The Bible Society in Israel's shop is in a prime location, right in the heart of the city between the Old and New areas. People do not only come here to buy: around two-thirds of visitors now also enter the exhibition area, where attractions including a film are proving very effective in encouraging discussions about Christianity.

Photo (ISR11DJ-9): Visitors to the exhibition area in the Bible Society in Israel's shop in Jerusalem.

2011 has been a bumper year, with video and audio presentations and customised materials attracting more and more people.

"Many religious people are drawn in when they see the material we display," says the Society. "Since we have material dealing with both the Old and the New Testament, it creates a natural opportunity to talk to people about our faith."

The Society is currently producing audio recordings of Messianic prophecies in Hebrew from the Bible. These will also be played in the exhibition area, giving people an insight into the Messianic content of the Old and New Testaments.

Taking evangelism one step further

Outreach events provide an ideal opportunity to invite people to the exhibition.

"Recently, a couple we met during an outreach activity came all the way from Tel Aviv just to visit the exhibition," says the Society. "It would be hard to invite people to 'see our shop', but with a Bible-based exhibition we can offer something tangible related directly to our faith. We can take evangelism one step further."

And the Society is looking for even more growth.

"During 2012, we plan to further expand our impact by establishing and implementing new capacity and infrastructures for explaining our faith and engaging with seekers around the Scriptures. Our goal is to offer a safe, convenient and welcoming place to engage in a discussion or educational experience about our faith and the Scriptures."