Thanks to our Bible-A-Month partners, these children and many others have been filled with the joy of knowing that Jesus loves them. (Photo courtesy of Bible Socity of Ghana.)

They didn't know they were making history, but God was calling them to act.

It was 1961. Denying God's very existence was the latest philosophical fad. There was a battle being waged for the hearts and minds of millions.

A small group of key leaders at American Bible Society decided to push back against the growing influence of atheism around the world. They understood that the Bible was the one book that could open blind eyes to eternal hope and impart “the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2.15 GNT.)

Each person in the group pledged to give an extra gift a month from his or her paycheck to send a Bible to someone who needed it. Bible-A-Month began from the seeds of their efforts.

The “club” caught on. Soon, some 35 American Bible Society staff and friends were contributing each month. That's when the Bible-A-Month club went public. Within two years, Bible-A-Month had helped distribute more than 83,000 Bibles. Five decades later, Bible-A-Month partners have helped distribute Bibles to millions of people in 100 countries.

Their vision and impact have been incalculable. American Bible Society President R. Lamar Vest says, “our Bible-A-Month partners have been an answer to prayer for millions of spiritually starved souls.

“For so many who have been forced to live without the Bible,” Vest says, “the Bibles our partners provide are proof that there is someone out there who loves them, and that God has not given up on them.”

In 1962, when a small but dedicated group of ABS staff and their friends pledged a part of their paychecks to help deliver Bibles to a different country each month, they didn't know they were making history. (Photo courtesy of ABS Archives.)

Vest believes that Bible-A-Month is also proof that little things can make a tremendous difference. “From the very beginning, the whole idea was that anyone could participate, because the monthly commitment was so modest.” As Bible-A-Month has come of age, so have the benefits of the partnership, which include monthly partner reports that tell stories of changed lives, exclusive access to an interactive website and an annual scripture calendar designed to help deepen their walk with God. Each month, the focus is on a different area of the world. Many Bible-A-Month partners have commented that they feel as if they're traveling the globe, “just like a missionary.”

But by far the greatest benefit is the opportunity to be part of sharing the Good News that changes lives for eternity. For 50 years, Bible-A-Month has been proving that anyone can help impact the world with God's Word.