re also helping them to look within, to ask questions like, Are our church members passionate about digging into God’s Word? Are our church communities being transformed by Scripture?
By engaging and energizing church communities with God’s Word:
we are reaching Roman Catholic Church communities.
Through a Bible engagement initiative called the Family Bible Experience, families from more than 30 Catholic parishes are reading God’s Word with fresh eyes. How? By exploring a Bible with no chapter or verse numbers, study notes, cross references, red lettering, or footnotes. Why? So they can discover the story of the Bible for what it is—a sweeping narrative about the power of God’s love for us. Families can read the Bible together in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, or Tagalog.
we are connecting and equipping church leaders.
In fall 2016, 40,000 people benefited from insight shared at Movement Day, a gathering that equipped global ministry leaders to reach their communities with God’s Word. After the event, 15,000 people engaged with a 28-day Acts devotional that challenged them to live out the truths discovered during Movement Day.