Originally conceived to bridge the gap for illiterate populations worldwide, the Gospel Pictorial Storybook (GPS) has evolved into a powerful tool to bring biblical teachings to diverse groups without access to their own Bible translation. This innovative approach addresses several challenges that hinder widespread access to scripture.

The initiative began with a fundamental question: Why do certain people lack access to the Bible in their native languages? Though there are different reasons, one of the greatest is that many languages lack a translated version of the Bible. Another reason is that many languages lack a written form. The GPS project seeks to circumvent these and many more barriers by creating a resource that can be easily adapted and translated while still being true to the text of Scripture.

Unlike traditional biblical materials that are often teacher-centric, the GPS is designed specifically for the listener. It utilizes simplified language, drawing heavily from the American Sign Language Dictionary for its vocabulary, which makes translation much easier. This approach ensures that the stories are accessible and straightforward, regardless of the listener's literacy level.

Each story within the GPS is 300 to 500 words, deliberately avoiding possessive words, gender-specific pronouns, and state-of-being verbs, which are often difficult to translate in many languages.

Rigorous testing was conducted to ensure the Gospel Pictorial Storybook's translatability. The stories were translated from English to Japanese, then to Arabic, and back to English to verify the grammatical and syntactical consistency across different language structures. This meticulous process, which we termed “Translation Matrix,” validated the GPS's adaptability and clarity across diverse language translations.

The GPS has been very effective in translation, with translations through Google Translate showing accuracy rates between 75% and 90% across various languages. This high degree of accuracy empowers local pastors and missionaries who are proficient in English, or the bridge language that was translated from English, to convey biblical teachings easily in the final receptor tongue, thereby expanding access to spiritual education and understanding.

The Gospel Pictorial Storybook represents a unique method of making biblical narratives accessible to populations traditionally excluded from such teachings. This is accomplished by using straightforward, simple language, minimal grammatical complexities, and rigorous translation backchecking. Through these steps, the GPS stands as a useful tool that prayerfully will enlighten previously darkened hearts and minds to the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ.