Faith Comes by Hearing is a faith based organization and interdenominational group that for the last 30 years as been producing and distributing audio versions of the Bible in over 93 different countries.,”Companies like Faith Comes by Hearing and Audio Scripture Ministry are distributing the best selling book of all time, the Bible, globally in a paperless format.

Faith Comes by Hearing is a faith-based organization and interdenominational group that for the last 30 years has been producing and distributing audio versions of the Bible in more than 93 different countries.

Jon Wilke, organizational spokesman for Faith Comes by Hearing, said the company has translated the Bible into 272 different languages.

Wilke said the goal of the organization is to bring Christians together.

Faith comes by hearing works globally but primarily in Third World countries, he said.

"We want it to change their lives," he said. "We want to get the pure word of God in."

One of the most recent efforts to achieve these goals from Faith Comes by Hearing is distributing BibleSticks. BibleSticks are digital audio players that are pre-loaded with the entire audio version of the New Testament. According to the Web site, the BibleSticks are the size of a pack of gum.

"With the BibleSticks, people can listen to the entire New Testament in 40 days," Wilke said.

The 40-day plan requires only 28 minutes of listening per day, he said.

Another method used to proclaim and share the Bible is a tool called The Proclaimer, Wilke said.

The Proclaimer is a small radio that is powered with a hand crank, solar power or batteries. One key benefit of The Proclaimer is that it allows more than 300 people to sit and listen to the word of God at the same time, Wilke said.

"Batteries are a big issue," Wilke said. "Replacement batteries can cost a whole week's worth of wages."

Audio players, like The Proclaimer, that allow large groups to listen at once are vital because of the number of nations that learn their trade orally, he said.

Roger Koppenol, international communications director for Audio Scriptures Ministries, said there are people living in countries and societies that do not and probably never will have the ability to read.

"Their comprehension is stronger in an audio format," he said.

Koppenol said the group's primary focus regions are in Africa and the southern parts of India.

Audio Scripture Ministry, which has been involved in audio Bibles for 40 years, is also taking strides into the digital media.

"The digital media allows us to put up to 160 hours (of the New Testament) on one device," he said.

Koppenol said that while the digital media is more up-to-date, the audio ministry relies primarily on cassettes and special players that are designed to run on solar, battery and crank power.

He said that while western society sees cassettes as a dead technology, that's not true globally.

Both Audio Scriptures Ministries and Faith Comes by Hearing said they rely heavily donations from individuals, churches and businesses to fund their efforts.

Koppenol said providing audio devices for smaller areas costs an estimated $5,000 while larger populations can reach anywhere from $10 thousand to $15 thousand.

While the primary focus of these two groups is providing audio Bibles to illiterate people, these audio products are available in Western cultures.

In the U.S., Faith Comes by Hearing offers free downloads on the Internet and is working to provide free copies of the Bible on CDs.

"The number one reason people don't read is because they don't have the time," Wilke said.

Koppenol said even after 40 years in business there are still a large number of people who cannot read.

"We're still getting started," he said. "We have a lot of work left."

“