A Pivotal Moment for Reaching the Nations

If you could own only one book, what would it be?

For me, it would be my Reformation Study Bible because it’s a theological storehouse in one volume. Clear notes. Clarifying theological explanations. Creeds and confessions that convey the truth of historic Christianity. And all edited and compiled under the watchful eye of Ligonier’s beloved founder, Dr. R.C. Sproul. Your donation before December 30 can help make the Reformation Study Bible and other trusted teaching available to more people in 2024.

As I consider this unparalleled discipleship resource, I can’t help but dream of what could be. Can you imagine the impact that the Reformation Study Bible could have if its 1.1 million words of trusted commentary were available in the top twenty global languages? That’s our vision at Ligonier, and as the Lord allows opportunities to arise, we aim to achieve it. It’s already available in Spanish, Portuguese, German, Korean, and English, but so many other people groups can greatly benefit from having this invaluable teaching in their own language.

Before we think more about what could be, let me tell you the moving story of a young man we’ll call “Michael.” While incarcerated, he began attending his prison’s Bible study program, and the Lord graciously saved him. Thanks to your generosity, he then received a Reformation Study Bible. Michael used a wheelchair, and the prison chaplain told us that every day, Michael would wheel himself out of his cell and down to the chapel to read his Reformation Study Bible with other inmates.

But then, Michael had a medical emergency and went home to meet his Savior face-to-face—he was finally free from that prison and no longer in need of that wheelchair. His wheelchair and his copy of the Reformation Study Bible now sit next to the prison chaplain’s office as a reminder to everyone who walks by of both the brevity of life and the need to repent and believe the gospel.

For Michael, the Reformation Study Bible was more than a book—it was a theological lifeline. And that is what we hear repeatedly from so many. The Spanish edition is serving Christians throughout Latin America; various translations are providing theological rigor to pastors serving across Africa who don’t have the depth of training that we enjoy in the United States; and as in the case of Michael, the Reformation Study Bible is used by God to renew the minds of many inmates in correctional facilities.

The Lord is opening new doors for ministry, and we plan to publish the Reformation Study Bible in French next year and in Arabic, Chinese, and Russian in the years to come. Please pray for the following efforts, which are made possible by generous friends such as you:

• Translation work has begun on an Arabic edition of the Reformation Study Bible. The impact will be significant, equipping the church in many Muslim-majority nations where trustworthy Christian teaching is needed. It’s a multi-team effort, and your support is needed today to ensure that this project stays on track.
• The French edition of the Reformation Study Bible is nearing completion. Your support today will help ensure a smooth launch and reception in its planned release next fall. This translation will serve Christians not just in France and the province of Quebec in Canada, but also in many African countries. We already have requests from people serving in Madagascar and countries in northern and western Africa.
• Distribution of the Spanish Reformation Study Bible has spread throughout the Spanish-speaking world, and we have had to do three print runs to date to keep up with demand. With your support, we should also be able to launch a Spanish version of the Condensed Edition in 2024. It contains the most essential notes in a more portable format. This edition has also been very popular with younger Christians. We see this as a strategic opportunity to fuel further reformation throughout Latin America by helping young believers distinguish truth from the false doctrines that are prevalent in the region.

The above three projects alone represent more than 1.1 billion people who could potentially have access to a study Bible anchored in the historic Christian faith. Will you pray that the Lord will provide the funds to complete translations of the Reformation Study Bible and that He will use these Bibles to make disciples worldwide?

Regrettably, the same inflationary pressures we all feel in our personal budgets also affect important projects like these. To keep translations of the Reformation Study Bible on track, to continue Ligonier’s current ministry outreach, and to expand outreach to the next generation, we need to raise a significant sum by year’s end. We are grateful for the support of generous donors who want to see people in every age and stage of the Christian life growing in the truth. However, unless faithful friends such as you provide additional year-end support today, we’ll have to delay or pause vital projects such as these and many others.

Another focused area of outreach for Ligonier is in service to Generation Z (ages 11–26) and, coming behind them, Generation Alpha. You have enabled these young people to be served already in large part through the Student Edition of the Reformation Study Bible, our in-person Always Ready youth apologetics training events, and our active social media and YouTube presence. There is much more to be done. We are developing plans to build a new library of discipleship videos that specifically focus on the questions young people are asking and the Bible-based answers they need to hear amid so many lies. We are also receiving requests to take our sellout Always Ready apologetics events to other cities in the United States, throughout Canada, and in other places worldwide. Several churches in the Philippines have requested a dedicated Always Ready event.

Gen Z is the largest generation, making up around 27 percent of the U.S. population and almost 30 percent of the world’s population. Globally, there are nearly 2 billion people in this age range. Your support today can help fuel new and expanded outreach to the next generation. These young men and women will one day be leaders in our churches and communities.

These are only a select few of the multiple strategic initiatives that Ligonier is focused on. With God’s blessing, our outreach looks to exceed 100 million people in 2023—a 42 percent increase from the previous year. We believe the ministry founded by Dr. Sproul is at a pivotal point in reaching the nations with the truth of God’s Word. Together, we can make an incalculable advance for the kingdom of God.