The Seed Parable Project

When people read the Bible, their lives change.

The Seed Parable Project pays people in South Asia a fair wage to spend one quiet hour in the Gospels of Matthew & Mark — and to share, honestly, what they find.

Painting of an outstretched hand scattering seeds over a golden field at sunset

When people read the Bible, their lives change. Why? I believe it's because the words are alive -- that the living creator of the universe speaks to us through them.

But across the world, millions never hear or find the space to actually read these words, or to be part of a community that does.

To help reduce the number of people who live their whole lives without any personal exposure to the Bible, in 2022, I began paying online freelancers in South Asia a good hour's wage — $5 USD — to simply spend an hour reading the Bible and giving me their candid reactions.

Just an hour, spent across passages from the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. Enough, hopefully, to plant a seed.

An hour is rarely where it ends.

Here are direct words from some of the ~500 participants so far after spending an hour reading the Gospels.

Reflection 1 of 70

“This was a wonderful experience. I have never really read the bible or been to church but now I really want to know more and even go to church to learn even more.”
— Felicity A.
4.4/ 5

Rated level of desire to read more of the Bible on their own time.

4.1/ 5

Rated level of desire to share something they learned with somebody else.

47%

Participants who requested follow-up support (on how to pray, what to read next, where to connect with believers, specific prayer requests, etc.)

Plant Seeds with me

Right now we're planting 20 seeds a month.

After a few years of testing and working out the kinks, I'd love to open the door and invite you to help. Want to plant a few seeds? Each $5 gives one person a fair hour's wage to read and reflect on Jesus' life.

Plant seeds

Fund new hours of reading each month. One seed is one person, one hour in Matthew and Mark.

3seeds / month

Water the seeds

Support our local counselor's admin time finding, praying for, and connecting with participants who opt in after their hour of reading.

Your gift helps someone move from a single reading toward a conversation with God and community where they live.

Gifts are processed securely and are tax-deductible. Contributions are made to and receipted by Redemptive Studios, a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 41-2563753). Card, Apple Pay, and ACH bank giving supported at checkout.

Fair things to ask

What exactly are you having people read?
Participants read a curated set of passages from the Gospels of Matthew and Mark covering Jesus’ birth, teachings, miracles, death, and resurrection (passages in full here—opens in new tab). The selection is designed to fit comfortably into an hour, in the reader’s first language where possible.
Where are you finding people, and how are you recruiting them?
We post
The job description posted on freelancer platforms, including the intro, job instructions, and notes about the survey
 on freelancer platforms online. The listing states upfront that the task involves reading from the Bible and that participants’ payment or site rating/feedback is NOT tied to any sort of personal response.
What are the expectations for participants to get paid? How are they asked to respond after the reading?
Participants are asked to simply relax, read, and then share their sincere post-reading reaction (whatever that might be) to get full payment and positive feedback.
The Post-Reading Reflection form with two 1–5 interest ratings, an optional follow-up support question, a reading-length rating, and a final comments field
 of the reflection form.
What does follow-up support look like for those interested?
When folks opt in for follow-on support, we provide it through a South Asia-based counselor who is typically coaching people on what to read or watch next, how to start talking to God, how to find communities of believers near them, or is sending audio prayers for specific requests.
What might I expect to see after starting to plant seeds?
Each month, you’ll get a digest of data and highlights from the past month of seeds that you’ve helped plant. We’re thinking through additional touchpoints we can have with participants some time after the initial reading as well.
Is my seed planting tax-deductible?
Yes. Contributions are made to and receipted by Redemptive Studios, a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 41-2563753). Your gift is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, and you’ll receive a receipt for your records.
Who’s behind this?
The Seed Parable Project started in 2022 by myself (Jonathan Kumar) and our local counselor in South Asia (for safety reasons, not disclosed) as a simple experiment to help more people encounter God for themselves. It operates under Redemptive Studios, a US nonprofit.
I have a question or idea not addressed here.
Reach out anytime to Jonathan at jt@redemptive.cc!