LifeChurch.TV which brought the world YouVersion, says the Bible app will reach 100 million downloads by this Sunday, three days earlier than targeted. Founding pastor Craig Groeschel, who’s been a guest speaker at the Hillsong 2013 Conference this week, says he’d expected the target to be met on YouVersion’s 5th anniversary.

Craig Groeschel who found Christ after reading a Gideon Bible says he wants to give Bibles away by the millions

“What’s more exciting to me than the fact that people are downloading it, though, is the usage which is unbelievable. 60 billion minutes of YouVersion have been read so far.

“Every second, 66,000 people have the app open, and are engaging with the Bible.

“Every second 113 people are opening a new chapter, and every second two people are installing the app.”

In the second phase of YouVersion’s growth,  the target has been set  for one billion downloads.

Groeschel says he’s passionate about people reading Scripture, as he himself came to faith after reading a Gideon’s Bible in college.

“Someone gave me a Bible that helped me find Christ, and now I want to give them away by the millons.”

Groeschel is appreciative of the many Bible publishers who have provided Bible versions for the app. “They’re the unsung heroes. They’ve given away tremendous sales in order to give the Bible away online.” However, he says that the app has created new interest in the Bible, and that publishers are now producing more hard copy Bibles in response to this interest.

“As the waters rise, all the ships rise with it.”