The Canadian Bible Society and You

Five years ago, I didn’t know much about the Canadian Bible Society. I’d seen their name on Bibles and tracts, of course, but I had no idea what they actually did. What I’ve discovered since then has changed the way I see Scripture engagement in Canada.

The Canadian Bible Society (CBS) is one of the most quietly influential Christian organizations in Canada. Founded in 1809 and registered as a Canadian charity in 1906, CBS’ mission is simple: to get the Bible into people’s hands where and when it’s most needed, in the language of that person’s heart, in a format easy for them to use, with help to understand it for themselves.

And this is exactly what they did for me when I first entered seminary just five years ago. They mailed to my front door, a fresh-faced Bible student, two gifts: a Hebrew Old Testament and a Greek New Testament with my name inside. Soon afterward, CBS’ Ontario Regional Director visited my Hebrew class to share the organization’s mission. This encounter led to a series of conversations and resulted in my participation with their NextGen Leaders Circle, followed by a translation department internship, which gave me a unique perspective to bring to their Board of Governors.

Their mission: to get the Bible to people where and when it’s most needed, in their heart language, in a format that helps them understand it.

During my time connected to CBS, I’ve become a huge fan. Yet, I’ve also noticed that not enough people know what they’re working on. This is why I’m here.

The Canadian Bible Society is a powerhouse. It has four pillars: translation, publishing, distribution, and engagement. These ensure access to Scripture for communities who otherwise wouldn’t have it. And there are a lot of people who don’t! Approximately 3700 languages out of the 7000+ languages spoken today have little or no scripture. This leaves 1.4 billion people without the full Bible in their language.

Just in this past year alone, CBS distributed 555,260 Bibles and Bible portions in 71 different languages in Canada. The top languages were Spanish, Persian (Farsi), Haitian (Creole), Punjabi, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Arabic, Plaudietsch, Ukrainian, Hindi, and Tagalog.

They are also part of the United Bible Societies (UBS)—a fellowship of 150 Bible Societies with a footprint in 240 countries and territories. Together, they aim to complete 1200 Bible translations by 2038, making the Bible accessible to 600 million more people.

CBS is collaborating with the United Bible Societies (UBS) to complete 1200 Bible translations by 2038, making the Word of God accessible to 600 million more people.

This includes translations of the Bible into multiple sign languages worldwide—and Braille! Most recently, CBS has expanded its outreach, increasing its support of global transition projects from 10 to 32. And, in the past decade, CBS helped provide Scriptures in 12 Indigenous languages. In 2023, CBS published the complete Bible in Mohawk. There’s still much more translation work to be done, and CBS is up to the task.

The Canadian Bible Society also provides Bible-based recovery programs, such as Trauma Healing and Overcomers. They provide audio Scriptures (MegaVoice) for the elderly in 52 languages. And, they distribute more than half a million Bibles, Testaments and Scripture selections per year in Canada. In 2023 they put forward a podcast called Scripture Untangled—130 episodes and over 170,000 listens of conversations with culture leaders about the Bible. You can find more of their resources here.

CBS helps Scripture feel truly alive for me, not just academic, because it is alive. I’m exposed to stories of transformation as I engage with awe-inspiring people from all walks of life. As a result, I’ve found myself transformed as well.

So without further ado, I’m happy to announce that Joyful For Jesus has officially partnered with the Canadian Bible Society. What does this mean? It means that I’m not just sharing CBS’ story by word-of-mouth (which I’m still doing), but also stepping alongside them professionally, here on Joyful For Jesus, to share their resources and support their mission.

To start, I’d love to share with you all the promo code CBS15 for 15% off CBS’ online bookstore. That’s right—15 percent! If you’re a Canadian resident and spend over $99, your shipping is free.

My hope is that through this partnership, more people will experience the Bible in the language of their heart—with clarity, beauty, and joy. Thank you for reading, and for caring about this faithful, quiet work. I’m so honoured to be able to share it with you.

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