Refuel the Mission: Why Monthly Giving Keeps Bible Translation Moving
Picture this: You’re watching a race at an exciting speedway track. A racecar rounds the final curve and swings into the pit. The crew quickly leaps into action — they replace the tires, check the engine, examine issues and refuel the gas tank. The driver then pulls back onto the track to finish the race. That pit crew helps a driver continue their momentum so they can reach the finish line without issues or delays.
Just like a car needs fuel to reach its destination, Bible translation teams also need fuel and momentum in order to continue their work. Without prayer and resources, translation work often stalls or sometimes stops entirely.
God uses the prayers, gifts and advocacy of His people to keep the Bible translation mission in motion. This spiritual fuel allows more communities around the world to access His Word in a way that touches their hearts and transforms their lives for eternity.
This is why monthly giving matters: God uses your support to keep the work steady and strong. Monthly gifts add fuel where it’s needed most; those consistent gifts keep Bible translation from stalling.
At Wycliffe Bible Translators, we call our regular monthly donors “WordGivers” and they play a crucial role in the Bible translation movement. So let’s take a look at what monthly support makes possible for Bible translation funding today — and what God can use your giving to do in the future.
Keep reading to learn more about:
- The Power of Consistent Support in Bible Translation
- What Giving Makes Possible Around the World
- The Hidden Engine That Keeps Bible Translation Moving
- What Motivates a Giver
- Regular Giving as a Spiritual Discipline
- The Road Ahead: What Monthly Giving Makes Possible in 2026
- You Help Fuel the Mission
The Power of Consistent Support in Bible Translation
Did you know that it costs about $35 to translate a single verse of Scripture? Bible translation makes it possible for more people to read, see or hear God’s Word in their own language. But the process isn’t quick or simple; it often takes years.
Every verse that’s translated represents the culmination of hard work from translators, community members, prayer partners, donors — and so many others!
Around the world today, there are still communities waiting for a single verse of Scripture in their language. And some communities only have portions of the Bible. At Wycliffe, we believe that all people deserve to have the full counsel of God’s Word — every single verse — in their language!
From translation teams to linguists, pastors, community members, literacy specialists to audio recording experts and more, each person who comes alongside a Bible translation project brings a unique skill set so that every translation communicates God’s Word clearly.
Rev. Father Christopher Geh Kum expressed this beautifully at the Isu New Testament dedication in Cameroon:
“... I used to hear and read about saints in Bible times who were inspired to write the Scriptures. Today I am a living witness of God still using common men to write His Word in the language that will bring transformation. … What a blessing for me. Everyone now has access to the Word in the language they understand. … I will make sure everyone has and uses a copy of the Isu New Testament, and I will bring in other clergies from Isu who couldn’t make it to the dedication to distribute [the New Testament] to their members. Our partners have done their part; now it is left to us to use this precious gift.”
Translation teams are working faithfully, but hundreds of communities around the world still need long-term support to help complete their translation work. Through your monthly giving, you get the opportunity to step into what God is already doing!
God uses your consistent giving to fill funding gaps, equip Bible translators with the resources they need each month and support ongoing missions work so teams don’t have to pause when complications arise.
Ensuring that God’s Word reaches every person requires reliable financial partners who step in and say, “We’ll help keep the tank full so the journey never stops.”
What Giving Makes Possible Around the World
God is using the faithful gifts of people just like you to drive His mission forward so that someday every man, woman and child will know Him in their own language. It might be difficult to see the tangible impact that your gift is making, but know that God is using it for His glory and the good of His people everywhere!
Here are some practical ways your gifts refuel the mission of Bible translation:
- You encourage and sustain real people doing translation work. Consistent giving helps support Bible translators so they can keep drafting Scripture without worrying about funds running out.
- You help fund Bible translation projects long term. Ongoing support bridges the financial gaps between translation milestones and keeps the work moving at a steady pace. For example, sometimes when a team finishes translating the New Testament and wants to move on to translating the Old Testament, your consistent giving helps them do that!
- Your support can provide tools, training and technology. From laptops to workshops to language software, your support equips translation teams with things they practically need to do their work.
- You help share Scripture in every language. People are transformed when they experience God’s Word for themselves; individuals, families and entire communities can change. And when you step into God’s story as a WordGiver at Wycliffe, you’re part of each of those incredible stories!
This is why monthly giving matters now more than ever: God is opening doors of opportunity for His Word to reach communities, and He uses your support to help ensure that teams are able to seize those opportunities.
The Hidden Engine That Keeps Bible Translation Moving
Life is unpredictable and uncertain — and Bible translation teams working around the world today know this to be true. Especially as projects near significant milestones, many teams face spiritual hurdles or opposition to completion. Sometimes that opposition comes in the form of unexpected health issues, technical glitches, power or internet outages, persecution or struggles that impact an entire region like instability, famine or inclement weather.
And even though you might never get the chance to meet the teams you’re supporting in person, your prayers and support can provide them much-needed spiritual encouragement during difficult times.
Reliable financial support means that:
- Teams can continue to do their work without pausing.
- Consultants can travel to remote locations for checking sessions.
- Literacy teams can prepare materials that help communities use Scripture well.
- Teams can produce audio or video Scripture.
When you give every month, you’re joining a group of like-minded individuals who are passionate about making sure that Scripture is available for everyone. You’re part of the team that steps in quickly to help refuel the tank, partnering with God as He moves His mission forward!
What Motivates a Giver
In our digital world, we can pay for coffee, schedule automatic bill payments and subscribe to everything from streaming services to gym memberships with just a simple tap on our phones. We budget for expenses like groceries and travel. But what if we budgeted for Kingdom-focused missions work with the same intentionality?
After all, Jesus reminded us that, “wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Matthew 6:21, NLT). Consistent giving is one way to align your heart with the things God cares about and invest in the places where He is already moving.
Think about the way that the Bible has impacted your own life, and the way God has used the truth of His Word to shape your heart and mind. The Bible is more than just words on a page; it’s the living Word of God that has the power to capture hearts and transform lives forever. When you give toward Bible translation, you’re part of the bigger story God is writing all around the world: a story culminating in our promised future in Revelation 7:9 when people from every nation and language will worship Him.
And faithful stewardship isn’t about the amount you give: It’s about trusting that God will use whatever He’s entrusted to us to further His Kingdom. Consistent giving keeps your heart connected to God’s global mission, and He uses your gifts to transform communities around the world.
Behind every monthly gift is a story of someone stepping out in faith, trusting in God’s provision. Every prayer and gift represents someone who said, “I want to invest in what God is doing for eternity.”
Being part of God’s global mission through Bible translation fuels Wycliffe donor Shonn Mitchell: “During my prayer time [years ago], I expressed to God that I wanted to be a giver in His Kingdom,” he explained. “And I had no idea it would explode into what it … [is] today.”
Back then, Shonn didn’t realize millions of people around the world are still waiting for Scripture in a language they understand. “... I thought everyone had a Bible,” he admitted, “and little did I know that was definitely not the case.”
Knowing that so many people around the world still don’t have the gospel in their language propelled Shonn in his desire to give to Bible translation work.
Today he supports 55 translation projects and 50 missionaries worldwide. He invests his resources with the same intentionality as an investor building a diversified portfolio — but Shonn’s aim is eternal.
Supporting Bible translation isn’t a side passion to Shonn; it’s his life’s purpose. “I will be doing this until I take my last breath on the planet,” he affirmed.
Shonn knows that the gospel has the power to change people’s hearts and lives forever. He urges people to get involved in what God is doing through Bible translation now. “Don’t hesitate,” he said. “Do it today because tomorrow is not promised.”
Scripture reminds us that we should store up heavenly treasures instead of earthly ones (Matthew 6:19-21). Shonn challenged those who haven’t yet invested in Kingdom work to do just that:
Just like Shonn, you can be part of what God is doing around the world by partnering with Bible translation. Shonn’s story reflects what motivates so many WordGivers: joy in seeing God’s Word change lives.
Regular Giving as a Spiritual Discipline
Have you ever thought about giving as part of your spiritual rhythm?
Many of us know that praying and studying Scripture regularly is part of a spiritual rhythm that connects us deeper to God and His mission. The more we incorporate both into our lives, the more we tune ourselves to God’s heart and voice. Monthly giving provides an intentional rhythm too: It helps you weave generosity into your lifestyle instead of treating it like an afterthought. It aligns you with the mission God is fulfilling through His people around the world.
Practicing intentional generosity mirrors the behavior of the early Church in Acts 2:44-45, where Christians shared their resources freely so that others could experience God’s goodness: “And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need” (NLT).
Throughout the Bible, God calls us to give generously and with joy, trusting that He will provide for our needs and multiply what we offer Him.
Regular giving also helps you take small, faithful steps that add up over time. You don’t need to give a large amount for God to use it to make a large impact. You just need to give faithfully and trust God.
The Road Ahead: What Monthly Giving Makes Possible in 2026
Today God is opening doors for translation work like never before. In 2026, hundreds of projects will continue moving forward. New teams will begin work in languages still waiting for Scripture. Communities that have received New Testaments will press on toward translating the full Bible.
That means that today, translation teams are planning ahead for necessary events like traveling to do checking sessions, funding the printing of Bibles and training new team members.
In this upcoming year, God can use your partnership to help people translate the very first verses of His Word for communities. Individuals, families and entire communities are longing for the hope and truth that comes from Scripture; they’re desperate to know God and His love in their own language.
Imagine: God could use your monthly gift to help someone discover, for the very first time, that He loves them and sent His Son, Jesus, to die for their sins. God wants everyone to know Him in their own language — and it’s an honor that He invites us to be part of this life-transforming mission!
The road ahead might seem long, but God is faithful.
You Help Fuel the Mission
The Apostle Paul used the imagery of the human body to remind each of us that we have skills, talents and passions we can contribute to God’s Kingdom:
Think back to that pit crew earlier: Each person on that team had a distinct role to play, and they worked in harmony and unity with the other members to accomplish their goal. Similarly, Bible translation work needs passionate prayer partners, advocates, translators and donors who work together to refuel the mission so people can encounter God through His Word.
Being part of the Bible translation movement means that God uses your unique gifts and resources to make sure people everywhere are able to read, see or hear Scripture in a language and format they clearly understand.
Maybe you’ve prayed for a Bible translation project before. Maybe you gave a one-time gift last year. Maybe you reshared an inspirational story or video on your social media. Now is your moment to take the next step; now is your opportunity to become part of a community of people who are passionate about Scripture and sharing His Word with others.
What does refueling the mission look like for you?
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