As a mom and an ordained minister, Lauren Jones wanted her children, Kent and Lacey, to share her love for the Bible.

As an early adopter of the YouVersion Bible App for Kids, she had no clue it would serve as the key to unlock her young son's ability to communicate.

Life's Downward Spiral

Lauren sensed her firstborn child, Kent, was struggling — missing early developmental milestones.

"When we were at church, he would have breakdowns where he would scream-cry because of the noise," Jones told CBN News at her home on the outskirts of Baltimore. "As he started gaining more words, he was very repetitive."

Kent was diagnosed with autism and as nonverbal.

"I didn't know if he would ever speak. I didn't know if he would be potty trained or be able to live on his own as he grew older," she explained.

As Lauren navigated the diagnosis, tragedy struck again. At seven months pregnant — with her second child, Lacey — her husband, Gabriel, died after suffering a fatal seizure. He was 28 years old, and Lauren suddenly was left to raise their two children on her own.

"I was very afraid when they were babies and toddlers," she said. "I didn't know what their lives would look like as they grew up."

Lauren leaned on her faith for hope, often drawing solace and inspiration from the Bible.

"Right after my husband died, I started receiving the emails from YouVersion advertising the Bible App for Kids, and I just loved it," she recalled. "I thought that it would be a great way for me to introduce my faith to my children."

It worked. Lauren described how it engaged both of her young children with the colorful graphics and interactive storytelling. However, she wasn't prepared for what happened next.

Modern Day Miracle

Kent started reciting those Bible stories, his own words mimicking the intonation of the narration and characters in the app. Lauren captured the dramatic moment on her iPhone.

"I was so excited to hear his voice," she explained. "I would send the videos of him reciting the story  [of Daniel in the lion's den]  to my mom  [and] to my siblings. It just made me so excited."

Now an early teenager, Kent speaks clearly, earns good grades, and plays the trumpet in his school band. He also drums for fun.

"I'm very glad I'm able to talk," he told CBN News. "It's a super, super duper necessary skill."

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Kent's journey caught the attention of the YouVersion team, creators of the Bible App. Last November, his story was prominently featured in a nearly 6-minute video to mark one billion downloads across YouVersion's multiple products since its initial launch in 2008.

The sold-out crowd gave Kent a standing ovation when he and his mother walked across the stage at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. With 13,000 people in the arena, Kent answered questions about his favorite Bible verse (1 Samuel 16:7) and offered a prayer of gratitude.

"Thank you for letting the Bible app make a huge difference in my life and in the lives of countless people around the world," he said.

One in a Billion . . . and Counting

Stories like Kent's animate the mission of YouVersion founder Bobby Gruenewald.

"Our vision is God's Word. Everyone. Everywhere. Every day," Gruenewald said. "With three 'every's' in the vision statement, we're pretty much not done — ever."

Before developing the Bible App, Gruenewald saw himself as a "below-average" Bible reader.

"I wanted it to be more a part of my everyday life," he explained. "I thought maybe technology could help me. I thought maybe it could be a tool that could help me build consistency."

That personal goal has multiplied exponentially.The weekend it launched, the Bible App debuted to 83,000 downloads. Thirteen years later in 2021, it hit half a billion installs and gained another 500,000 by 2023. Gruenewald believes that rapid growth could put the next billion within reach possibly in the next five years.

"I can imagine two and three billion," he said. "We serve a God that's not limited by our imagination."

Despite its global reach, YouVersion's headquarters sits about 20 miles north of the state's capital city, in a brand-new 96,000 square foot building it shares with Life.Church. The location of the central offices reflects the app's roots as a ministry of a local church with a worldwide mission.

"We've really wanted the Bible App to always feel like it was made for you when you open it," Gruenewald said.

More than 200 employees and thousands of domestic and international volunteers help deliver that personalized experience. While much of that work is done in Oklahoma, the ministry has opened six regional hubs to better serve users around the world. More are planned.

Nando Valente serves as a regional hub director in Brazil. He works with local pastors and churches to adapt the Bible App's content for cultural relevance.

"There are small details that people don't always think about, but they make a difference," Valente explained. "For example, a devotional  [in the Bible App] talked about picking blueberries. We don't have blueberries in Brazil, so we changed it to a fruit Brazilians know."

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YouVersion currently partners with more than 7,000 churches and ministries worldwide for content including Bible reading plans, devotionals, study material, and more. It plans to expand further by allowing partners to build apps and websites using its technology.

"That could be a real accelerant for growth," Gruenewald explained.

He believes what's fueling their growth is unity in the body of Christ, which is central in how YouVersion operates.

"In a world that seems so divided and polarized on so many different things and issues, and even where parts of the church would still probably disagree about these theological positions and perspectives — whatever they might be — they're unified around the importance of getting God's Word into someone's hand and ultimately into their heart. And I think God loves that."

For the YouVersion team, the motivation behind the expansion remains deeply personal: the belief that Scripture can transform one life at a time.

It's a belief Kent Jones also shares.

"What happened to me through the Bible app is evidence that miracles are possible," Kent said. "No matter how impossible they seem."

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