CityReachers Pittsburgh, an outreach initiative of The International Bible Society, is taking a fresh approach to getting God’s Word into people’s hands. The project, co-chaired by Tom and Suzonne Smith of St. Stephen’s in Sewickley, is looking to localize the presentation of Scripture through a city-specific edition of the New Testament. Although IBS provided an initial framework used in other major cities, the local effort is staffed and supported entirely by members of the local Christian community. Spearheaded by the Smiths, CityReachers Pittsburgh hopes to provide nearly half-a-million free localized New Testaments to people in the region.

These copies of the New Testament will include pictures of Pittsburgh, an ecumenical history of the impact of various Christian denominations on the area, and input from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. There will also be space allotted for powerful personal testimonies from several Pittsburgh residents, some of whose names will be very recognizable to local readers.

The plan is an ambitious one, with the minimum goal of raising enough money to include a free copy of the special localized New Testament with every subscriber issue of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on Sunday, September 7. This distribution will include over 250,000 people, at a production cost of $2.50 per copy to the project. Any additional funds will be used for distribution to local hotels, universities and churches, with a final goal of issuing 400,000 copies.

Although the scale of the project is large, so is the potential impact. Barna Research Corporation conducted surveys in other cities that implemented the CityReachers program, and the results were very positive. Of those who received a localized New Testament, ten percent indicated they would begin reading the Bible more often, or for the first time. Five percent stated that they had recommitted themselves, or made a first-time commitment, to Christ. Three percent had begun attending a church more frequently, and one out of a hundred had attended a church for the first time. Though the percentages may seem small at first glance, the number of people affected by the program is significant when factored over even the initial 250,000 recipients.

Bishop Henry Scriven recently participated in a radio telethon on WORD FM 101.5 in support of CityReachers Pittsburgh. "We could all go out and buy a New Testament at the bookstore and hand it to our next door neighbor, but the fact of the matter is, we don’t. This project is a great way to have a positive influence on the faith of others with a small monetary cost."

The Smiths are very excited about the project and the difference it could make in the lives of local residents. "I hold on to the vision of waking up on the morning of September 7, and seeing the New Testament on my neighbor’s doorstep," he said. "So many people could be encouraged and come to faith through this effort." They have worked closely with an ecumenical team of local Christian leaders to bring the plan to fruition. "It has been a heartening experience to see everyone working together," he continued. "My wife and I feel supremely blessed to be a part of this."

Those interested in more information on the CityReachers Pittsburgh project, or in making a donation, can send an email to ibspgh@aim.com, visit www.cityreacherspittsburgh.com or call 412-548-1512.

-posted April 30, 2008-