Burnsville, MN — October 2025 — Social Media Ministries, a Christian nonprofit from Minnesota, is excited to share the start of the Gideon Barnabas Program. This new program helps people grow in their faith, find encouragement, and feel empowered by giving them access to Christian books and Bible-based resources.

 

The Gideon Barnabas Book Program is more than giving away books—it’s a movement of faith and encouragement. By sharing Christian books with people who need them most, the program helps believers grow stronger in their faith, build up their communities, and share God’s Word with others.

 

The name Gideon Barnabas shows the two main goals of this ministry—faith and encouragement. Gideon, from the Old Testament, stood for strong and brave faith. Barnabas, from the New Testament, means “son of encouragement” and reminds us to lift others up. Together, their names show what this program is all about: helping people grow in faith and encouraging one another.

 

As Scripture affirms in Romans 10:17, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” The program seeks to make that truth tangible by ensuring access to sound biblical literature for believers across the United States and English-speaking African nations. Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Somalia, among others.

 

To date, the program has distributed more than 30,000 books across Kenya, the United States, and Somalia. Building on this success, Social Media Ministries is transitioning from a book giveaway model to a sustainable library model designed to maximize reach, enhance stewardship, and expand long-term impact.

 

Under this new structure, Gideon Barnabas will:

Establish Gideon Barnabas Libraries: Hosted in churches or as stand-alone facilities, these libraries will serve as community hubs around the world where believers can borrow, read, and return faith-based books.

 

Offer Library Membership: Adults (ages 18 and above) may register for a lifetime membership. Books may be checked out and returned similarly to the standard library system.

 

Continue Free Book Distribution: Social Media Ministries will continue distributing free Bibles, Devotionals, Christian books, tracts, and other resources in Little Free Libraries, Street Teams outreach, evangelism, provided to other ministries, and more.

 

Books will be collected and stored before being shipped overseas or distributed to local libraries. Books that become worn, or that are too worn out for library use, will be made freely available to ensure that no resource goes to waste.

 

“God’s Word is eternal and unchanging. Many people around the world don’t have the luxury of Christian books, let alone have a Bible to read!” Said Spencer Coffman, Founder of Social Media Ministries. “Through Gideon Barnabas, we’re equipping believers with the resources they need to grow in faith and share encouragement with others.”

 

Rooted in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing,” the program views every distributed or borrowed book as both an act of evangelism and a gift of encouragement.

 

By connecting readers to faith-based literature, Social Media Ministries seeks to establish God’s Word not only in hearts but also in homes and communities around the world.

 

Individuals, churches, and organizations are invited to partner with Social Media Ministries in supporting the Gideon Barnabas Program through prayer, financial contributions, or by donating and distributing Christian books.

For more information or to participate, visit socialmediaministries.com.

 

SMM, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is dedicated to sharing the Word of God online and around the world. Through sermons, digital outreach, and faith-based initiatives like the Gideon Barnabas Program, the organization works to connect believers, strengthen faith, and spread God’s Word globally. Visit socialmediaministries.com for more information and to follow SMM.