E-Sword

E-Sword (v9.5.1)is a free, extremely agile and functional Bible software program.  It has many free modules adding a good selection of Bibles, commentaries, devotions, dictionaries, and graphics (maps), greatly expanding its worth as a resource, and not overtaxing the investment of your parishioners.  You can purchase modules to expand its capabilities, which I will assume are the most current and or restricted due to copyright issues.

If you were to use this as a basis of a Bible study, you should consider the following when encouraging parishioners to select this program:

1. Select in advance the modules you want installed, otherwise the list could be overwhelming to the parishioner or his/her computer and/or skills.
2. Decide if they need Greek and Hebrew Bibles, for the opportunity to explore the various meanings of the words via Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries.
3. Seek a range of resources, as you should be the one to validate the download source for currency or applicability. 

E-Sword has the ability to create and save your own notes, to highlight text, to show text in comparison or parallel mode, and to view maps and graphics which help clarify geographical references, even if they are not extensive.  I’ve been running e-Sword concurrent with BW8 over the past couple of weeks, and I’ve found many common features, some with interfaces that mimic common Microsoft programs, making it easier for most parishioners to learn.
(JimG)