3 Uniquely Effective Ways To Set-Up Bible Reading Campaigns For Your Church

Most of us know how valuable personal Bible study can be, but did you know that doing it as a community can produce fruit tenfold?

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 GNT

Just as we sometimes prefer joining a group event versus a solo event, where we can absorb the group momentum, so is the appeal of a church-wide campaign!

We are going to share 3 uniquely effective campaigns with you here.

First things first — decide if your campaign will be digitally-driven or small group driven. Do you want to drive the campaign through emails and digital downloads and enhance through in-person interactions on Sundays and in small groups? Or do you want to drive the campaign using in-person experience at small groups and enhance the experience digitally through Facebook groups or something similar?

Once you’ve decided on your approach, you are ready for kick-off.

A CAMPAIGN FOR LEADERS

Kick off a campaign focused on your leaders. These busy men and women likely need little convincing of their need for God’s influence and guidance, but they might need convincing in regards to the time investment.

These leaders may feel like they do not have any “extra” time to dedicate to a reading campaign. But we know that most leaders experience times when their shoulders grow tired or the spiritual well feels dry.

“As a leader, the first person I need to lead is me. The first person that I should try to change is me.” John C. Maxwell

If leaders want to serve well, they first have to put something in their own buckets.

Poll your leader group on their struggles or points of interest to guide your topic of study.

There are countless options for church-wide reading, but there’s one we highly recommend:

• Daily Bible Reading, one of the most popular offerings from the American Bible Society. Busy leaders will appreciate the predetermined daily reading schedule, and the option to have the verses sent daily to their inbox.

INTERSECTION OF FAITH + WORK

Professionals and other church attendees who spend expend their daily energy outside of the church have a unique opportunity to see the world through the lens of Jesus. A campaign for this group can be the glue for the masses who live at the intersection of faith and the world.

Thought-provoking articles can spark great discussions, and many are available on sites like Faith & Work, whose mission is to “explore and investigate the gospel’s unique power to renew hearts, communities, and the world, in and through our day-to-day work.”

Here are two outstanding Faith + Work Plan Reading Options

• Audio readings are popular for commuters, and the Daily Audio Bible is a free app-based approach to listening to the Bible while on the go.
• For a deeper dive, we suggest the reading plan Let’s Read the Bible Together by Life. Church, which takes readers through the Bible in a year! Get it all on the free app or on the website my.bible.com.

GROUP PLAN

This is a campaign for the masses… the Group Plan is for anyone!

Group campaigns can take a book club approach, inviting church regulars and non-attendees alike to discover the scriptures through this Bible reading campaign. Consider holding reading groups in offsite locations like homes or local coffee shops!

Consider creating a microsite separate from the church’s website, (like ChicagoReads.Bible or MyChurchNameReads.Bible, etc). There, you can, post daily readings or videos, communicate plan info, answer FAQs, etc.

Here are Two Group Plan Reading Options

• With creative videos that explain every book of the Bible and major themes, we like the Read Scripture app for a year-long plan, produced by the Bible project.
• Accompanied by a commentary from the London Vicar Nicky Gumbel, Bible in One Year is available as a standalone app or use the reading plan in the free Bible app from YouVersion.

Regardless of your approach to a church Bible reading campaign, the benefits are many. From increasing momentum to engaging new families to increasing connection on social media—reading campaigns can increase involvement and church growth.

Start Your Own Organization-Wide Reading Campaign

We’ve put together a free kit for churches and organizations who want to harness the power of reading campaigns for their own congregations and groups. It’s everything you need from the reading plan itself to publicity elements like social media images and pre-written emails.

1. Go to www.readingplans.bible
2. Download your free kit
3. Start your reading plan as a church

Let’s read together!