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Over the last year, our vestry has sought ways to move our congregation along the path to Christ-centered living. According to a survey taken by over 250,000 people in over 1,000 churches, one of the most effective ways to foster spiritual growth at a community level is to embed Scripture in all the community does; on a personal level the most effective way is to read the Bible daily. Our vestry has taken steps to embed Scripture in all our church’s endeavors and now they are challenging our congregants to commit to reading the Bible daily in 2017.
 
To help encourage a reading plan, the vestry has gathered the resources below. Be on the look out for blog posts from our vestry members describing their experiences with them. If you have another plan in mind other than those listed here, please feel free to pursue it. 
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On January 1st, 2017, the Gulf Atlantic Diocese will again begin their journey through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and they will do it in 365 days. If you choose to sign up, you will receive an email each day with a short segment of Scripture, usually 3-4 chapters. An audio link is included for those who want to hear it read aloud. It takes about 15-20 minutes per day to read. Sign up here.
 
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Everyone has their own approach to daily Bible reading, and some enjoy more flexibility than reading through the Bible in a year allows. Ethan Stonerook, a member of our vestry, has invited anyone who wants to join him to read a 10-20 minute portion of Scripture, followed by 10-20 minutes of reflection. He will begin the readings with the Gospel of John and will include a Psalm every day. Read his blog post to find out more. To sign up, email him at ServantReadingGroup1@gmail.com.
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The One Year Bible, published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., draws you through the year with daily readings from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. They believe you can do it because they’ve broken down the readings into 15 minute sections that keep your reading fresh. You can purchase a paper or electronic copy here. Alternatively, you can download The Bible App (You Version), and under “Plans” you’ll find the same reading plan for free, right on your device.
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You don’t have to have been a Christian long to know about the daily devotional Our Daily Bread. Began in 1938, this classic booklet has been helping believers grow in Christ for generations. You can get your own free copy here, or you can sign up on the same page to receive a daily email with a short devotion and Scripture passage.
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Nicky and Pippa Gumbel (pioneers of Alpha) first introduced the Bible in One Year commentary in 2011. It has since grown into an app with a worldwide following. If you don’t have a smartphone, you can sign up for the daily email here. The reading plan includes daily readings from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs; plan to set aside about 25 minutes a day to complete them.
 
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If in addition to Scripture reading, you’re interested in a devotion, the shereadstruth or hereadstruth app may be just what you need. These two apps combine Bible reading with different devotional plans of varying lengths. You can choose topical devotions, books of the Bible, or church calendar-themed devotions. The mission of both apps is to invite Christians to reach for their Bibles every day. To read more or download the app, visit hereadstruth.com or shereadstruth.com.