One of the first free Bible apps got its start in Oklahoma. Now it's 15 years old

EDMOND — Thousands of people around the world are celebrating a local church's milestone anniversary this month — every time they connect with God's word through a popular Bible app.

Life.Church is observing the 15th anniversary of the YouVersion Bible App and the church leader behind the popular mobile application said he continues to be astonished by its growth and popularity.

The app, developed by the Edmond-based multi-site church, was launched as one of the first 200 apps featured in the Apple App Store mobile app marketplace which debuted on July 10, 2008. Since that time, the app has made the Bible widely accessible on smartphones and other devices, connecting people worldwide to God's word.

Bobby Gruenewald, Life.Church innovation pastor and YouVersion Bible App founder, said the free app is currently experiencing its biggest growth year ever. He said every minute of the day, the app is installed 95 times, a verse is shared 1,070 times, and a verse is highlighted, bookmarked, or annotated 3,200 times.

It was a surprise hit, with more than 83,000 installs in its first three days back in 2008. Life.Church leaders said there's no secret that Steve Jobs, the late Apple chief executive officer, like Gruenewald, was also shocked that apps and the App Store quickly captured the attention of thousands of people.

In 2008, developing for iPhone was a brand new territory

Gruenewald said they weren't even sure if Apple would approve the app for the App Store but they were thrilled when their application sailed through.

"We never had any idea that it would reach as many people as it did," he said in a recent interview.

More: Sticking with resolutions Need help sticking with your resolutions? There's a Bible App for that

"We had no idea how to build an app at the time. No one really knew much about it because it was all so new back then ― a whole new concept."

These days, Gruenewald said he's been pleasantly surprised that an ever-growing list of individuals and organizations, a "huge coalition of partners," has joined Life.Church over the years to help fulfill the church's mission for the app.

The app is free for a reason, he said, and better than what someone might expect if they purchased an app with similar capabilities. Gruenewald said the app is funded by donors who want to see more and more people connect to the Bible.

What to know about the YouVersion Bible App

Life.Church leaders shared statistics about the app to help mark its 15th anniversary:

• The YouVersion Bible App has survived and thrived while others did not. Some of the most popular apps that were around in 2008 have continued. These include Facebook, Evernote and Google Earth. Others that have gone away include AOL Instant Messenger, BoxOffice, and Crash Bandicoot: Nitro Kart 3D.

• Over the last 15 years, YouVersion Bible App has utilized industry innovations to help people build consistent Bible engagement habits. Along those lines, the app includes push notification reminders, gamification features like streaks, and community features like friendships and prayer.

• A distinction that Life.Church leaders are particularly pleased with is the way YouVersion has leveraged its digital format is by adding languages. Nearly 70% of installs currently occur outside North America, creating a high demand for Bible content in multiple languages. The Bible App launched with Bible text in just two languages, surpassed 500 languages in its fifth year, and now, with the help of Bible societies and publishers around the world, offers Bible text in nearly 2,000 languages. By 2033, YouVersion and its partners plan to see some portion of the Bible translated into all 7,000+ languages spoken on earth, some of which need to have a written language developed before Bible translation can even begin.

More: Life.Church new tech hires How new tech, hire of former Facebook exec, signal new day for Edmond church's Bible app

• The Bible App is also localized in 64 languages, meaning that everything in the app (like the menu, buttons, etc.) is translated to ensure the full app experience feels as natural as possible for people who speak Swahili or Korean as it does for English speakers. For reference, Facebook is offered in 32 languages and Duolingo is offered in 26 languages. More than 1,400 YouVersion volunteers around the world help make localization at this scale possible.

"We really do believe the best years are ahead and the future is so much brighter than what God has already done," Gruenewald said.

More: Bible App marks 10th anniversary Oh App-y day!: Life.Church marks 10th anniversary of popular Bible app

"We feel like it's something we steward on behalf of the global Church. And we really love that God chose to use a church in Oklahoma because it highlights that this is a God thing — a 'God story' and not an 'us' story."

To learn more

For more information about the the YouVersion Bible App go to http://youversion.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Edmond-based Life.Church marks 15th anniversary of Bible app