Church Around the World, April 2003

Missionaries Get Digital

In a growing trend toward mobility in ministry, many foreign and domestic missionaries are trading in their paper books for e-books. With today's small laptop computers and powerful Bible software, missionaries can bring hundreds of Bible reference works to far-off locations using only their carry-on luggage. Missionaries can also receive new Bible versions and reference books almost immediately via CD-ROMs or by downloading them from the Internet.

Missionaries and pastors alike are using innovative new technologies such as Logos Bible Software, which scours hundreds of books in just seconds, providing faster and more complete search results than hunting through paper books for relevant information. Bible translators are also making use of technology by using computer software. One program allows translators to view four Bible versions on one screen as they type into a fifth "window." When they scroll down in one window, all the rest scroll in tandem so that they are always able to see the same verse in all versions at the same time.

© 2003 by Church Around the World. Used by permission.