As Gary Blanchard bounced enthusiastically onto the stage, concluding the opening night of the Global Youth Leaders Congress in Kassel, Germany, participants recognized they were in for a surprise.

Accompanied by Mario Martinelli, CEO of Safeliz, a major Adventist Publishing House based in Madrid, Spain, they together announced the release of two new, special editions of the New King James Bible – one for Adventurer age children, and another for youth.

"It's a special Bible," Martinelli enthused, explaining that it is “A Bible with different features programmed precisely to meet the needs of a young audience that need answers, advice and food for thought.” 

That food for thought includes 350 articles, QR code links to additional online material, Bible marking plans and a whole section on ‘What is a world changer’.

As Youth director for the Seventh-day Adventist World Church, Blanchard sees this Bible as a fantastic tool to help youth share the good news. As a special thank you to youth leaders for their tireless and selfless work, he then gave a real surprise, offering one Bible free to each congress participant.

Nick Cross, Youth director for the South Pacific Division shared how using some of the discipleship tools imbedded within the Bible has significantly increased the baptismal rate in his part of the world. His team challenged youth to use the ‘World Changer’ philosophy to reach one person every year – and for that one person to then reach someone else. He is delighted that this section practical philosophy and the steps to achieve it can now be shared globally.

The Youth Bible is now available in English, Spanish and French. You can find more details, or even purchase your own copy on the Safeliz website.

The Congress runs 30 July - 4 August with 1,600 participants from around the world. 

This article originally appeared on the Trans-European Division website