The year 2020 will be remembered as one of the most disruptive and challenging years of our lives. The Coronavirus has changed us in ways we can immediately measure-like thousands of people getting sick or dying from the virus, as well as the economic devastation felt throughout the entire world. We have probably also been changed in ways we haven’t imagined yet. One thing we are sure of, however, is that all of us have been negatively affected. We are all in the midst of difficult days. 

One of the most unexpected changes affecting the Body of Christ was reported by the American Bible Society a few weeks ago-13 million Americans who were formerly read the Bible regularly, have stopped reading it all together since the Pandemic began. A director for the American Bible Society said, “What we saw between January and June was that 13 million people in America, who were previously really engaging meaningfully with Scripture, no longer were, and that was a serious drop-off.”

As a church, our ministries have always depended upon us being a Bible believing people, our classes committed to Bible teaching, and our pastors have all been focused on Bible preaching. All of those ministry commitments begin with a passion for individual Bible reading.  

We cannot reverse the inaction of 13 million people who have stopped reading the Word, but we can refuse to be guilty of it ourselves. So I’m offering our congregation a new Bible Reading Challenge 2020. I’m asking all of us to read one simple,  short chapter every day for the next 21 days beginning Sunday August 2  through Saturday August 22, 2020. Will you accept the challenge? 

All of the chapters I’ve chosen are easy and quick to read. Why did I choose short easy to read chapters? I want everyone to participate. Good habits like daily Bible reading can be established in 21 days and they can last a lifetime. There’s really no reason not to jump on board with this challenge. It all starts next Sunday August 2 and we will find multiple ways to communicate to our church family throughout the challenge. 

Thanks for being part of a Bible teaching, Bible believing, Bible reading church!

READING GUIDE

Day 1, -1 John 1 (August 2)

Day 2, -1 John 2

Day 3, -1 John 3

Day 4,- 1 John 4

Day 5, – 1 John 5

Day 6, – Psalm 120

Day 7, – Psalm 121

Day 8,- Psalm 122

Day 9,- Psalm 123

Day 10,-Psalm 124

Day 11,-Psalm 125

Day 12,-Psalm 126

Day 13,-Psalm 127

Day 14, -Psalm 128

Day 15,- Ephesians 1

Day 16,-Ephesians 2

Day 17,-Ephesians 3

Day 18,-Ephesians 4

Day 19,-Ephesians 5

Day 20,- Ephesians 6

Day 21,-Jude (August 22)

You can do it! Watch the 2 minute video below.

Kie Bowman