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There's always something going on in this dynamic ministry. We recommend that you check back regularly to see what's new. Here's a list of the most recent developments:
Now iPhone compatible
July 2008 Apple's iPhone and other smart phone E-mail programs have less screen real estate than normal computer-based systems. That can be a challenge when viewing automated system messages, including Pocket Devotions. So we modified the look of our automated E-mails to ensure that they are easy to read on any smart phone without having to zoom in or scroll sideways. The Pocketpower web site has always been smart phone compatible, except for Flash elements which don't yet work on the iPhone.
100 Years of Putting Power in Your Pocket
April 2008 This month, The Pocket Testament League celebrates 100 years of amazing ministry in the United States. Since opening its first US office in April, 1908, League members have shared more than 100 million portions of Scripture.
Read the news release
League gets involved in America's Giving Challenge
January 2008 Steve Case, founder of AOL, along with his wife Jean and Parade magazine, lanched an innovative challenge to see which charity could collect the most online donations. They offered a gift of $50,000 to each of the four top US-based charities. The Pocket Testament League only learned about this challenge seven days before it ended. While we fell short of the goal, 297 members and friends of the League made a donation in those few days, raising nearly $8,000 to put towards the sharing of Gospels. We also placed in the top 100 charities, which means the League receives a $1,000 consolation gift from the Case Foundation.
Learn more
New Gospel cover introduced in KJV version
January 2008 The League released another cover design in the Authorized King James Version. This design, originally introduced several years ago as an NIV cover, was brought back in response to requests from members to have a cover that openly communicated the religious content inside.
Order now
New online daily devotionals sent by E-mail
November 2007 A new daily devotional program lets members start their day with the right focus, by getting deeper into God's Word. The program is delivered by E-mail automatically every weekday (Monday through Friday). Written by Mike Brooks, deacon of community at South Shores church, the devotionals take you through a Scripture passage with commentary and application questions to help you apply them to your own life situations. Lessons are organized on a day-by-day basis rather than by date, so that anyone can start the program from Day 1 at any time. The program is free. Non-members can view the devotionals using their web browser, but members can have the messages delivered to their E-mail In Box.
Learn more
New online training tool
June 2007 With the help of Compass Bible Church, The Pocket Testament League offers a new training tool to help members get comfortable explaining the Plan of Salvation to others. Using the metaphor of an umbrella protecting against sin, this Flash-based presentation uses audio and animation to get its point across. Members are invited to view it often and memorize the verses included so that they can quickly communicate the same concepts. They are also invited to create web links to this presentation as a way to lead people to Christ.
View online resources page
View as salvation link for non-Christians
New western themed Gospel cover
May 2007 The League introduced a new cover for horse lovers and anyone ministering to people who love the open spaces of the west. The new cover, entitled "Let God Set You Free" (a reference to John 8:32), features a spectacular photo of horses charging towards the camera in a roundup.
View Gospel
New Gospel cover for construction industry
April 2007 A new Gospel of John cover was announced, especially designed for ministering to architects or people involved in the building trades. Featuring a photo of construction blueprints and tools, the headline is "Blueprint for Life." The cover is ideal for giving to roofers, contractors, plumbers, electricians or the clerk at your local home building supplies store.
View Gospel
Podcasting introduced
April 2007 Our popular public-service-announcement radio spots are now available as podcasts. Members and anyone interested in the League can listen from their computers to these short but inspiring messages, each one featuring a member story. A new file is automatically published every day using the RSS feeds.
View podcasting web page
Virtual Museum Launched
March 2007 It took years of work for our staff to collect, identify, scan and organize the many pieces that make up our Virtual Museum. The result is a fascinating trip through the 114-year history of The Pocket Testament League, including newspaper endorsements from a 1913 edition of Harper's and warm letters of support on White House stationery from several US presidents.
View our Virtual Museum
League activity mapping introduced
March 2007 Using Google technology, the League has added live maps showing the locations on actual maps of the 100 most recent Gospel orders and the 100 most recent new member signups. This feature can help encourage members to know that they are part of a huge community stretching across the continent, all sharing a common purpose of wanting to put God's Word into people's hands. In addition, a new virtual map shows the locations of people who have joined the League through each member's individual effort. This map is available by clicking a map link in the member activity report.
View a map of the 100 most recent orders
View a map of the 100 most recent new member signups
View my Ministry Activity Report (requires member login)
New ESV Gospel of John introduced
July 2006 In addition to the KJV, NIV and NLT English translations of the Bible, the League introduced the English Standard Version (ESV) to its product line. This is a literal rendering of the Greek text, created by an international team of 100 biblical scholars committed to historic evangelical orthodoxy and to the authority of the inerrant Scriptures. Entitled "The Light," the cover was inspired by a suggestion from one of our members. Made possible by the gracious support of ESV publishers Crossway Books, this new Gospel cover is also an excellent alternative for those who like more literal translations of the Bible such as the NASB or NKJV.
More information about the ESV translation
A list of the people involved in developing this translation
Impact Club launched
 June 2006 Many of our members actively invite their friends to join the League and learn to share their faith. Getting your friends involved is a great way to motivate you to put a Gospel in your pocket every day. You benefit from the joy of sharing your experience with those closest to you. Our new Impact Club is designed to get more people involved in sharing the Word of God. Members who encourage their friends to join benefit from free awards to recognize their efforts, including a leather prayer journal and even a Bible.
More details about the Impact Club
Limited Edition cover for Independence Day
May 2006 Our special limited-edition cover for Independence Day features the Stars and Stripes with the headline "A Message of True Freedom." Our goal is that our members share every copy by the end of the day on July 4.
Free Evangelism Boot Camp launched
 May 2006 Since 1893, The Pocket Testament League has worked hard to equip people with free copies of the Word of God that they can give away. Our vision is to equip every believer with the tools and training needed to make it a lifestyle to share their faith with others. We created a free online training system we call "Evangelism Boot Camp." This powerful 7-part program lets members work at their own pace to make it a habit to Read, Carry and Share the Word of God. Beginning with simple, non-threatening sharing exercises, members learn to engage people in conversation and answer questions and objections with confidence. This free program is only available to members of The Pocket Testament League, so you must be logged in to sign up.
Sign up for Evangelism Boot Camp (requires member login)
New Gospel cover to meet Da Vinci Code challenge
April 2006 Concerned about the impact of the book "The Da Vinci Code," and the upcoming motion picture release, The Pocket Testament League produced a new cover of the Gospel of John. The story of The Da Vinci Code mixes fact and fiction to present a distorted picture of the life of Jesus, leading some to doubt on the eyewitness accounts of His death and Resurrection. In addition to containing the entire Gospel of John, written by an eyewitness to the events, and the usual plan of salvation (as do all our Gospels), this Gospel cover lists a number of web sites on the inside front cover that can help readers decode what they read or saw in The Da Vinci Code story to gain a handle on the truth.
Banner Ads now available
April 2006 Members can expand the influence of their sharing ministry by encouraging others to share their faith. Place one of our banner ads on your church or ministry site and get recognized for the referral when people sign up. Flash and static image versions are available. The Flash versions include detailed instructions for installation on your site.
View installable banners
Simplified Chinese Gospel cover
January 2006 Our Chinese Gospel is now twice as much good news. This bilingual Gospel of John features both English and Simplified Chinese languages on opposite pages, making it perfect for teaching English as a second language. Simplified Chinese is the written language used most commonly in mainland China and Singapore. These Gospels are designed for use in North America. We do not recommend our members take these publications into China because of strict visa requirements and other legal issues.
Bread of Life Club
 December 2005 With repeating donations, small regular gifts can add up to significant amounts over time. Our secure web site now accepts recurring donations that take place monthly, quarterly, or annually. The Bread of Life Club is a special monthly giving program where members can give $25, $50, $100 or more per month with special benefits. Club members receive advance notice of new products before they are announced to other members of the League. They also receive automatic E-mail reminders when it's time to re-order. In addition, club members at the $50 or higher level receive a small gift of appreciation. All members who donate online can view their past giving history, with printable receipts, and can edit or cancel their repeating gifts at any time.
Join the Bread of Life Club
Traditional Chinese Gospel cover
November 2005 We introduced our first Chinese language Gospel. This bilingual Gospel of John features both English and Traditional Chinese languages on opposite pages, making it perfect for teaching English as a second language. Traditional Chinese is the written language used most commonly in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Member Survey
August 2005 We asked our members to tell us more about how often they ordered Gospels, how they used them, how often they donated, and their general impressions of the ministry. We also wanted input on a financial decision. Almost 3,000 members responded.
View survey responses
League launches online store
August 2005 The Pocket Testament League has launched an online store to provide members with opportunities to add League-branded elements to their wardrobes and other aspects of their lives. Created in partnership with Café Press, which operates the store, the Pocketpower Emporium offers T-shirts and other apparel featuring the phrase "What's in My Pocket?" to encourage people to approach the wearer and ask what they have in their pocket that's so special. There are also other elements such as mugs, bumper stickers, bags, ceramic tile coasters and posters. Each item is carefully designed to the League's graphic design standards to present a quality image anyone would be pleased to wear or share. The League receives a small portion of each item sold.
Visit the Pocketpower Emporium
Emergency services cover design released
July 2005 A lot of League members are police officers, paramedics and firemen who share the Gospel in situations where hearts are truly broken. In these settings trust plays a huge role in accepting not only the Gospel booklet but the message it contains. Our new Gospel cover designed for sharing in EMS situations is entitled simply "The Truth."
New motorcycle Gospel cover released
June 2005 Produced in partnership with a motorcycle ministry, we introduced a special cover designed especially for outreach to those who love traveling on two wheels instead of four. To people who love motorcycles, there's nothing quite like the freedom of the wind and the roar of an engine below you. Our new Gospel cover lets them know that spiritual freedom is even more valuable, with the title "The Perfect Road," alluding to the narrow road of faith that Jesus talked about.
Independence Day effort a success
May 2005 Independence Day is traditionally the only day besides Christmas when most people's hearts across the USA are warmly connected in spirit. To make the most of this opportunity, The Pocket Testament League produced a special, limited-edition flag cover and invited members to share all these Gospels by the end of the day July 4, 2005. Entitled "A Message of True Freedom," the cover featured a composite image of a waving American flag and a soaring Eagle. Members responded enthusiastically, registering the largest volume of orders in our history. An astonishing 25,000 Gospels were ordered in a single week. Many spiritual seeds were planted and many decisions for Christ were made through this unique one-day nationwide outreach event.
New cover design for golfers
March 2005 The hours spent on those lush, quiet fairways can lead to wonderfully refreshing opportunities to talk about spiritual things. Our new cover, "Experience a Higher Drive," was especially designed for golfers, to share with golfing friends on or off the course, with the club pro, in the pro shop or while enjoying a post-game meal.
New cover design in the King James version
February 2005 Fans of the King James version of the Bible have been asking for another cover in that translation. The League has responded by introducing "Music for the Soul," a new cover designed to evoke the poetic beauty of the King James version. Featuring classical musical instruments, the cover is ideal for sharing with people who prefer the translation they grew up with.
New business cover design
December 2004 A new cover has been designed for sharing with the business community. Designed to appeal specifically to people in business leadership, financial circles and executive positions, this Gospel features an abstract image combining elements such as gold coins and stock market numbers with the words "How to Experience True Success." Genuine success is the result of a life reconciled with God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and the Gospel of John is a wonderful explanation of how we can achieve that. The cover was created in partnership with BBL Forum, a ministry that links Christian business leaders for the purpose of helping them be more effective living out their faith in their unique settings.
Learn about BBL Forum
New extreme sports cover
December 2004 A new cover has been introduced specifically for those wishing to share Jesus Christ with those who live life on the edge. Entitled "Extreme Freedom," the new cover features a skier catching air time high above a mountain village. Perfect for sharing in winter sports settings, and with those of any age who enjoy high-energy activities.
Online donations enabled
November 2004 We've upgraded to a more powerful, SSL-enabled secure server with a GeoTrust 128-bit digital certificate so that we can process donations online while offering the security our donors expect and deserve. The server is monitored around the clock. Credit card information is encrypted and permanently deleted from the system after the donation is processed. Receipts for income tax purposes are sent by postal mail for every gift (if the donor provides address information).
Make a donation now
New holiday season Gospel cover
November 2004 An exciting new cover especially designed for the Christmas season was introduced. With a title of "Celebrate the Reason" because Jesus is the Reason for the season, the cover has a picture of candy canes arranged to look like a shepherd's cane and a cross. This limited edition cover is restricted to 30 orders per member per month.
New Web site launched
November 2004 A major upgrade was made to the look and functionality of our web site. Produced almost entirely by our own staff to keep costs to a minimum, our new site offers more information about the League, improved ordering, and other benefits to create a more meaningful place for members to visit.
New Food Gospel cover
September 2004 We've designed a new cover especially suited for sharing in restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, or even the grocery store. Entitled "Food for your Soul," the new cover features a photo of bread.
New PERT prayer team introduced
July 2004 Prayer is a vital part of any ministry, and our members appreciate prayer for their evangelism efforts. Our new Prayer Evangelism Response Team (PERT) allows prayer warriors to receive a weekly E-mail of current evangelism prayer requests.
New Motorsports Gospel cover
June 2004 We introduced a Gospel cover especially designed to appeal to fans of motorsports. Featuring a checkered flag design, it also sports the words "The Ultimate Win." Because a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is truly the ultimate prize, more important than any race.
Gospel covers updated
May 2004 We've updated all of our Gospels to improve readability and create printing efficiencies. This allowed us to lower the cost and respond more quickly to new cover ideas.
Read more about our new updated design features
The League gets a new logo
April 2004 The Pocket Testament League has a new look. We went back to Helen Cadbury's original vision when she started this ministry and asked ourselves, if she were a 13-year-old girl today, what kind of ministry identity would she think was cool? Today's clothing often features small tabs containing the logos of the designers, so that's where we ended up. If Helen and her friends were sewing pockets on her clothing today to hold the Gospels they shared, they would love to attach a small "Pocket" tab to the side. That was the inspiration of our new brand identity. We hope you like it.
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