Frequently Asked Questions
What is Operation Worship and how did it start?
Operation Worship began in 2006 as a simple Christian music tour where we went to military bases all over the country and brought major Christian artists along with us. It was a very successful tour and lasted about a year and half. When we were visiting Fort Hood Texas, and after talking to a Chaplain who had been recently deployed to the war zone, we discovered the intense need for Bibles within the military. Specifically, soldiers had a great desire for the Old and New Testament as a single Bible. And it was important that the Bible would fit in the pocket of anyone in a battle uniform.
I responded by contacting some good friends at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association who shipped us our first 6,500 Bibles and our Bible ministry was launched right then and there. Since then, we’ve had to stop producing Christian concerts at military bases mainly because of funding, knowing that getting the Bibles delivered was more important. Now that we have changed our mode of operation and are now including additional funding partners, we are scheduled to start our music tour back up again in March or April 2016.
What is Open Window Foundation?
Open Window Foundation is a non-profit foundation that is the parent organization for the Operation Worship project.
Is Open Window Foundation a non-profit foundation and can I write off my donation?
Open Window Foundation is a 501(c)3 non profit foundation and the ministry is called Operation Worship. We are an IRS approved not for profit foundation and all donations are tax exempt. Please check with your tax professional if you have any questions about your ability to write off donations made to Open Window Foundation. Click here to see a copy of the letter from the Internal Revenue Service.
What percentage of my donated funds goes to providing Bibles to the military?
At this time and in our history since 2006, 100% of our funding has been applied to purchasing and shipping Bibles.
Why do you donate Bibles specifically to the military but not to prisons, street ministries and other ministry organizations?
We have numerous requests for Bibles from many other ministries including prisons street ministries and other organizations. The monies and Bibles that are donated to Operation Worship are earmarked for military use and we stick to that mission closely. We occasionally get Bibles in that are not designated for this purpose and we gladly donate those to other ministries. But the camo covered military Bibles that were purchased by our amazing donors all over the country are always donated to military as a matter of integrity. This is a tough decision at times but of course we also want to remain an organization that you can trust.
How many Bibles are needed in the military?
We normally ship about 50,000 to 70,000 Bibles a year through Operation Worship and this has been consistent since 2006. But recently, due to a change in the design of the front covers of the Bibles, the demand has almost tripled for 2015 – 2016. You can read more about the newly designed Bibles in the “Latest News” column on the main front page of our site. The Bibles can now include the insignia of a specific unit within that branch of the military. The level of pride in the military is extremely high and the ability to print a unique insignia on the front and the spine of the Bible has caused an incredible increase in the desire for Bibles.
What is the primary source of funding for Operation Worship?
Since 2006, the Bibles have been provided from gracious donors who went to one of the many bookstores that have offered them for sale. The Bibles were purchased through bookstores such as Family Christian Stores, Mardel or Lifeway Christian Stores. Then, a message was written inside of each Bible or on a bookplate. Operation Worship has provided the shipping fees to have these Bibles shipped to our warehouse in California. No one has ever gotten paid within our organization, which has allowed us to use almost 100% of the funds for shipping alone. Our plans are to continue on the same course until we have the need to hire an employee or two due to basic expansion of the program.
What version of the Bible do you use and can it be ordered from you in any other version?
The Operation Worship Bible is written in the NLT version, also known as The New Living Translation, produced by Tyndale House publishers. Tyndale House has graciously allowed us to use this translation and it is proving to be a terrific version for those who seek the Lord. It is easy to read and understand. We have been committed to Tyndale House since day one and are committed to using the NLT version from today forward as well. Their support has been unprecedented and they have been a terrific partner with Operation Worship.
Do you have a larger print Bible available?
As of September 2015, we are working on the possibility of a large print full-size leather bound Bible for the veterans community. We will be announcing our plans in the near future as they unfold.
I signed a Bible online at signabible.com – Can you tell me where my message ended up?
First of all, thank you for taking the time to sign a personal message at SignABible.com. When you sign a Bible online, your message is stored in a database online. When you sign your message at a store where you purchased your Bible, we receive the hard copies from the store. When we repack the Bibles, we print your message along with thousands of others and each one is inserted in a Bible. We really love it when people can sign their personal message within the Bible itself on the first three pages but sometimes it’s just not possible. The cost of shipping these Bibles all over the country is very high and it is much easier for people to sign online and certainly much more effective. Now we can’t tell you exactly where your message has ended up but each one ends up in a Bible that God chooses. I can assure you that based on the messages we get from Chaplains, when a soldier opens the Bible and sees your message, it is clear that It was written specifically for them and the soldiers realize this. God has a very special message planned for each Bible. And not a single message or Bible will end up in the hands of someone it doesn’t belong to.
I want to support Operation Worship. How can I do that?
On our website, operationworship.com, there is a donation link at the very top of the home page. Simply click on that link and it will give you the options for your donation. You can also call us at (916) 624-6500 if you have any questions.
Can I donate money and have it designated for a specific branch of the military or a for a specific unit?
If you purchase a pallet of Bibles or more, we can easily assign your donation to a specific branch (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine) or unit. Trying to track donations that cover less than a pallet of Bibles can be very difficult. We always ship at least a pallet or more to each base location. Here at Operation Worship, we do everything we can to make sure that we remain accountable in every transaction and that you wishes are carried out. At this time, we are not able to offer designated funding for less than 1 pallet. Thank you for your understanding!
Who have your partnered with in the past and what other ministries know about Operation Worship?
Our partners include the Luis Palau Association, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Spirit West Coast, the KLOVE and Air1 radio stations, and all branches of the U.S. military.
How often do you print Bibles?
We normally print Bibles twice per year. A typical run of Bibles is anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 copies at a time.
What are the Divisional Bibles or the Unit Bibles that I have been hearing about and why are they important?
Recently, after much prayer about how to deploy more Bibles and how to receive them more effectively within the military, God revealed a very interesting new opportunity to us. We already print six different versions of the Bible including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, Coast Guard, and Homefront Bibles. The new idea was to print a unit or division insignia on the front and the spine of each Bible. Then we would offer these in minimum quantities of 3,000 to any division or unit within any branch of the military. This concept was presented to the military and the response was overwhelming. In a period of about two weeks, we received orders from the military for over 150,000 Bibles, which was an unprecedented number for Operation Worship. It appears that within the next 12 months we could easily go through 500,000 Bibles. This is a very exciting time for Operation Worship. We are all excited here to see where this goes and how God is going to work next. This opens up a tremendous opportunity for you. Now you can partner with us to sponsor either half of a pallet of Bibles, a full pallet of Bibles, multiple pallets of Bibles, or even an entire unit or division of Bibles on your own. Please call Jeff Hilliard, co-founder of Operation Worship, with any questions you might have about this at (916) 624-6500.
Can my church sponsor Bibles and how?
Yes, your church can sponsor Bibles in two ways. First, we always need people to write personal messages and encouragement to a soldier. We can send your church enough bookplates so that your entire congregation can share in the honor of writing these special messages. Second, we are also asking churches to sponsor Bibles by purchasing half pallets, whole pallets, or entire units of them so that they can be sent out. We have many ways for churches to become involved and we can send you information on how that can be done. Jeff Hilliard, one of the co-founders of Operation Worship, also speaks to churches quite often. He gives encouragement and tells the amazing story about how Operation Worship started and how it continues to bless so many people. Please contact Jeff directly at (916) 624-6500 to discuss a possible trip to your church and to share about this very fun and incredible ministry.
What level of sponsorship is available?
You can sponsor a single Bible from $5.99 all the way up to Bibles for an entire division of soldiers, which is close to 25,000 Bibles or $150,000. Of course there are many options in between as well. Please see our home page at operationworship.com for more detailed information.
How long has Operation Worship been in existence?
Open Window Foundation was granted a nonprofit status on November 15, 2006. Click here to see a copy of the letter from the Internal Revenue Service.
Is there a way that I can help with Bible packaging? Is there any other way that I can participate?
Yes! We have Bible packing events in our Rocklin, California warehouse. We would love to have you join us at our next event. For more information on our schedule, go our website and click on the “Events” link.
Is Operation Worship going to start up the military music tour again?
Yes we are! We had to temporarily stop the music tour when the Bible program started because we realized that the Bible distribution program was so important. But in 2016 we are planning to begin the music tour again, bringing major Christian artists to military bases all over the USA. This is another way we can bless our military and we are looking forward to this next step in the history of Operation Worship!
How do I contact the founders of Operation Worship?
You can call either Jeff Hilliard or Patti Hilliard, co-founders of Operation Worship at (916) 624-6500 or email them directly at [email protected].
Is there a development representative I can talk to so I can better understand what Operation Worship is about?
Yes! Please call Jeff Hilliard at (916) 624-6500 or email [email protected].
Is there really a need for Bibles in the military and how many Bibles will you deploy this coming year?
Since 2006, we have deployed over 700,000 Operation Worship Bibles all over the world and we normally deploy from 50,000 to 100,000 each year. We currently have a backlog of 170,000 Bibles as a result of a recent Bible change to our design. From our projections, the orders could easily triple during the next 12 months.
How are Bibles distributed within the military? I thought it was not legal to hand out Bibles in the military.
There are some serious restrictions on the delivery of Bibles within the military these days. It is not legal to hand a Bible directly to a soldier. However, a Chaplain can provide Bibles on a table or pallet that soldiers can pick up on their own. Through that process we have been able to deliver hundreds of thousands of Bibles so far.
What are the Mission, Values, and Visions of Operation Worship?
Our Mission: Providing Bibles to Military Chaplains for those who serve and their families
Our Values : 1. God First 2. We love, respect and support our own families and those we serve. 3. Prayer is the key to success in the Great Commission and life! 4. We live by God’s word and must be a living example to everyone we meet. 5. We will walk forward in Great Faith!
I am a civilian that serves the military and veterans but I am not part of an active duty military base and need Bibles. Your site says that you can only send Bibles to military bases. Can I still order Bibles that will be handed out to veterans and active duty military personnel?
We are clear on our mission and are responsible to make sure that we stick very closely to the job God has provided for us. But we also make some exceptions. If you do receive any of our Bibles, please know that however you deliver Operation Worship Bibles, they are to be distributed to Active Duty Military members and/or veterans only! Thank you.
I would like to work with Operation Worship as a volunteer. Is that possible?
Please call Jeff Hilliard at (916) 624-6500 or email [email protected] for more information.
Can someone from Operation Worship come and speak at my church or military base?
Jeff Hilliard, also known as the Monkey Commando, speaks to military bases and churches with an intense message about faith, courage, and God’s provision. Please call Jeff Hilliard at (916) 624-6500 for more information.