When was the last time you partnered with someone to get a task done?

Maybe you got the whole family involved in cleaning the house, maximizing effort and minimizing the amount of time invested in tidying everything up. Or perhaps you were moving from one house to another and invited a group of friends to help you load and unload the truck, rather than making multiple trips yourself.

Whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, or inclined to be a lone wolf or team player, the Bible is clear that partnership is an important part of life. That doesn’t mean it’s always easy, of course, but it’s worth the effort.

This is particularly true in the Bible translation movement. Historically, Wycliffe and a few key strategic partners were focused on translation efforts in different communities around the world. These efforts proved successful in many cases, and lives were being transformed through God’s Word.

However, a New Testament translation was taking decades on average to complete — a pace that in 1999 meant it would take another 150 years for Bible translation to start for the languages we knew about at that time! We longed with a sense of urgency to bring God’s Word to communities more quickly so that even more lives could be transformed.

That’s when we felt like God was calling us to step out boldly in faith and consider what it would look like to see Bible translation start for every language still needing it by the year 2025. We recognized it would require us to rethink our processes, reconsider our partnerships and ask God to raise up His global Church to participate in the work in new ways. And that’s exactly what He’s done.

God’s Global Church: Advancing the Great Commission Together

Flash forward to 2025: the benchmark year for this God-sized vision that we named “Vision 2025.” If you were to ask us back in the mid-2010s if Vision 2025 was possible, we likely would have answered you with something along the lines of, “We are going to keep working and asking God to move, but it’s probably not possible.”

That’s not the answer you’d get today! The goal of Vision 2025 actually feels attainable as God continues “to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Eph. 3:20, NIV). And we’re pressing ahead in faith with an all-in attitude and innovative approaches.

As of Jan. 1, 2025, there are:

• 131 countries that have achieved Vision 2025.


• 43 countries that have 1 remaining language.


• 24 countries that have 2-5 remaining languages.


• 16 countries that have 6 or more remaining languages.

But the reason that Vision 2025 feels possible today isn’t because of our efforts or determination. Rather, it’s because God has brought together His Church — His people from all over the world — to see people encounter Jesus through Scripture in a language and format they clearly understand.

Wycliffe now works with more than 3,000 partners — churches, missions organizations and like-minded ministries — around the world to translate the Bible, resulting in an unprecedented rate of acceleration. Projects are starting in communities sooner rather than later so that people can have access to God’s Word for themselves.

Dr. Johnstone Ndunde, a Bible translation leader in Africa, puts it this way: “In the world where we serve, we have many churches that have discipled, educated people that are able to serve the Lord as well. God’s mission is no longer from the West to the rest. It is from everyone to everywhere.”

New Project Starts

As a direct result of partnership and collaboration, today a new language is engaged on average every 14 hours — a pace never seen before in the history of Bible translation! Here is a small glimpse into the kinds of translation projects springing up.

Elisow Cluster Project | Cameroon

The Elisow Cluster project encompasses 24 language communities across seven regions in Cameroon. Named after the Hebrew word "Eli" (my God) and the English word "sow," the project aims to spread God's transformative Word to these communities in their heart languages.

Over 12 months, the project will mobilize churches, conduct sociolinguistic surveys, develop tentative orthographies and prepare translation proposals for the communities desiring Bible translation to pave the way for work to begin in these 24 languages.

Gwatle Project | Indonesia

Indonesia is one of the “Big Five,” a term we use to describe the areas with the most languages in need of Bible translation to begin for the very first time. Approximately 110 communities in Indonesia are still waiting.

The Gwatle people have desired for years to have the Bible in their language, having seen the power of God's Word in neighboring communities. They believe that God can bring transformation to their community too. Today, Gwatle churches from different denominations are very excited to work together to translate the Scriptures! They plan to start with Luke, select Psalms and the Lord’s Prayer, along with the Apostles’ Creed, hymns and church liturgy.

SLAm! 43 Cluster Project | The Americas

Bible translation isn’t just about spoken and written languages; it’s about signed languages too! That’s why the “SLAm! 43” Cluster project is so exciting. SLAm (short for Sign Languages America) aims to engage 43 sign languages in 37 countries or territories across North, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean, to ensure that these Deaf communities have the opportunity to encounter Jesus through Scripture in a way that captures their hearts forever.

As a result of this project, Vision 2025 will be accomplished in 30 countries and territories throughout the Americas!

Want to pray for Bible translation projects around the world like these ones? Join the Wycliffe Prayer Community and pray through timely requests directly from communities as they work to translate God’s Word.

An Invitation to Join Us: All Scripture for All People

As excited as we are about Vision 2025, we understand that Bible translation isn’t just about starts; it’s about completing the work so that people have the full counsel of God’s Word and experience lasting transformation.

In Revelation 7:9a, a heavenly scene is described: "After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb" (NLT).

This isn’t just a hoped-for future; it’s promised — and we want to be a part of it! That’s why Wycliffe Bible Translators will continue to serve with the global body of Christ to advance Bible translation until all people from every language can understand the Bible and be transformed.

We are so grateful for every partner who participates with us by praying, giving, advocating, serving and engaging their church to be part of what God is doing! If you haven’t yet gotten involved in what God is doing around the world through Bible translation, we invite you to join us!

Track the Progress: Vision 2025

Around the world, Vision 2025 — a God-sized goal to see a translation program in progress in every language still needing one by the year 2025 — is being accomplished. Track the progress and sign up for weekly updates that will keep you inspired and encouraged by the latest news!

Text SIGHTINGS to 407-358-0916.