QUICK START
GUIDE
AUXILIARY
Gideons partner with
churches anywhere to reach
the unreached everywhere.
What We’re All About
Members go around the corner—and around the world—witnessing and distributing more than 1.6 million Scriptures each week in over 195
countries, territories, and possessions, and more than 95 languages.
As an Auxiliary in The Gideons International,
you become a vital part of a membership- driven ministry, making a personal and powerful impact for Christ across the globe. You serve alongside more than 300,000 fellow Christian business and professional men and their wives, who are all united in carrying out the same programs, using the same methods. This is a simple, disciplined, well-defined ministry seeking to accomplish a single objective:
Win others for Christ by personally sharing both our faith and God’s Word in approved areas of Scripture distribution.
We do this in three ways:
1. Auxiliary associate together
for service to our Lord. We encourage each other through regular fellowship and by striving to exemplify Christian character, personally and professionally.
We equip each other for leadership through mentoring and training.
We engage each other, seeking to grow as servant leaders who are active, accountable ambassadors for Christ.
CORE VALUES
AN UNCOMPROMISED BELIEF that the Bible is the inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word of God.
A SINGULAR FOCUS on the objective of “winning others to the Lord Jesus Christ.”
A DEFINED MEMBERSHIP consistingof business and professional men, except clergymen, who:
Believe in the Bible as the inspired (i.e. infallible, inerrant) Word of God
Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God Have received Him as their personal Savior
Endeavor to follow Him in their daily lives
Are members in good standing of an evangelical or protestant church, congregation, or assembly Participate in the activities of a Gideon camp
A COMPLEMENTARY ELEMENTof the Association known as the Auxiliary, which is comprised of the wives of Gideons who meet the same spiritual qualifications.
AN ONGOING EMPHASIS on the importance of fulfilling our seven spiritual objectives (on the following page).
FUNDING FOR THEMISSION of the Association is secured only through personal contributions and bequests, church offerings, and the GideonCard Bible Program.
ANINTENTIONAL RELATIONSHIP with evangelical or protestant churches as a prayer base, a source of members, and financial support.
A SIMPLE, DISCIPLINED,WELL-DEFINED MINISTRY that is carried out exclusively by the membership of the Association under the authority and direction of the International Cabinet.
What God Is Accomplishing
Through The Gideons International
Well-known for placing Bibles in hotels, The Gideons International is also recognized for distributing God’s Word freely around the world. Auxiliary provide Scriptures in prisons, hospitals and medical facilities, domestic violence shelters, nursing homes, and crisis pregnancy centers.
Here’s what makes this ministry unique. The Gideons International has logistics in place to enable us to distribute a copy of God’s Word throughout the world for about a dollar and a quarter.
This includes all costs of getting a Scripture into the hands of someone who needs it.
People are coming to Christ every day through the active participation of the Auxiliary. Annually, we distribute over 84.8 million copies of God’s Word to waiting hands in more than 195 countries.
OUR SPIRITUAL OBJECTIVES
WOMEN OF THE BOOK WOMEN OF FAITH WOMEN OF PRAYER
WOMEN OF SEPARATED WALK WOMEN OF COMPASSIONATE HEART WOMEN WHO WITNESS
WOMEN WHO GIVE
THE GIDEON MODEL FOR SCRIPTURE DISTRIBUTION IS TIME-TESTED.
The Gideons International has been quietly going about our Lord’s business for over 100 years—delivering God’s Word through proven, effective methods for reaching lost people.
MEMBERS SERVE IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES.
Around the world, members reside, and do the work of this ministry, in their own communities. They know the areas of spiritual voids in their own communities—and the special opportunities for Scripture distribution. Our members can witness and share God’s Word in places where visiting missionaries often cannot.
GOD IS MULTIPLYING OUR MINISTRY EFFORTS TO SHARE HIS WORD.
By faith and through God’s blessings, in 2015 The Gideons International passed a significant milestone: We shared the 2 billionth Bible or New Testament (each Scripture for free) since we began the distribution of God’s Word over 100 years ago. This ministry is making a global impact—one community, and one individual, at a time.
“
I am a medical doctor in Brazil. My mother and I used to attend spiritualist sessions, and my mother even practiced voodoo.Then, the Auxiliary of The Gideons visited local medical and dental offices. They came to my office and placed a copy of God’s Word. When I saw it, I started to read it.
After a while, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. Soon, I read that New Testament to my mother, and she was very interested in all it contained. Later, she also accepted Jesus as her Savior. Now, we are both members of an
evangelical church.” DR. Q, MACEIO, BRAZIL
What You Can Do Now
Our goal is for you to match your passion for ministry with the Five Core Programs of the Auxiliary:
1. PRAYER AND PERSONAL WITNESSING:Pray regularly—and share your witness as you share God’s Word
Pray for this ministry and those we seek to reach: Join with other members around the world in praying for our ministry each day, using the Daily Prayer Calendar included in the Auxiliary New Member Kit you will soon receive from your camp president. Participate in the regular prayer and devotion times held by the Auxiliary of your camp.
Personally share your faith: Before the first hotel Bibles were ever placed in 1908, our members were soul winners. From our inception in 1899, our purpose has not wavered. Be bold.
Start every day with the goal to help win others for Christ.
You can use Personal Workers Testaments, featuring the plan of salvation, to make it easy to share the Gospel.
2. SCRIPTURE DISTRIBUTION: Spread the Word of God There are numerous rewarding ways to distribute God’s Word and touch lives for Christ. The Auxiliary distributes God’s Holy Word in these defined areas:
a. Personal Workers Testaments: Carry and offer New Testaments individually as you witness in your daily walk of life. Take every opportunity to share God’s Word when someone you meet is seeking answers to life’s questions or problems. You can purchase these New Testaments in the online store of theConnection, our member website.
b. Medical Testaments: You will have opportunities to make distributions to personnel in the medical field, to nursing students, and at medical conventions. Place New Testaments in the hands of people who, on a daily basis, care for those experiencing pain and suffering. It is often preferable for an Auxiliary to place Scriptures in the rooms of female patients in hospitals and other facilities.
c. Bibles: You can place Bibles in medical and dental offices, rooms of domestic violence shelters, crisis pregnancy centers, veterinary clinic waiting rooms, and medical waiting rooms of industrial plants. Bibles may also be placed in waiting rooms of other medical facilities (hospitals and nursing homes)—in coordination with the Gideons—for this shared area of outreach.
d. Facilities Testaments: You can distribute Scriptures to female inmates in correctional facilities, residents of domestic violence shelters, and to staff and residents of crisis pregnancy centers.
3. MEMBERSHIP: Help grow the membership and impact of your camp
Assist in identifying potential members. Members are the lifeblood of The Auxiliary of The Gideons International, and new members should be continually nurtured to become active and involved in the blessings of Auxiliary service.
4. GIDEONCARD BIBLE PROGRAM (Christian Greeting Cards): Send GideonCards to others—and encourage friends and family to use them
The GideonCard Bible Program is one of the most significant means of providing God’s Word to a lost world. It is also a popular way for people to express to others their love of the Lord…
while supporting the Gideon ministry.
Annually, almost 13 million people receive God’s Word from gifts related to these unique GideonCards. Every time you send a GideonCard to a friend or loved one and make a donation, you also send a copy of God’s Word to someone else—
a person who may not know Jesus as Lord and Savior.
For more information on GideonCards, visit www.gideons.org/sendtheword
5. SCRIPTURE FUNDS: Give generously to provide God’s Word
There are a variety of ways you and your husband can begin contributing to the printing and distribution of Bibles and New Testaments all around the world. Remember, through your financial giving, every copy of God’s Word you provide can
be Friends of Gideons, praying for and giving to support the needs of this ministry. Tell your family and friends to go to gideons.org/friends to find out more.
In addition, a significant portion of the Association’s financial support is provided through contributions from members.
When you give to The Gideons International, your gift will be used effectively and efficiently to spread God’s Word. The Gideons International is an accredited member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).
OTHER WAYS TO PARTICIPATE: Join in camp activities and meetings
Attend your Camp Meetings: A camp meeting is held monthly to unite us in prayer with other members—and provide an opportunity for fellowship and educational training. Gideons and Auxiliary join together for these valuable sessions.
Participate in your State Convention: Your state association will hold an annual convention, which will feature inspirational testimony speakers, educational sessions, officer elections, and an evening banquet honoring area pastors. Make every effort to attend your next state convention.
Attend the International Convention: The annual convention of The Gideons International is held each July. Enjoy a unique fellowship time with other members from about 100 countries.
You will hear personal testimonies, inspiring Bible messages, and take part in valuable training and special witnessing opportunities.
What The Church Means To Us
The Gideons International partners with churches anywhere, to reach the unreached everywhere. We simply cannot function separately from the church. Churches provide vital financial and prayer support — and serve as a primary source for recruiting new members.
Gideon church presentations are reports of what God is doing through His Word, both locally and internationally. Gideons share the worldwide impact resulting from the ongoing prayers and financial support of God’s people. For some churches, we are a primary international missionary outreach.
Our church partnership is also reinforced through our members.
All members of this Association are also members of evangelical, or protestant churches worldwide.
What Resources Are Available To You
Personal Workers Testaments: These unique New Testaments include the Plan of Salvation and Help in Times of Need Scripture references. They are ideal to give to people you encounter daily who need to know the Lord. You can purchase these from theConnection online store. Two versions are available: the King James version (KJV) and the English Standard Version (ESV).
gideons.org/blog: For the most up-to-date happenings and testimonies, go to the Gideon blog.
theConnection Online Community: This member-only website reinforces all you do and provides vital information, such as member names, churches served, planned Scripture distributions, and more. In addition, you can order resources in the online store.
Go to www.gideons.org, and log in to theConnection. As a new member, register using your member number and camp number.
Daily Prayer Calendar: This special resource lets you know the international prayer needs of our ministry. It is also available to you online on theConnection.
The Gideon Magazine: Sent to you every other month, the magazine will keep you informed and inspired regarding the international activities of your Association.
IN ADDITION TO THIS AUXILIARY QUICK START GUIDE yourcamp president will be in touch with you to deliver your other membership materials, including Guide Book, membership card, prayer calendar, and emblem.
Your camp’s officers can assist you with questions, as well.
You will find a listing of your camp’s officers, and their contact information, on theConnection.
You can also call The Gideons International Headquarters for assistance (during normal weekday business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., M-F, CT) at 615.564.5000.
NOTE: If you travel through Nashville, Tennessee, please take time to visit The Gideons International Headquarters. Enjoy a free guided tour of the facility. Notify International Headquarters in advance of your visit, and you can also join the staff for daily morning devotions.
“
For three months, I attended to my husband who was dying of cancer in the hospital. I found a Gideon-placed Bible on the dresser, and I began to read it while he slept. The Word of God spoke to my heart in this time of great need. I found comfort, faith, and salvation.After reading the Gospel of John, I accepted Christ as my personal Savior. Then, my husband accepted the Lord as Savior through the 23rd Psalm—just two weeks before he died. God comforted me at that time through Psalm 34.
I am indeed grateful for the Bibles which are placed
everywhere—in hospitals, doctor’s offices, prisons—for the Word of God does not return void. Praise His wonderful name.”
CATHERINE A, RICHMOND, VA
Making a global impact
on a local basis
P.O. Box 140800 Nashville, Tennessee 37214-0800
www.gideons.org 615.564.5000
