Bible Reading Union

What Bible Reading Union does

Bibellesebund Schweiz (Bible Reading Union / BLB) is a Swiss non-profit association founded in 1925 and headquartered in Winterthur. It is the Swiss branch of the international Scripture Union movement, which has operated for more than 150 years across over 120 countries. The organization is registered as a church-neutral (kirchlich neutrale) association and operates cross-denominationally with both state churches (Landeskirchen) and free churches. It has between 11 and 50 employees.

The organization's core offerings are age-segmented daily devotional magazines — GUTER START (children), PUR (teenagers), ATEMPAUSE (women), and ORIENTIERUNG (adults) — complemented by the Bibelzeit mobile app for daily Bible reading and the new FeedYourself FAMILY app initiative. In addition to print and digital content, BLB operates vacation camps and holiday programs for children, teens, families, and adults across domestic venues (Jugendhaus Valbella) and a cross-border German site (CurlyRanch near Öhningen). For churches and schools, BLB provides turnkey experiential programs including interactive exhibitions (Geheimnis Bibel), LEGO-building events (LEGO Stadt, HolzBauWelt), Gutenberg-press workshops (Gut zum Druck), theme worship services (Biblepainting, Motorsäge-Gottesdienst, Spoken Word), and training workshops for congregation staff.

The business model is donation-driven: a large portion of the organization's missionary and programmatic work is funded by charitable contributions, bequests, and interest-free supporter loans, with donations tax-deductible in Switzerland. Additional revenue streams include camp participant fees (which the organization states only barely cover costs, with discounts of CHF 30 for first-time campers and cancellation insurance at 4% of camp fee), sales of printed materials and resources through the BLB online shop (shop.bibellesebund.ch), and fees for church and school workshops. Distribution combines a direct e-commerce storefront, direct camp enrollment, institutional sales to churches and schools, the Bibelzeit mobile app distributed via app stores, and the global Scripture Union network as a brand and mission channel. The technology stack is built on conventional web infrastructure (Mittwald hosting, a CMS maintained by Medienagentur Hallenberger, JoussenKarliczek web design), with newsletter delivery via MailChimp and Brevo, payments via Payrexx/PayPal/TWINT, and audience tracking via Google Analytics and Meta Pixel.

Name

Bible Reading Union

Legal name

Bibellesebund Schweiz

Website

https://bibellesebund.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bibellesebund Schweiz (Bible Reading Union) is a Swiss non-profit founded in 1925 that publishes age-segmented daily devotional magazines (GUTER START, PUR, ATEMPAUSE, ORIENTIERUNG), runs the Bibelzeit mobile app and FeedYourself FAMILY app, and operates vacation camps and turnkey experiential programs for children, youth, families, churches, and schools across Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Publishing and Faith-Based Programs

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Literature & Book Clubs / Guided Reading Groups (EDAMAJAG)

Keywords

• Daily devotional magazines
• Bible reading programs
• Youth vacation camps
• Church workshop services
• Christian publishing non-profit

Headquarters

HQ city

Winterthur

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: A large portion of the organization's missionary and programmatic work is funded by donations. The organization is a registered non-profit association, donations are tax-deductible in Switzerland, and interest-free loans from supporters are also accepted.
2. Vacation Camps and Holiday Programs: Fees charged for camps and holiday programs for children, teens, families, and adults. Camp fees are stated to only barely cover the actual cost of the stay, with financial support available for those who cannot afford participation.
3. Sales of Publications and Resources: Revenue from selling Bible reading magazines, themed brochures, workshop materials, and related resources through the BLB online shop.
4. Inheritance and Legacies: The organization accepts bequests and legacy donations as a form of long-term financial support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bibellesebund Schweiz publishes daily devotional magazines segmented by age group (GUTER START for children, PUR for youth, ATEMPAUSE for women, ORIENTIERUNG for adults) and operates the Bibelzeit mobile app for daily Bible reading. The organization also runs vacation camps for children, teens, and families, delivers workshops and experiential worship services to churches, schools, and confirmation groups, and provides free materials via the Hallo Bibel portal.

Product overview

Bible Reading Union (Bibellesebund Schweiz) operates as a non-profit religious organization offering a diverse portfolio of Bible reading and faith-building products and programs. The core offering consists of Bible reading journals and devotionals published in multiple editions targeting different demographics: Guter Start for children, PUR for teenagers, ATEMPAUSE for women, and ORIENTIERUNG for adults. These print publications are complemented by digital offerings including the Bibelzeit app for mobile Bible reading and FeedYourself FAMILY for family faith integration. The organization delivers experiential programming through youth camps (Kinder Camps, Jugendcamps) featuring themed activities like LEGO Stadt building programs, and operates the Youthhaus Valbella as accommodation for retreats. Additional products include workshops for church workers covering children's, youth, and women's ministry, interactive experiences like Geheimnis Bibel exhibition and LifeTrails outdoor trails, and the Hallo Bibel church materials program. CurlyRanch programs offer horse and alpaca-based experiences for parent-child bonding and youth development. The portfolio represents a unified ecosystem designed to make Bible engagement accessible across all age groups and learning styles, from daily devotionals to immersive multi-day camp experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bibelzeit App: Daily Bible reading app for daily Bible reading with background information and impulses for Bible texts
• GUTER START
• PUR
• ATEMPAUSE
• ORIENTIERUNG
• Geheimnis Bibel
• Hallo Bibel
• FeedYourself FAMILY
• Jugendhaus Valbella

Products and services

• GUTER START Daily Bible devotional magazine for children, offering age-appropriate biblical reflections, background information, and impulses designed to build daily Bible reading habits in young readers.
• PUR Daily Bible devotional magazine for teenagers and adolescents, offering engaging devotional content designed for adolescent spiritual development and faith exploration.
• ATEMPAUSE Daily Bible devotional magazine for women, providing spiritual reflections and meditative content tailored for female readers, including women's ministry and personal devotional practice.
• ORIENTIERUNG Daily Bible devotional magazine for adults, offering comprehensive biblical reflections, background information, and spiritual guidance for mature readers.
• Bibelzeit App Mobile application for daily Bible reading, providing devotional content and structured Bible reading plans for various target audiences including children, youth, women, and adults, accessible on smartphones and tablets.
• FeedYourself FAMILY Mobile application for families to integrate faith into everyday life, helping parents and children experience faith together in daily routines without overwhelm or extensive preparation.
• Youth Camps (Jugendcamps) Various overnight camps for youth and teenagers including sports camps, adventure camps, and themed camps at locations such as Valbella (Graubünden) and CurlyRanch (Öhningen, Germany). Includes the Sportcamp für PreTeens priced at CHF 350 per participant.
• Kinder Camps Vacation camps for children featuring LEGO building activities, creative workshops, film camps, and action programs designed for primary school-age children.
• Family Camps and Parent-Child Weekends Family-oriented programs including parent-child weekends at CurlyRanch (Öhningen, DE) combining outdoor activities, horse experiences, and faith-based content, with multi-tier accommodation pricing (CHF 470-520).
• LEGO Stadt Building program using LEGO bricks to create biblical stories and themes, offered as both camps and workshops for children and youth.
• Workshops & Referate Educational workshops for churches and communities covering topics like children's ministry, youth work, women's ministry, and Bible exploration, delivered from practice to practice.
• Geheimnis Bibel Interactive exhibition and escape room experience exploring biblical themes, available for churches, schools, and confirmation groups.
• LifeTrails Interactive trail experience combining outdoor adventure with biblical discovery, suitable for groups, churches, and schools.
• gatHER Event series bringing people together for shared spiritual experiences and community building, available for churches and groups.
• Lectio Continua Continuous Bible reading program offering structured biblical study and devotional content for sustained scripture engagement.
• Hallo Bibel Free materials portal for churches to promote Bible reading, providing sermon outlines, small group materials, and Bible reading cards.
• Youthhaus Valbella Youth hostel and group accommodation facility operated by the Bibellesebund for camps and retreats in Valbella, Graubünden.
• CurlyRanch Programs Horse ranch-based programs including riding camps and parent-child weekends featuring horses and alpacas, combining outdoor activities with faith experiences at Öhningen, Germany.
• Bible Reading Resources (Starter Booklets and Thematic Pamphlets) Additional Bible reading materials including starter booklets for beginners and thematic pamphlets for in-depth study, sold through the BLB online shop.
• BLB Fokus Magazine Free printed info magazine for supporters, donors, and interested parties covering news and updates from the organization, distributed 4x per year by post.

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Scripture Union Global (International Bible Reading Union / Ligue pour la Lecture de la Bible)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBLB Schweiz is the Swiss branch of the international Scripture Union / Bible Reading Union movement, active for over 150 years in more than 120 countries. The oil lamp symbol (referencing Psalm 119:105) is the globally recognized emblem of the movement. BLB operates under the shared mission and brand of Scripture Union Global.
• Landeskirchen (State/Regional Churches) and Free Churches in SwitzerlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBLB works in close collaboration with both state churches (Landeskirchen) and free churches across Switzerland, positioning itself as a cross-denominational service provider for all church works.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/blbschweiz
• Facebookfacebook.com/bibellesebund.ch
• Instagraminstagram.com/blbschweiz
• TikToktiktok.com/@blbschweiz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bibellesebund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bible Reading Union