Visit three different countries and learn how your gift of the Bible is welcoming people into the kingdom of God!

By Elisabeth Trefsgar

 

That was the inspiration for End-to-End, a ministry partnership rooted in the local church.

Thanks to American Bible Society donors like you and a robust partnership of Great Commission–minded organizations, this program introduces people to Jesus by providing Bibles and a variety of other resources, including print, audio, visual, and digital Scripture. Where churches exist, this program equips them to reach and disciple their neighbors with the gospel. And where there is no church, these resources help convene new believers and nurture church plants with the living Word of God.

Today, End-to-End is introducing people to Christ in 60 countries!

Sam Harrell, who serves as Chief Partnerships Officer at American Bible Society, likens the story of End-to-End’s beginnings with Zechariah 4:10: “Do not despise the day of small beginnings.”

In 1998, End-to-End was just an idea shared by two friends—Erle Deira and Morgan Jackson—around a kitchen table in Suriname, where Erle led Suriname Bible Society. For a while, it seemed like their partnership model for Bible ministry would remain a dream.

Then, a decade later, Erle was invited to join American Bible Society, where a new focus and passionate support from believers like you brought End-to-End to life.

“As supporters of American Bible Society, you care deeply about sharing God’s Word by giving the gift of the Bible,” Sam Harrell says. “But through a partnership like End-to-End, your gift is magnified a hundredfold. And that’s what End-to-End is: bringing people into the kingdom of God, through the Word of God. Thanks to you, we’re able to do that all over the world!”

On the following pages, take a tour of three different countries and hear from our Bible Society partners how you are building God’s kingdom through End-to-End!

ANGOLA:“WE NEED THE BIBLE TO START THE CHURCH.”

In Angola, you might visit a church where only the pastor has a Bible—and the Bible has no cover.

Especially in rural areas, poverty, illiteracy, and lack of resources stand as major barriers to people in this southern African nation who long to have God’s Word. Pastors and evangelists are eager to do the work of spreading the gospel, but even they lack the tools they need.

Without Scripture, evangelism, personal growth in faith, and church planting efforts are next to impossible.

Claudia, who works with the Bible Society in Angola, sees this great need daily.

“As we know, if there is no Bible, there is no church,” she says. “We need the Bible to start the church.”

That’s where you come in!

Since 2018, you have been partnering with believers in Angola through End-to-End. Thanks to you, people receive not only the Bibles they have prayed for, but also visual and audio tools through our End-to-End ministry partners.

“End-to-End is one of the best projects that we are carrying out,” says Beatriz Hupa, the General Secretary of the Bible Society in Angola. “It’s the perfect way to serve both the people and the churches. The people are happy because they can finally understand who Jesus is and what he has done for them. And the churches are happy because they can help so many more people. No other organization has this type of program.”

When people see and hear the gospel in a format they can understand, everything changes. Once, they needed to wait until Sunday to hear the Word of God. Now, they can’t get enough. That’s why, Claudia and Beatriz say, the most powerful moment of End-to-End happens when people receive your gift of the print Bible—something they can keep with them always.

“It’s common to see people laugh, cry, and dance,” says Beatriz. “They kneel down and say, ‘Oh Lord, thank you! For the first time I have your Word with me!’”

There is much more work to do, and many challenges to overcome. But the Bible Society is determined to reach all 18 provinces in Angola and ensure that all people—whether in cities or in remote villages—can hear about Jesus.

“We have a saying: ‘Even if you work for months or years, if you get one soul for Christ, it is a big gain,’” says Beatriz. “So, we thank you for helping us win souls!”

THE PHILIPPINES: “THE BIBLE CHANGES YOUR LIFE—TODAY AND FOR ETERNITY.”

Raymond has seen firsthand the way that God’s Word changes lives.

Through his work as a regional coordinator with the Philippine Bible Society, he’s watched infamous slum neighborhoods turn around through Bible outreach and met Muslim neighbors who encountered Christ through dreams and visions.

Now your gift of End-to-End is helping the Bible Society engage hearts in Scripture like never before!

“End-to-End helps us partner with churches, focus on discipleship, and see lives transformed,” Raymond says.

Even better, this program has connected churches across denominational lines, furthering the Bible Society’s goal of reaching communities across the archipelago nation’s 7,641 islands—about 2,000 of which are inhabited.

By offering visual, audio, and digital Scripture resources in addition to printed Bibles, churches can reach multiple language groups and invite those who have never read the Bible to experience Scripture in new ways. Raymond says that Bible listening groups have been particularly impactful in rural communities.

“People are amazed,” Raymond says. “They hear God speaking to them in their own language, and they get excited about the Bible, because they can finally understand it.”

The Bible Society is eager to bring End-to-End to every part of the Philippines. They see it as an effective delivery method for God’s Word, which sparks spiritual revival everywhere it goes and leads to real-life changes in communities, including increases in evangelism, church planting, and education.

According to Raymond, that’s the real message of End-to-End: “The Bible changes your life—today and for eternity!”

GUATEMALA: “THE BIBLE ITSELF IS ENOUGH TO CHANGE HEARTS AND LIVES.”

In Guatemala, the population is almost evenly split between Catholic (45%) and non-Catholic (42%) Christians. But even in a nation where most people consider themselves followers of Jesus, there is an overwhelming need for your gift of Scripture through End-to-End.

“There are many church plants and young churches that need to grow,” says Annelisse, who works with the Bible Society of Guatemala. “They need tools to help them with evangelism.”

With 25 distinct languages in Guatemala— including oral and sign languages—it has been difficult to equip churches with Scripture resources that can serve everyone.

“You and I, we have the Bible in our heart language,” Annelisse says. “And we can take that for granted. But for some communities, having Scripture in their mother tongue is huge! Spanish is often a second language for them, and they identify with their heart language. But there are often almost zero Scripture resources for these smaller language groups.”

Through End-to-End, you’re changing that!

As people experience the visual, audio, and written parts of this program, they no longer see a foreign God or a foreign text. They see Jesus speaking their mother tongue, and their eyes are opened to what the Bible is all about.

Annelisse compares it to finally getting a glasses prescription that fits your needs.

“If you don’t have the accurate prescription, you might be able to see—kind of,” she says. “But with the right glasses, you can see fully. Now that people have Scripture resources in their language, they understand clearly. Maybe they have been Christians for years, or maybe they are new believers. Either way, they can see!”

Beyond this, Annelisse says that End-to-End is helping people understand that the Bible holds principles for daily life. By watching gospel films, listening to audio Scripture, and reading the Bible, people are learning how to put God’s Word into practice—moving from disciples in name only to disciples in action.

Annelisse remembers hearing the story of one man who was fighting with his family over an outstanding debt for land he had sold to them. He was invited to End-to-End, where he watched a film showing that Christ paid the price for his sins. This experience was so powerful that the man went to his family and told them he wanted to forgive their debt, just like Jesus did for him.

Now, the man is at peace with his family—something Annelisse says is only possible through the transformative power of Scripture!

“Through End-to-End, people are actually getting to know Jesus,” she says. “And they are changed because of it. The Bible itself is enough to change hearts and lives!”

Like most countries, Guatemala’s population is divided between cities and rural areas, and the Bible Society has plenty of work to do before they reach every part of the country. But through your support, Annelisse is encouraged in this life-changing work.

“We are always grateful for our partnership with you,” she says. “We pray for you and bless you! Thank you for helping to give the Word of God in the mother tongues of our people.”

THANK YOU FOR MAKING DISCIPLES BY ENGAGING HEARTS IN SCRIPTURE!

We hope this glimpse into End-to-End has inspired you as you consider all that God is doing through your generosity!

What started as a simple conversation between friends is now among our furthest-reaching ministry efforts—and the need continues. In the 60 countries that you have helped us reach, many communities are still waiting. And even in nations where the Bible is readily available, your ongoing advocacy for God’s Word can help people meet Jesus.

“We’ve tested End-to-End in Kansas City, Philadelphia, New York—even in my own hometown,” says Sam Harrell. “All these things can happen where you live, too. You can help make disciples in your own neighborhood.”

Through your support of American Bible Society, you’re ensuring that people not only receive the Bible, but fully engage with its life-changing message. Thank you!

Bless communities with the gift of Scripture through End-to-End: Give.Bible/EndToEnd

 

Read more stories in our full magazine here!