Three Million Youth Reached. Millions More Still Waiting.
This month, Biblica’s flagship discipleship program for teens celebrates 20 years of young lives changed. In January 2004, Reach4Life launched in South Africa as a Bible-based response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Today the Reach4Life Bible has been published in 40 languages, impacting more than 3 million youth in 40 countries around the globe.
If you’re unfamiliar with Reach4Life, it’s a New Testament, mobile app, and comprehensive discipleship program for young people aged 12 to 25. The ministry’s foundation is the Reach4Life Bible, which combines the New Testament with lessons and stories that guide young people to faith in Christ, belief in themselves, and the skills needed to overcome challenges and temptations.
The program also implements a proven discipleship method called peer education. When youth are transformed by God’s Word and choose to lead their peers through Reach4Life, we see dramatic improvement in behavior and life choices!
While HIV/AIDS has faded from the headlines for various reasons, the need for Reach4Life is greater than ever. In 20 years, the world has radically changed through cell phone technology and social media. Youth and teens worldwide are facing big spiritual challenges. Sadly, church leaders aren’t always equipped to talk about drugs, alcohol, sex, money, abuse, or relationships.
But the Bible speaks to all of these critical issues.
Reach4Life emphasizes healthy life choices, focusing on four journeys: how to be saved, growing in Christ, how to face challenges, and how to be a change agent oneself.
At the center of it all is God’s Word, which has the power to transform young lives. More than 2,000 years ago, Jesus made this definitive statement about life: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6b). This invitation by Jesus reverberates through the ages, beckoning us on a journey to, “… take hold of the life that is truly life “(1 Tim. 6:19).
And of course, this glorious invitation from Jesus springs directly from the Old Testament Scriptures. In Deuteronomy 30, Moses gives his closing exhortation to the people of Israel before he dies:
“I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” (Deut. 30:19b–20).
Drawing from these Bible passages, the official tagline of Reach4Life is, “The choice is yours.” Thanks to the faithful prayers and generosity of Biblica’s ministry investors, partners, and staff, we celebrate the millions of youth around the world who have indeed “chosen life” — heeding the call to follow Jesus in their daily lives.
Here is just one testimony demonstrating the power of this Bible program to reach struggling teens:
“My life has changed since I started reading the Reach4Life Bible. It has topics that are difficult to ask parents about. I was struggling because my friends were starting to do bad things, smoking and drinking and they were pushing me to join them. I almost gave in. But this Reach4Life program saved my life. Our peer educator taught us about bad pressure from friends. He also taught us about the cross and how we are forgiven and loved by God. I left those friends and now I am doing well at school and have new friends from my Reach4Life group.”
— Zakhele, 10th Grade, South Africa
So, we give thanks to the Lord for the 20-year legacy of Reach4Life. Let’s all do our part to reach the millions of young people still waiting to experience the hope of God’s Word and the love of Jesus in their lives.
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Help more youth start a life-changing relationship with Jesus: Biblica.com/R4L
