GUANGDONG, China – Across China, many Christians like Mr. Bai* desire to share their faith with friends and family. One of the most meaningful and practical ways they can share their faith with their loved ones is simply by giving them a Bible.
Having experienced his own life’s transformation, Bai is convinced that only the truth in the Bible can change a person and help solve life’s problems. As one who loves reading and giving books as gifts, he would buy and give away Bibles. For Bai, that is the best way to share the faith. He explains, “As a gift related to faith, giving a Bible is relatively straightforward as compared to having to pick and choose what to get. Moreover, compared to other faith-based books, the Bible is not expensive.”
“The most appropriate way to share the faith right now is by giving Bibles to people around us who have not yet believed.”
Sharing faith in a changing society
Under China’s religious regulations, Christians are not allowed to share the gospel outside church premises. At the same time, social dynamics have also changed. People are often cautious and guarded with strangers, making deep conversations about faith uncommon.
In the town where Bai resides, the total population – including registered residents and migrant workers – is about 250,000, but only around 1,000 Christians. Guangdong is a coastal province dependent on manufacturing for export. “Most people here are caught in the grind of the ‘factory of the world,’ working 12-hour shifts, month after month, with only a single day of rest,” Bai reveals. “When your life is built on labor and exhaustion, there is little room left to wonder about the ‘existential meaning in life’, and even less time to step through the doors of a church.” “That is why,” Bai explains, “the most appropriate way to share the faith right now is by giving Bibles to people around us who have not yet believed.”
Planting seeds of faith
Not everyone who receives a Bible responds with immediate interest. Some accept the gift politely but show little enthusiasm.
Still, Bai believes the effort is worthwhile. “I don’t lose heart, because I remember my own story. Before I knew Christ, I had reached a point where I had effectively given up on life. I wanted to do nothing, contribute nothing; I was simply waiting for my time to be up here on earth. However, it was the Truth I found in the pages of the Bible that gave me a reason to wake up every morning. It gave me a motivation to live, and not just to exist,” Bai confides.
Even if he never knows whether someone reads the Bible later, he trusts that God’s Word has its own power to speak to the heart. Giving a Bible may plant a seed that will one day grow into faith.
Bai also shared that “there are now fewer faith-based books introducing Christianity to non-believers. Books like Song of a Wanderer, which once had been an excellent introduction to the Christian faith, are no longer available.” This makes the Bible itself an even more important gift to his non-Christian contacts.
“For many seekers and rural Christians, I am the only ‘bookstore’ they will ever encounter.”
Helping rural believers access the Bible
Beyond giving Bibles to non-believers, Bai also helps fellow Christians obtain copies of Scripture. As Bibles are sold only at designated church bookstores, Christians living in rural areas often find it challenging to travel to these city bookshops. So city Christians like Bai would step in to help purchase Bibles on their behalf. In this way, he supports both believers seeking God’s Word and those eager to share it.
“For many seekers and rural Christians, I am the only ‘bookstore’ they will ever encounter,” Bai quips.
For Christians like Bai, giving a Bible is more than a kind gesture—it is a powerful way to share the hope they have found in Christ.
But this is only possible when Bibles remain affordable.
With your continued support, the cost of Bibles can be kept within reach, enabling believers across China to buy copies not only for themselves but also to give as gifts to family members, friends and fellow believers who lack access.
*Name changed
Story: UBSCP Communications team
Photos: UBSCP
2026@UBS China Partnership
