GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., February, 2005 — Taking aim at the younger generation of Christians as well as the spiritually-intrigued, Zondervan has released a full assortment of Bibles based on the TNIV, or Today’s New International Version. The TNIV New Testament first released in 2002, but is now available in both Old and New Testaments.

Zondervan is releasing nine innovative Bibles in the TNIV, which is the most accurate and readable Bible translation for today’s generation. The TNIV will be published in compelling formats to engage the minds, hearts and imaginations of 18- to 34-year-olds, who are interested in Christianity, but leaving the church in large numbers, statistics show.

“The TNIV is at the heart of our mission to engage 18- to 34-year-olds with God’s Word, and I think it will quickly become apparent that these TNIV Bibles, both their accurate, modern language and their creative design, will intrigue 18- to 34-year-olds with the mystery and wonder of the Bible,” said Paul Caminiti, Zondervan vice president and associate publisher of Bibles.

“Research shows that a huge percentage of 18- to 34-year-olds believe the Bible is relevant to their lives, but by and large, they don’t read it. So we need to engage them with God’s Word, using language that they can understand. And we need to find compelling ways to do this, just as Jesus did,” Caminiti said.

The Barna Research Group found that 8 million twenty-somethings are on the verge of walking away from church. In addition, there are another 32 million 18- to 34-year-olds who are interested in spiritual things, but not going to church. 

“We believe that the TNIV, with its unique combination of accuracy and readability in today’s language, is essential in our effort to reach today’s generation,” Caminiti said.

“Zondervan is absolutely passionate about this translation, and while some of the most well-known evangelical scholars, professors, authors and Bible teachers in the world have endorsed it, the most important thing is that hundreds of consumers, many in the 18- to 34-year-old range, have written to say, ‘This is a great translation; this is great evangelism tool; this is the translation we’ve been waiting for.’”

The TNIV has been in development for nearly a decade under the direction of the Committee on Bible Translation, or CBT, a fully independent group of evangelical scholars from around the world. CBT members come from such renowned institutions as Wheaton Graduate School, Reformed Theological Seminary, Calvin Theological Seminary, Regent College in Vancouver, Canada and Spurgeon’s College in London, England.

The Committee on Bible Translation is the same body that translated the NIV, the most read, most trusted modern English translation. Because English is constantly changing, and the NIV was first published more than 30 years ago, the CBT saw the need to produce a text that more accurately reflected today’s language.

Current TNIV New Testament users, research into church and generational trends, and primary research from a national Harris Interactive poll on Bible readership all point to a clear need and desire for the TNIV—especially among 18- to 34-year-olds.

“The TNIV will be the biggest Bible translation launch in history, based on the breadth of products offered and the promotion that we intend to do,” said Caminiti. “We know there is a need for this translation and we’re thrilled to begin reaching today’s generation with God’s word in compelling, innovative formats, all supported by a translation that is uncompromisingly accurate and absolutely faithful to the original biblical texts.”

With advancements in biblical scholarship, updated language and gender clarity, the TNIV is a new translation that will engage today’s younger generation with God’s word. To further Bible engagement, the TNIV will be published in innovative formats to help 18- to 34-year-olds experience the timeless truths of the Bible in today’s language.

An innovative marketing campaign will support the TNIV, with advertisements in magazines like Rolling Stone and websites such as VH1.com—places where 18- to 34-year-olds are going. In addition to hardcover and softcover editions of the full TNIV Bible, the initial product launch will include the following product line-up:

• TNIV Church Bible—The Bible for today’s generation of churches
• The Story—A chronological condensation of Scripture formatted like a novel
• True Identity: The Bible for Women—A study Bible that addresses the struggles and concerns of women.  
• Strive: The Bible for Men—A study Bible that addresses the struggles and concerns of men.  
• Beginning the Journey—A low-cost TNIV evangelism edition published in association with the Willow Creek Association featuring Genesis, Deuteronomy, John, Acts and Romans to give readers an overview of the Bible.
• TNIV Audio New Testament Bible—Multi-voice recording of the New Testament.  
• TNIV Pocket Bible—The full text of the TNIV in a pocket-sized edition.
• TNIV Thinline Bible in assorted Italian Duo-Tone™ and European leather bindings.
• A unique feature of all TNIV text Bibles will be universal pagination, making group study, reference and teaching easier as everyone with a TNIV text Bible will be on the same page. The TNIV is the first translation to offer this feature throughout all of its text Bibles.

“Our product development team has worked tirelessly to come up with the right product mix to meet the needs of consumers in the 18- to 34-year-old age group,” said Ben Irwin, 28-year-old product development manager for the 18- to 34-year-old Bible Group at Zondervan. “We already know the majority of this audience prefers the text of the TNIV; I think they will also like the binding styles and other product options that will be available in this text.”

Citing statistics from a nationally-representative Harris Interactive poll, Zondervan has found that 18- to 34-year-olds are highly receptive to the TNIV: 77 percent of them found the TNIV easier to understand than the NIV, and 72 percent of them found the text more readable.

“There is no doubt about the need to reach this quickly disengaging age group. And their desire for a Bible translation that combines accuracy, reliability and readability is unquestionable,” said Caminiti. “As Christians, we are called to spread the Gospel, and Zondervan’s mission is to meet the needs of people with resources that glorify Jesus Christ and promote Biblical principles. The TNIV will accomplish both, and frankly, I can’t wait for this translation.”

The TNIV launch will be supported by the most aggressive marketing campaign in Zondervan’s history covering Internet, print and consumer radio as well as a full assortment of merchandising support for retailers.