Audra Krell

Biblestick

Faith Comes By Hearing is sending thousands of Military BibleSticks to encourage men and women in our troops. They provide them at no charge and even send a coupon for the spouse and one for a child back home. Please visit the link below to find out how you can help.

http://www.faithcomesbyhearing.com/who-we-are

Chaplains and troops are raving about the Military BibleStick. Since July 2008, Faith Comes By Hearing, the world’s foremost Audio Bible ministry, has sent more than 15,000 of these Audio New Testament listening devices to military chaplains around the world.

Ministry leaders at Faith Comes By Hearing specially designed the Military BibleStick to encourage America’s fighting men and women to engage in God’s Word in audio. 

The Military BibleStick is a portable, digital audio player, which comes pre-loaded with the Audio Drama New Testament. With a matte black finish, matte black ear buds and a red-light-only operation, the Military BibleStick has an intentional low-key design to reduce visibility and to be used in low-light situations. This Audio Bible, which is about the size of a pack of chewing gum, easily fits into a uniform pocket and is rugged enough to withstand unpredictable weather.

“The format is perfect for the military lifestyle,” said one Army chaplain deployed to Iraq.

Chaplains report that the troops enjoy the portability of the Military BibleStick, the dramatization of the Audio New Testament and quality of the recording itself.

“This is awesome,” said a Marine sergeant serving in the Middle East. “You feel like you are there – like you are listening to a story – or watching a movie.  It’s interesting and easy to listen to.”

“Listening to the Audio Bible really helped me to understand the Bible,” said a soldier deployed to Kosovo.  “I can read the words over and over, but to hear the Word spoken to me really puts it all together.” 

During deployments, troops often live in cramped quarters with little to no privacy or personal space. Dangerous environments and long missions also add to the daily stresses.

“Many of us have been here for awhile and the doldrums lifestyle can leave you worn out and empty,” wrote a soldier from Iraq.

One sailor said, “It’s hard to have time out and introspect. People appreciate being able to listen alone, which gives them the privacy and time to focus on God’s Word.”

These responses are no surprise for Lt. Cmdr. Steve Sexton, a Navy Chaplain stationed in southern California. To date, Sexton has distributed roughly 1,000 Military BibleSticks to Marines at the School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton, California. His involvement began after observing what Marines and Sailors in his unit did during their down time.  

“I noticed that nobody walked around with a paperback or magazine in their back pocket.  Instead, they plugged in their MP3 Player, watched a movie or played a video game,” Sexton said.

In fact, a recent study confirms his observation, citing that 83 percent of 18- to 23-year-olds own a mobile media player and listen to it an average of two hours each day.  This demographic reflects the same group who make up the junior ranks in today’s military.

“If these heroes are an audio-visual generation, why not reach them with the Scriptures in the media they are most comfortable with?” Sexton asked.