Missions: 13 Weeks

Week 5 w/answersThe Gideons

Welcome to our fifth week of studying about missions and focusing on actual mission related work currently on-going in our neighborhood and around the world. This week we’ll look at an organization called “The Gideons”.

Bible

Focused on spreading the Gospel one person at time through the distribution of scripture the Gideon organization is a world wide ministry to millions of Christians and lost alike. Be sure to visit their website at www.gideons.org.

For this week’s lesson answer the following:

  1. How many countries are the Gideons currently serving in?
    1. ANSWER: More than 180 countries
  2. What’s the mission of the Gideons?
    1. ANSWER: Quoted from their website: "The Gideons International is an interdenominational association of Christian business and professional men who are members of Protestant/evangelical churches. Our members are dedicated to saving the lost through personal witnessing and the distribution of God's Word in more than 180 countries around the world."
  3. What do the Gideons actually distribute?
    1. ANSWER: Either the complete Bible or New Testaments.
  4. How many languages of the Bibles and New Testaments do they distribute?
    1. ANSWER: 80 languages.
  5. How do the Gideons distribute their material?
    1. ANSWER: From their website we learn they are distributed to students in the 5th grade and above; prisoners; police, fire, medical and military personnel; and anyone else that Gideons witness to individually. Scriptures are placed in certain locations, including hotels and motels; hospitals, convalescent homes, medical offices and domestic violence shelters; and prisons and jails.
  6. In what year was the Gideon’s organization formed and who formed it?
    1. ANSWER: The idea came in 1898 and the organization formed in 1899, with its first meeting in the local YMCA in Janesville Wisconsin. The founding members were Mr. Samuel Hill, Mr. John Nicholson, and Mr. William Knights.
  7. Why are hotels one of the main distribution avenues for the Gideons?
    1. ANSWER: When originally formed it was in a hotel room where two traveling Christian men prayed and God led them to form the ministry. Wanting to reach many of the business travelers, and because they themselves traveled it was a natural extension of the ministry.
  8. What was the first Christian denomination to openly support the Gideons?
    1. It occurred in 1908 following a statewide convention in Louisville Kentucky, Dr. E.R. Burkhalter, pastor, First Presbyterian Church.
  9. How many members and auxiliary members do the Gideons have today?
    1. ANSWER: Approximately 260,000, in more than 9,000 local groups.
  10. Altogether how many copies of scriptures have the Gideons distributed worldwide since 1908?
    1. ANSWER: According to their web site: "Approximately 1.3 billion Scriptures have been distributed worldwide since 1908, and more than 500 million Scriptures were distributed in just the last 10 years. 70.7 million Scriptures were distributed last year. On average, more than two copies of God's Word are distributed per second."
  11. Why does Bible verse Mark 4:14 apply?
    1. ANSWER: The Gideons are seed planters, sowing the seed of the Gospel of Christ.

What an exciting and impactful ministry spreading God’s word individually one person at a time one scripture at time around the world. Let’s continue to pray for their ministry and the millions of lost souls who can be affected for the Kingdom through their work.

In Christ,

Wes