2012 In Review

From Chicago Bible Society Executive Director, Ken Oliver

  2012 has been a year of challenges and successes. We have expanded our work in the jails through Project Philip and have begun two new programs: Urban Literacy and Journey to the Cross, a Lenten Bible Series.


    At the same time, we have been challenged by significant cut-backs at our partner, The American Bible Society, resulting in fewer Bibles being made available for special needs. We are also facing the Challenge of a difficult economy that has adversely impacted our donors.

Our Mission - Who we are

  The word "ecumenical" can be controversial; however, it is an old and important word in the history of Christianity. It means "The Whole Church."  The whole church is who we minister to and width. We provide Bibles and encourage the study and understanding of Scripture without promoting or endorsing anyu particular doctrinal point of view. For this reason we are able to work with all Christians who believe that the Bible is God's Word.

Our Work - What We Do - Provision

  Chicago Bible Society works to cross physical, economic or cultural barriers to bring the Bible into people's lives, through written or electronic means, in a manner that they can understand and interact with the Scriptures. Bible Provision programs target those wo do not have access to the Bible due to incarceration, poverty, or cultural barriers. They include our Bibles for Jails program.

Engagement

  Chicago Bible Society encourages people to read and interact with the Bible so that God's Word transforms their lives.  We partner with prison ministries, schools, churches and tutoring programs to make God real through the study of the Word.  Bible Engagement Programs target a broad range of people in our increasingly secular society who do not know the Scriptures.  We look forward to 2013 and the opportunities and challenges of the New Year with Faith.  

Urban Literacy Project Increases Reading Scores and Bible Knowledge

CBS Pilot Project Increases Reading Scores and Bible Knowledge

The Chicago Bible Society has partnered with By The Hand for Kids - a Faith Based non-profit tutoring program - to pilot the use of the American Bible Society Mission:Literacy reading curriculum in two high-poverty communities in Chicago.

The results of the pilot project are extremely favorable. The By The Hand Club for Kids is one of the largest and most successful after-school programs in Chicago. Currently working in three locations throughout the city, By The Hand Club focuses on Children who are at the highest risk of failure in areas with high poverty and underperforming schools. Nearly 900 children participate in their various programs. In an exclusive interview with By The Hand staff members, we were told that the State of Illinois regularly bases the future increases in incarceration of new offenders on low reading scores.  In other words the State look upon students with low reading scores as future inmates in the penal system.

This points out the value of this new project's purpose and Goals:

The mission of the Chicago Bible Society is to provide access to the Bible to all people by overcoming the barriers of poverty, education, health, culture or imprisonment and to encourage the reading and understanding of Scripture. This two-fold mission can be understood as Provision and Engagement.

Today's Children have been called the "Post-Sunday School" generation. Our increasingly secular culture has diminished the common knowledge of the Bible thus making the task of evangelism more difficult.

The children in the program also have the additional burdens of poverty and poor education that limit their access to the Bible.  Poor reading skills also affect quality of life and as noted earlier have a relationship to crime and incarceration later in life.  The Urban literacy project seeks to address all these needs.

In conclusion, the Goals of the Urban Literacy project are:
1.  To increases the basic reading skill of early primary school age children most at risk of poor literacy due to poverty.
2.  To increase knowledge of the Bible in age-appropriate format in a manner where both content is retained and the children engage with the Scripture.

The results of the pilot project  showed significant growth in new Biblical knowledge after using the curriculum in both locations. Reading scores of the students were positively affected by the curriculum.

According to CBS Executive Director Ken Oliver, the pilot project exceeded expectations. "The kids just loved the Bible story books. The illustrations are of such a high quality that they grab their attention"

With additional funding, The Chicago Bible Society can expand this new outreach in the metro area. You can make a donation today using a credit card or e-check using Paypal.  Of course checks and money orders are also welcome.  Just go to our website for more information on donating to CBS  www.chicagobiblesociety.net

You will note the join/donate tab near the top of our website home page.

Chicago Bible Society Releases New Video Honoring Emma Dryer

Emma Dryer was a 19th Century Christian Educator, Bible Teacher and Administrator.  Evangelist DL Moody once called her "The Best Bible Teacher in America"

Miss Dryer started the "Chicago Bible Work" in 1873 supervising young women who visited multiplied thousands of homes in Chicago, especially in the poorer areas.  For over 25 years they ministered to women and their families and distributed Bibles and Scripture portions.

Dryer was also very instrumental in the founding of The Chicago Evangelization Society (Now Moody Bible Institute)  Emma Dryers Bible Work was eventually incorporated into the Chicago Bible Society and Dryer was a member of the CBS Board of Directors for many years.

Her inspiring Life Story is now available in a nine minute online Video and DVD produced by the Sunlite Broadcasting Network for the Chicago Bible Society.  You can view it now by clicking on the Global Bible TV icon on the front page of the Chicago Bible Society Website.
Click here  Chicago Bible Society Website

CBS - A Truly Non Demoninational Outreach in Chicago

Since our founding, over 170 years ago, the Chicago Bible Society has worked with many Christian Denominations, Churches, and ministries  in the Chicagoland area.

Our website proclaims, "The Chicago Bible Society is a non-denominational outreach that works will all Christians, Catholic, Orthodox and Protestants to increase the reading and understanding of the Bible."

A Good Example of this is our Recent Lenten Bible Study Series held at Two Downtown Chicago Churches.  The Speaker's included Chicago's Cardinal Francis George, United Methodist Chicago Temple Pastor Phil Blackwell, pictured to the right of Cardinal George (CBS Executive Director Ken Oliver is on the left) Rev. Donald Senior, President of Catholic Theological University in Hyde Park, and Rev. Christine Chakoian, Pastor First Presbyterian Church in Lake Forest.

The Series entitled "Journey to the Cross" was a special 4-part Bible Study series on meaningful events in Christ's life leading up to Good Friday and the Cross as portrayed in the four Gospels.

The well attended sessions were held at St. Peter's Church in the Loop (the first two sessions) and Chicago Temple United Methodist church on West Washington Street across from Daley Plaza. You can view all four presentations by clicking on this link http://vimeo.com/channels/globalbibletv

Bringing The Bible to an Online World

The new generation is online and connected in a way that amazes those over forty. While the older crowd is using smart phones and connecting through facebook, those in the twenties and thirties generation see the internet as their primary communication tool.  They use the internet to read and to find our about spiritual issues. To reach this new internet generation with God's Word you must be online.

     This year, Chicago Bible Society launched the New Media project to reach those who are unlikely to pick up a printed Bible but who are seeking to know about God's Word.  We have added a "Bible Online" page to our website that provides links to "YouVersion" and electronic edition of the Bible available in more than 40 versions and languages.  We also have links to other audio and electronic Bibles.  You can go to our website to download the Bible on to your computer,smart phone or iPad for free. We are planning in the near future to have the Bible Available online directly from our website.

     Chicago Bible Society is also working through internet-based social networking to reach and engage people.   Our Facebook page is updated weekly with new information, events and videos.  We recently started the Bible Chicago blog and we will be adding more online content with the Global Bible TV online TV network we started  in partnership with Sunlite Broadcasting of Chicago.  You can also access all of our services on smart phones and iPhones with our new free Bible Society app downloadable from our website.

     The remarkable thing about the New Media Project is the relatively low cost of production and the high impact across a broad spectrum.  Although the list of new media products sounds impressive, we are able to do this for about 5% of our total program budget.  With less than 12 months of operation, we have seen the number of visitors (especially first time visitors) increase dramtically to thousands each month.

     As successful as this project has been on a small budget, we would like to expand this operation in 2012.  Your prayers and financial support are greatly appreciated.  You can make your donation safely and securely using a credit card or e-check using the PayPal donate button on our website,Chicago Bible Society  

You can also contact Executive Director, Ken Oliver by phone (312)573-8809 or by e-mail Donate to Chicago Bible Society