The word is very near you
Through centuries of efforts by global Bible agencies, the Bible has been brought ‘very near’ (Deuteronomy 30.14) and made accessible to many people around the world.
The promise of Scripture
Scripture promises an even closer proximity, as God impresses his word on people's hearts, so that it will shape their lives, and in their mouths, so that they may share it with others.
The Patmos Survey investigates how the Bible has made an impression on people's hearts and influenced their lives, as well as their willingness and confidence to talk about it with others. We asked about the ways people engage with the Bible, including – but not limited to – their frequency of reading. The Bible itself testifies to the many and varied forms of effective engagement with Scripture. The Patmos Survey highlights the role of cultural context in the way people relate to the Bible. However, many barriers still exist, despite widespread access and availability.
The task ahead
The Patmos Initiative seeks to mobilise a global coalition aimed at overcoming these barriers, so that everyone can have the chance to discover all that Scripture has to offer.
The Patmos Survey shapes an imagination about what this could look like to help discern the greatest gaps, opportunities and needs that demand global focus and collaboration. But first, Scripture reminds us that we do this by demonstrating the impression the Bible has made on our own lives as a ‘letter from Christ … written not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts' (2 Corinthians 3.3). Therefore, the task of Bible mission begins with our own engagement with the Bible – as individuals, organisations, agencies and global collaborators.
What must happen?
The Patmos Initiative calls for collaborators who are committed to engage, respond and mobilise:
Engage with the Bible so that it can influence our strategies and operations.
Respond to the challenges of the Patmos Survey and prayerfully discern the greatest global Bible engagement needs.
Mobilise our diverse strengths and expertise to partner in working towards meeting these needs.
Impactful insights: Research to touch lives
I am looking forward to training our leaders on Patmos. This will be a valuable resource for our organisation.
Antti Ronkainen, Regional Director for Europe
Community Bible Study
What excites me is the potential to understand the barriers to Bible engagement and make clear to donors what the need is.
Jacob Birch, Director of Philanthropic Partnerships
Canadian Bible Society
Through Patmos, globally more people can be invited to a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ through the Bible.
Dr Jutta Henna, Director
Austrian Bible Society
Join the Patmos Forum
Join us at the Patmos Forum to download the report and be part of the conversation about what this means for global Bible mission.
Explore further
Patmos mission contexts
Discover seven distinct mission contexts which we call Patmos Clusters.
Key insights
Discover six key findings from The Patmos World Bible Attitudes Survey.