Of the things people googled in 2017, “the Bible” and “Jesus” don’t come close to the top of the list. Mark Smith wants that to change.

Mark is the president and CEO of a compression sock company called Knit-Rite, and he uses this blessing to provide Bibles for people in his city and beyond. He says, “I like to tell people we make socks and give Bibles.”

Mark’s love for Jesus began with a Bible that had been tucked away in a nightstand drawer. It sat there for years until one day, Mark opened it and met the Lord. “I repented there on my living room floor,” he says.

When Mark met God, he knew he couldn’t keep God’s love to himself. He says, “I got up, wiped the tears from my eyes, and thought, ‘This is so good. Somebody’s gotta be sharing this with other people.’”

On a mission to give everyone the gift of God’s Word, Mark began carrying pocket Bibles to give away to people—neighbors, drive-thru attendants, restaurant servers. But Mark soon realized he couldn’t seek out every person in Kansas City to give them God’s Word. At least not on his own.

Search Google and Ye Shall Find Jesus

Mark said God gave him a vision of Scripture saturating people’s hearts as they sat in their living rooms. He showed Mark that through online advertising, people searching for answers to life’s challenges could find Scriptural answers.

Mark connected with American Bible Society—gifting $120,000 of online advertising to reach hurting Americans with God’s Word. Combining Mark’s heart and our digital platform, we reach nonbelievers on their computers and smartphones.

Picture a mother whose children are all grown up and live far away. She rarely gets to see them, hug them, and play with her grandchildren. Although she knows her kids love her, she feels forgotten. She googles “what to do when you’re lonely” and finds a blog written by American Bible Society. As she reads uplifting verses from God’s Word, she realizes she’s not alone. She recognizes God is with her—and with her children too. Her feelings of loneliness shift to feelings of thankfulness for her caring God.

“If we can reach [people] through online media and point them to the Scriptures, they can find the hope of Christ,” says Mark. “I believe God’s doing that through American Bible Society.”

Mark is passionate about working alongside partners like you to share the love of Jesus. “If we want to have hope for our country, we’ve got to really effectively reach people,” he says. “It’s gonna take all of us to make it happen.”