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Churchwide Bible Reading Initiative continues during Epiphany 2020

February 10, 2020
Office of Public Affairs

Thousands of people are exploring the Gospel of John together as part of the Good Book Club, an initiative sponsored by Forward Movement, along with partners from around The Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion. The Good Book Club invites participants to read a portion of the gospel each day, culminating on Shrove Tuesday, February 25.

“Even though the Good Book Club began on Epiphany, it’s not too late to join,” said Richelle Thompson, deputy director and managing editor of Forward Movement. “It’s always the right time to read the Word of God!”

Stories of Good Book Club Bible studies across the United States, Canada, Venezuela, and around the globe are being shared on social media; hundreds attended a webinar hosted by the Montreal Diocesan Theological College.

“It’s exciting to see people shape the Good Book Club to the needs of their community,” said Thompson. “People have sent poetry and pictures, reflections about the readings, and even set up an Alexa skill as a reminder for the daily readings. Reading the Bible is an adventure, and it’s a joy to see so many people embarking on the challenge and mapping their own journey.”

In a video about the initiative, Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry encourages people to read God’s Holy Word and discover the signs and wonders of Jesus presented in the Gospel of John.

Joining the Good Book Club is easy: Open your Bible and start reading! In addition, Episcopal and Anglican partners have prepared resources to support the journey, including print and online Bible studies, webinars, reflections, blogs, and social media posts. ChurchNext is offering a free online live Bible study, led by scholar Vicki Garvey. Video reflections are available from a number of partners, including the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast and the Hive, an online wellness and spirituality community. Free, downloadable Gospel of John study guides are available from Episcopal Migration Ministries and the United Thank Offering. For those who want to track their journey with some creative coloring, the Evangelism Team of the Episcopal Church offers a free download of  Follow the Star. A Journey with John, one of the Bible Challenge series books available from Forward Movement, offers daily reflections and prayers.

This is the third year for the initiative to encourage scripture engagement, led by Forward Movement. Other partners include The Episcopal Church, the Episcopal Asset Map, Building Faith, Episcopal Church Foundation, The Living Church, Forma, GrowChristians.org, ChurchNext, RenewalWorks, and the Diocese of Pennsylvania.

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

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Amanda Skofstad

Public Affairs Officer

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