New Teen Bible Aims to Ignite Young People’s Love of Scripture

Ignite: The Bible for Teens (NKJV) makes a big, complicated, thousands-of-years-old book accessible to today’s young people with an interactive approach geared to kids ages 11-15. Ignite draws upon the expertise of youth pastors and skilled Bible editors, as well as calling upon the real experts—teens and their parents—to ensure that this would be a […]

Ignite: The Bible for Teens (NKJV) makes a big, complicated, thousands-of-years-old book accessible to today’s young people with an interactive approach geared to kids ages 11-15. Ignite draws upon the expertise of youth pastors and skilled Bible editors, as well as calling upon the real experts—teens and their parents—to ensure that this would be a Bible that teens would enjoy using. The Teen Advisory Committee, made up of 45 teens and their parents, provided enthusiastic input on many elements. Ignite will be published on July 16, 2013, by Thomas Nelson, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing.

Research conducted on behalf of Thomas Nelson, Inc., found that nearly 40% of churched teens read their Bible outside of church less than once per week. The biggest challenge for many middle school teens is difficulty navigating the Bible, the research found. But teens do recognize the importance of reading Scripture. When they do read the Bible, they report that it’s because they want to know God better; to understand God’s plan for their life; and to learn how God expects them to act.

“Getting teens to connect with Scripture is an ongoing challenge for youth workers,” says Mark Oestreicher, the general editor of Ignite who has worked for three decades in youth ministry. “Even teens who feel the value of reading the Bible struggle with it.” Ignite is designed to help young teens engage with Scripture, making what may seem like an intimidating tome approachable and inviting. Further, Oestreicher points out, “It connects the macro themes of the Bible to issues in the real life of a typical teen.”


Most youth Bibles target older teens, ages sixteen and up. Ignite is especially for younger teens. It employs a lively, down-to-earth tone that anticipates their questions and challenges, without talking down to them. Several unique features help kids relate sacred wisdom to their real-world experiences, covering key life issues for teens such as identity, relationships, and more. It also includes introductions to each book of the Bible providing basic, need-to-know information in quick bites: what the book is about, who wrote it and when, why the contents of the book matter to the reader, and where to find key stories. Helpful “Find It Fast” indexes, and a dictionary with topical concordance, will help prevent kids from becoming frustrated as they try to find particular books of the Bible, verses or topics.

Thomas Nelson, Inc., part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, is a world leading provider of Christian content and has been providing readers with quality inspirational product for more than 200 years. The publishing group provides multiple formats of award-winning Bibles, books, gift books, cookbooks, curriculum and digital content, with distribution of its products in more than 100 countries. Thomas Nelson, is headquartered in Nashville, TN with additional offices in Plano, TX. For additional information, please visit www.thomasnelsoncorporate.com

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