The Find a Bible Project is a global strategic initiative of the Forum which would allow users from the general public to access a portion of the Forum’s website containing a search function for Scripture resources by language or country.
Currently no centralized global resource exists to provide access to the many Scripture products available around the world. To find a Scripture resource in a particular language, users must go to one of a number of web sites that offer access to Scripture products in a limited number of languages, for purchase or online viewing. Furthermore, there are many Scripture products that are not listed on any web site. Instead, users must first determine which agency might have the desired resource, then navigate by telephone or email the administrative structure of that agency to find out if the desired resource even exists, and how to obtain a copy if it does. As the global community continues to increase its dependency on the internet, the public expects and needs to find information about Scripture availability on the internet. If a Google search for a Bible in a given language turns up nothing, people will assume it does not exist.
A major benefit of the Find a Bible Project is the assistance it would offer to churches, both in the US and around the world, in their outreach efforts. According to the National Virtual Translation Center, there are over 300 languages spoken in the United States. The Census Bureau reports that 14 million US households speak a language other than English. Once operational, Find a Bible (FAB) will prove an invaluable tool for churches to reach their neighbors with the good news of Jesus Christ in their own language.
FAB aims to be a web site where any Web user can learn about the availability of Scripture resources in any language of the world. More specifically, the user should be able to:
- Given a name for a language, get a list of existing products in that language.
- Once a product has been selected, view all non-sensitive metadata, such as: Title, edition, description audience, scope, publisher, first year published, comments, etc.
- Go directly to another web site where the desired materials can be obtained easily, without having to search for the product again.
Please contact the Forum office at info@forum-intl.net for more information on how to become involved with the Find a Bible Project.
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