“What we are trying to do is say we want our people to know the Scripture — and how will they know the Scriptures other than by reading it? And what’s the best way to read it? I’m convinced that it’s designed to be read in big chunks, out loud, with people getting together.”
Cornerstone Church in Kingston, UK, have embarked on ‘The Big Read’. The idea is to read one book of the Bible each month, together in small groups.
On the first Sunday of the month, the pastor preaches an overview of the book. Then at the midweek prayer meeting, they read the first few chapters together, leaving the rest for the small groups during the other weeks of the month. They’ve put together a series of 10 questions to help them reflect on what they’re reading.
For more details, see the article in The Briefing, which contains some provocative thoughts on Bible reading from Cornerstone’s pastor, Pete Woodcock.
See also: Reading the Bible Together groups.