Are your bookshelves lined with books? Or maybe they’re not neatly lined up–they’re spilling out of the stacks you have in every corner of the house?
Welcome to the club.
I love books.
Not only writing books, but reading books. And gifting books. And, well, getting books.
A book in the mail is about the happiest happy mail I could get! But I’ve come to realize that most of my books only collect dust once I’ve finished them. (Although there are some books I come back to again and again, like these top 20 books for Christian women.)
So I’ve been looking for reputable charities to send my Christian books to. Because yeah, I could just drop them off at the local thrift shop, but I really wanted to send these books to people I couldn’t reach, especially those in prisons and international Christians.
I did a little research and found several reputable charities that accept new and gently used Christian books, Bibles, Sunday School materials, and more. If you want to donate used Christian books, this is a strategic way to get strong Biblical teaching into the hands of people around the world for just the cost of shipping.
Christian Library International
Advance Christ’s light in prisons! Christian Library International collects and distributes used Christian books and Bibles to 1,400 prisons in all 50 states. They also offer a receipt for tax deduction purposes (shipping is also tax-deductible). Make sure to use their book donation form here. If you want to take it a step further, you could also volunteer to respond to letters from inmates.
Love Packages
Love Packages sends used Christian books and Bibles to ministries in many poor countries (like Bangladesh, Guatemala, Kenya, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Trinidad, and more) to distribute freely to people hungry for the Word of God. They ship a minimum of 20 tons of resources each week, and appropriately have lowered the cost of shipping to just 10 cents per pound. This is a fantastic use of financial resources, and helps ensure more books get to those who hunger for God’s Word.
Christian Resources International
Another organization that ships Christian resources overseas, CRI is equipping orphans, evangelists, pastors and missionaries for the works of service all the while setting up distribution centers, lending libraries, bible college libraries, and holding crusades Not only can you donate used Christian books, you also have the option of sharing your bookshelf by sending books directly to recipients overseas. (How fun is that?!) CRI also accepts a wider assortment of books, including home school textbooks, cookbooks, Christian biographies, and magazines.
Local Prison Chaplain
You can also contact your local correctional facility and ask to speak to the chaplain. Oftentimes they’re more than eager to accept any resources that will help them further evangelize and disciple inmates eager to know more about Jesus.
Local Homeless Ministry
I couldn’t not include local homeless ministries. Yes, their primary needs are for food and shelter, and I strongly encourage you to find ways to give generously. But these ministries will often let you donate used Christian books as well, and you might reach someone who would never step into a church building. Simply give them a call to make sure before you drop them off.
What do you think?
Do you have a few Christian books, Bibles, or materials you could donate to others in need?
Go ahead: step on over to your bookshelf and start pulling them off, one by one. Pray over them as you box them up, that God would bless the person who will read each book and that He would draw them close to His heart. Pick an organization from the list above, and donate your used Christian books to their new home. Then rejoice in the joy of giving books, even as your heart thrills at the newest package delivery on your doorstep.