Trustpilot
Quick Verdict: Which Outreach Bible should I buy in bulk?
- Choose the NIV Outreach Bible if: You are handing them out to the general public, at food banks, or to people with absolutely no church background. It reads like modern, everyday English and is incredibly easy to understand.
- Choose the ESV Outreach Bible if: You are handing them out on a university campus or to people asking deep, theological questions. It is a "literal" translation that appeals to academic readers and sceptics who want word-for-word accuracy.
Handing a Bible to a complete stranger is a bold, beautiful act of faith.
Whether you are running a street evangelism stall, leading a mission trip, or simply keeping a few spare copies in the boot of your car, your goal is simple: you want the person to actually read it.
But if you give a first-time reader a translation that feels clunky, confusing, or full of 400-year-old jargon, that Bible will likely end up collecting dust on a shelf.
When buying "Outreach Bibles" (affordable, paperback editions sold in bulk), churches almost always narrow it down to two choices: the NIV (New International Version) or the ESV (English Standard Version).
Both are excellent, trustworthy translations. But they communicate very differently. Here is how to choose the right one for your specific mission field.
1. The Reading Level Test
When you hand a book to a stranger, you don't know their educational background or reading ability.
- The NIV translates the text "thought-for-thought." It smooths out ancient Hebrew and Greek grammar so that it sounds like natural, modern English. It sits at roughly a 7th-grade reading level.
- The ESV translates the text "word-for-word." It prioritises strict accuracy, often keeping the original (and sometimes backwards) sentence structures of the Greek text. It sits at a 10th-grade reading level.+1
The Winner for Strangers: The NIV. For the average person on the street, the NIV removes the linguistic speed bumps. They can read the Gospel of John smoothly without getting tripped up by heavy theological phrasing.
2. The "Curious Sceptic" Context
While the NIV is the easiest to read, there is a specific demographic where the ESV shines: University campuses and sceptics.
Often, when engaging with students or highly analytical thinkers, they want to know they are reading an "authentic" text. Because the ESV sounds slightly more formal and retains a traditional, weighty tone, it feels academically rigorous. If a sceptic wants to do a deep-dive "word study" to try and poke holes in the text, the ESV is the literal translation they need to be working from.
3. What exactly is an "Outreach Bible"? (The Physical Specs)
When you buy an "Outreach" or "Economy" Bible, you are buying a product designed to be given away by the dozens. Therefore, they are printed to be as cheap as possible (often under £3 a copy when bought in a case).
Because they are cheap, you need to be aware of the physical trade-offs:
- Paper Quality: The paper will be thin (like newsprint).
- Font Size: To keep the book small and cheap, the font is usually standard (around 8-point). Note: If you are doing outreach in a nursing home or hospital, you must upgrade to a Large Print Outreach Bible.
- Features: These usually don't have maps or concordance dictionaries. However, many good Outreach Bibles include a "Where to look when you feel..." index at the front, which is vital for new readers!
The Verdict: Know Your Mission Field
The best translation is the one the person will actually understand.
Buy a case of NIV Outreach Bibles if:
- You are doing general street evangelism.
- You are stocking a church welcome desk or food bank.
- You are working with youth or people with English as a second language.
Buy a case of ESV Outreach Bibles if:
- You are doing university or an apologetics ministry.
- Your church preaches exclusively from the ESV, and you want visitors to be able to follow along word-for-word.
