A movement where Christ is named

The Gideons International

Bible translation & distribution · Founded 1899 · by John Nicholson, Samuel Hill, William Knights · Nashville, Tennessee, United States

The Gideons International is an association of Christian business and professional people, founded in 1899, whose mission is to share the gospel by distributing Bibles and New Testaments. The Gideons are widely known for placing Bibles in hotels, hospitals, schools, and other settings, and for handing out copies of the Scriptures so that people can read the word of God for themselves.

What they do

The Gideons International distributes Bibles and New Testaments, placing and giving away copies of the Scriptures in many settings around the world.

Its members are known for supplying Bibles to hotels and motels, and for offering Scriptures in hospitals, schools, prisons, and to members of the military and medical professions.

The organization is supported by its members and by churches, and its work is carried out largely by volunteers who both fund and personally hand out the Scriptures.

The Scripture behind the work

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Where the door leads

The Gideons place the Scriptures within reach so that individuals can read about Jesus Christ and his offer of salvation on their own. A reader might open a Gideon Bible found in a hotel room, or accept one that is offered, and begin with the Gospel of John. Their hope is that the word itself will draw people to Christ.

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Connect to the real thing

Their work: www.gideons.org
A church near you: Find one on the map
Serve where you are: Find a way to help

The Living Bread is a door, not the destination. The life is with Christ and his people.

People also ask

When was The Gideons International founded?

It was founded in 1899 by three Christian traveling businessmen, John Nicholson, Samuel Hill, and William Knights.

Why are there Bibles in hotel rooms?

Placing Bibles in hotels and other public settings is part of The Gideons' longstanding mission to make Scripture available to people wherever they are.

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