How to Create "Loaded Bibles" for Your Community

Oct 10, 2025

You don’t have to know me for long to know that I love the Bible. And I’m betting, if you're here, you love it too! One of the things that's been on my heart is finding practical ways to not just study God's Word for ourselves, but to share its hope with others.

The Bible isn't just a book; it's a living, active source of comfort and truth that transforms lives. Sometimes, the most powerful way we can share that truth is by putting it directly into the hands of someone who needs it most, alongside a physical expression of God's love.

Lately, my husband Rhett and I have been praying about how to meet some of the needs of our homeless community here in town. While we were talking, Rhett casually mentioned he wished we could hand out Bibles with the care packages we keep in our car... and within 5 minutes, my heart was set on the idea and I was ordering supplies!

I wanted to create what I'm calling "Loaded Bibles."

What is a "Loaded Bible"?

A "Loaded Bible" is a simple, impactful care package centered around the hope of Scripture. The goal is to create a Bible that already has some key verses highlighted and a reading plan to make it a little less intimidating for someone to get started in God's Word.

Our prayer is for each person who receives one to know that they are seen, known, and loved—and that God has a message of hope just for them.

 

A Highlighting Party!

To make this a community effort, I asked my 12th-grade girls' life group to come over for a highlighting party (cookies and popcorn were a must!). We put on some worship music and got to work.

We marked several key verses and added tabs for four themes:

  • Good News

  • He Cares for You

  • Comfort

  • Hope

It was such a beautiful way to serve together and pray over the people who would one day receive these Bibles.

Want to grab our list of verses? You can download that here!

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Making Your Own

This is the perfect project to do with your family, a small group, or your church! Here’s everything you need and the simple steps we followed.

Supplies You'll Need:

  • Easy-to-Read Bibles: We used NIV New Testaments in large print to make them as accessible as possible. (Each was only about $3!)

  • Sticky Tabs & Highlighters: To mark the different themes.

  • Pens: For writing a personal note inside.

  • A Simple Reading Plan: We included a printed copy of my Gospel of John reading plan.

    • Download the Gospel of John reading plan to print out for your loaded Bible here. 
  • Gallon-Sized Ziploc Bags: To keep everything together and dry.

  • Snacks & Drinks: We included water bottles, beef sticks, peanut butter crackers, and cookies.

  • Other Care Items: Think about what would be most helpful! New socks, hand sanitizer, tissues, and rain ponchos are all great ideas.

Our Simple Process:

  1. Prepare the Bibles: First, we went through each Bible and placed sticky tabs on the pages with key verses that fit our themes. Then we highlighted those verses.

  2. Write a Personal Note: In the front of each one, we wrote a short, personal note of encouragement, letting them know they are prayed for.

  3. Pack the Care Package: We filled each Ziploc bag with the snacks, a water bottle, and any other care items.

  4. Assemble with Prayer: Finally, we placed the "Loaded Bible" on top and took a moment to pray over each package, asking God to bless the person who would receive it.

 

A Gift of Living Hope

Our prayer for these packages is not just for short-term physical relief, but that each person who receives one would encounter God and find a living hope. It's a small way to show someone that God loves them and cares for them, right where they are.

This isn't just about handing out a Bible; it's about handing out hope.

I would love to hear from you on Instagram, @evakubasiak: What's one other practical item you think would be a blessing to include in a package like this? Let's share our ideas and inspire one another!