During Christmas 2024, Bible Society Australia gifted churches around the country with two special Scripture resources designed to reach people with the heart of the Christmas message: we have a rescuer, his name is Jesus, and he offers joy to all people. 

From mid-October, churches were invited to place their orders for two free and subsidised Scriptures. To reach children, Bible Society has published ‘The Big Rescue Christmas’ and for outreach to adults, a specially designed Gospel of Luke, ‘Joy to all people’. 

The Big Rescue Christmas takes children on a journey to discover how the Christmas story fits into the even bigger story of God’s love, with engaging illustrations – featuring fluffy sheep on each spread – and the words of Scripture, telling the Christmas story. Primary-aged children will enjoy reading to discover or be reminded of the true story of Christmas, when a little baby named Jesus was born, while younger children can ‘follow’ the fluffy sheep across the pages.  

As churches held special outreach events for Christmas, carols services or even services on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, interested visitors may be open to receiving the engaging ‘Joy to all People’, an NLT Gospel of Luke in a single, accessible volume. As one holds and opens it, this Gospel feels much like picking up a new biography, ready for some summer reading.  

The team at ImagineNations Church Melbourne packed 2,000 Christmas books in preparation for their community carols event, and NationsHeart Church in the ACT also gave them away to their community at their Christmas events, including people with disabilities, children and refugee families. Some churches look forward to receiving BSA’s Christmas resources every year, with St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Lithgow NSW sharing, “We hand these out to the children who attend Mass at Christmas and they are very well received!” and Light Community Church in South Australia expressing their gratitude, saying, “Thank you for the free gift we can share in our community. Each year it has been such a blessing.” St Phillips Anglican Church in WA have asked for prayer, as they give away the Scripture at their Christian Union mission. 

Bible Society Australia has supplied almost 100,000 copies of the Big Rescue Christmas to 606 churches and more than 13,600 copies of ‘Joy to all People’ to 195 churches across Australia. In Adelaide on 16 November, many who attended the Jesus in the Park festival had the opportunity to take home further reading on Jesus, learning from Luke’s ‘accurate account’ that he shared with Theophilus, detailing all he had as he investigated everything from the beginning, including eyewitness accounts about Jesus. This Christmas, in reading the Gospel, they too will be able ‘to be certain of the truth of everything’ they have heard about Jesus. Speaking with a woman on the day, BSA’s Brand Manager Juliet recalls, “I was able to speak to a woman who was able to include the Gospels of Luke in their hampers for their local community outreach. She was so grateful and thankful that we were able to equip her ministry with resources that were easy to read and welcoming for non-Christians.” 

In South Perth, with the help of South Perth Uniting church, a patient in a local Mental Health Hospital gifted copies of ‘Joy to all People’ to the seven other patients on her ward, as well as to the staff on duty that day. “She wanted to give the Bible to them,” the contact from the church shared, “but when she saw the Gospel, she thought it would work better. It makes a beautiful gift. Thank you!”  

In Orange, NSW, Shaz received a copy of ‘Joy to all People’ to look at ahead of Christmas. Shaz, who has been a Christian for years, loves this newly designed copy of Luke’s Gospel. “When my husband Mark saw it, he said, ‘That’s groovy’! He appreciates retro stuff,” she shares with a laugh. “I like that it’s just one gospel, and less daunting than a big thick Bible.” As she and her husband Mark have read the Gospel over the last few weeks, Shaz shared that she was surprised at how much she’s enjoyed it. “The version is jargon free and easy to understand. It’s set out creatively too which is the best bit for me.” Even Shaz’s husband Mark, who prefers to read the King James Bible for his personal devotions, has enjoyed reading the New Living Translation edition of Luke’s Gospel, Shaz shares. “It looks like an ordinary book, so I’d feel comfortable to give this to someone who didn’t know Jesus.”