July 4, 2025
Just in time for July—Bible Society New Zealand’s Bible Month—BSNZ is launching its brand-new Resource Library, a dynamic digital hub specifically to support local churches and ministries. Known as ‘The Well,’ this initiative marks a strategic step forward in resourcing ministry leaders and deepening Bible engagement across New Zealand. With a vision to empower churches, educators, and ministry volunteers, ‘The Well’ is set to strengthen the relationship between Bible Society and the local faith communities it serves.
Accessible at any time, this new resource library is a curated collection of ministry-specific tools and resources created by Bible Society New Zealand. The material available includes:
- Bible Studies for adults, youth, and children
- Daily Reading Plans to build long-term spiritual habits
- Little Believers Engagement Kit provides age-appropriate and faith-filled resources for children
- Bible Quiz Pack, which offers a fun and interactive way to bring communities together through Scripture
- Choosing the Right Bible for You Guide – simple, easy to follow, and designed to help you find a Bible that truly fits you and your journey with God
- Audio Bibles for everyone to listen to the Bible in their heart language, including a Māori translation
This digital platform is designed to serve as a relational bridge between BSNZ and its local ministry partners. By equipping local churches and ministries with easy-to-use tools, BSNZ is walking alongside them in their mission to grow faith and biblical literacy in their communities.
BSNZ CEO, Neels Janse van Rensburg, described how Jesus’ interaction in John 4 inspired the choice of name for this project:
“The name ‘The Well’ was chosen by the staff from six suggested names, and it has significance related to the woman at the well, where Jesus said, “If you only draw water from me, you shall never thirst again.” So, The Well helps us focus on creating resources to achieve this goal. We know this will keep our audiences focused and connected and help us track which resources are being engaged with and which are not, enabling us to adapt the content accordingly.”
With plans to expand ‘The Well’ even further—offering Bible Month engagement tools, training courses, and more—BSNZ invites churches to join the journey. BSNZ will be migrating all resources available to ministry partners it serves from the current website and consolidating them under ‘The Well’, thereby removing the challenge for ministries to find these resources. Ministries signing up before the end of Bible Month in July will receive free access until November 30. The focus is to provide free access to general resources and have a subscription plan for more premium content post this date.
He shared the driving force behind the creation of this new resource library: “In reviewing our website and all our evergreen resources, we realised that many churches and individuals reaching out for support often face challenges in locating the content and free resources they need. Our engagement with them revealed that vital information was scattered across various tabs, making it difficult to access the tools essential for their mission.”
“The idea then arose to consolidate all free and premium content on the platform and group them clearly, so it is easy for people to find a resource or content fit for their church, organisation, small groups, or individual use.”
This initiative demonstrates how digital tools can support ministry leaders in a hands-on, practical way by removing barriers, strengthening collaboration, and ultimately helping people encounter God through His Word. Bible Societies around the world can replicate this model, as it offers an adaptable framework for building stronger connections with the local church through Scripture-based engagement.
Continuing the Bible Month Legacy in New Zealand
This year’s theme for Bible Month in New Zealand is ‘Bible Engagement’, which is particularly fitting given the year’s focus on BSNZ’s local Bible engagement research and the global Patmos Initiative.
In 2024, BSNZ’s Bible Month focused on the theme ‘The Bible is Truth’. BSNZ encouraged all to engage with the Bible to discover its profound truths—the unwavering foundation that Scripture provides in a world filled with uncertainty.
