With a new year comes an opportunity to embrace a spiritual practice of reading God’s Word. Forward Movement, with support from partners from around the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion, invites you to celebrate the time of Epiphany with the Good Book Club. Starting on January 1, 2021, and continuing through Shrove Tuesday, February 16, the Good Book Club features daily readings from the Gospel of Mark.

“Mark’s Gospel happens to be the gospel that we are reading during this year on Sundays,” said Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry. “The Good Book Club provides an opportunity for us to study that very gospel, but it also gives us an opportunity to do so in a very difficult time. In this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the season of Epiphany may well be the most difficult days of this pandemic for us all. And it may well be that the Good Book Club is exactly what we need for the living of these days.”

Joining the Good Book Club is easy: Open your Bible and start reading! And if you start late or miss a day, no worries! It’s not a school assignment. You can read and participate at your own pace. If you’d prefer to listen, try the Good Book Club podcast, available here and anywhere you listen to podcasts. A plethora of resources from Forward Movement and partners encourages you to choose-your-own-adventure for reading the Gospel of Mark. Highlights include:

• If you’re looking for an introductory class for the Gospel of Mark, sign up for a free 90-minute webinar hosted by the Montreal Diocesan Theological College in the Anglican Church of Canada.
• If your church is named for Saint Mark, share the story of your ministry and mission—and learn about the ministry of other St. Mark congregations—on Facebook, guided by the Episcopal Asset Map.
• Back by popular demand is a free, online, live Bible study presented by ChurchNext.
• Subscribe to weekly emails for a preview of the readings and reflection questions.
• Join the discussion in Spanish, with regular videos and online discussions.
• For those interested in daily reflections on the readings, check out A Journey with Mark available in print and as an ebook from Forward Movement.

This is the fifth series of the initiative to encourage scripture engagement, led by Forward Movement. Partners include the United Thank Offering, Episcopal Migration Ministries, Episcopal Church Foundation, The Living Church, Forma, GrowChristians.org, ChurchNext, the Episcopal Church’s communication, digital, and evangelism ministries, the Hive, Invite Welcome Connect, the Consortium of Endowed Parishes, Montreal Diocesan Theological College, Episcopal Asset Map, Building Faith, RenewalWorks, and the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast.

For more information or to access the reading list, a toolkit, and resources, please visit the Good Book Club website.

Forward Movement is a ministry of the Episcopal Church that inspires disciples and empowers evangelists. With offices in Cincinnati, Ohio, Forward Movement has been serving the Episcopal Church since 1935 by producing resources such as Forward Day by Day, books, apps, pamphlets, conferences, courses, and more. Visit www.goodbookclub.org to learn more.