Bible Month is a toolkit for you and your church to engage with one book of the Bible over a 4 week period
“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.”- Colossians 1:28
Bible Month is an opportunity for churches and circuits to spend 30 days focused on a single biblical book. The latest resource, 30 days with Ruth, was launched in January 2020 and follows the 30 days in Colossians magazine; Jonah; and The Letter of James. In 2021, the Bible Month resource will be the Gospel of Mark.
Bible Month involves two key elements
Preachers preparing and preaching a series of sermons on the chosen biblical book over the four Sundays of a single month of their choice.
Small group leaders running a 'Bible Month' group that focuses on Jonah, but which also helps those attending engage the Bible in fresh and innovative ways.
By focusing on a single biblical book, the aim of a Bible Month is to help all in church engage more deeply with Scripture. A pilot project showed that the Bible Month model could be effective in raising biblical literacy, and the majority of those who took part were keen to hold another Bible Month in the future!
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Frequently Asked Questions about Bible Month
Q) When should I run the Bible Month?
While many churches run Bible Month in June, you can run Bible Month anytime that suits your own context.
Q) Can I be the sole preacher for the Bible Month?
It is possible for a single preacher to preach the four sermons on the chosen book, but the usual practice is for a team of preachers to work together on this.
Q) Is the Bible Month just a 'one off' event?
The Bible Month will be held over the next few years, tackling several different books of the Bible. The 'Bible Month magazine' that supported the 2017 and 2018 Bible Months, however, are available for any church interested in running a Bible Month on either James, Jonah, Colossians or Ruth.
Q) Who is involved in running the Bible Month?
The Bible Month will be run by local churches, but support will be provided by LWPT. The Methodist Church has also been working with LWPT to produce the 'Bible Month' resource magazines.
Q) How can I receive training in leading a Bible Month?
A number of regions do hold training events, and you can find information about them by emailing mackenziee@methodistchurch.org.uk. There will also be a 'Bible Month magazine' available to help you in planning and preparation.
Q) How can I get young people involved in the Bible Month?
Suggestions for involving young people are included in the Bible Month magazines. On helping young people in generally engage with the Bible, you might also like to check out 'Navigate', a joint-resource produced by the Methodist Church and the Bible Society (www.methodist.org.uk/navigate).
Q) Where does this 'Bible Month' idea come from?
A 'Bible Month' pilot project ran in 2015, and involved two churches in London and two in the North East. The pilot itself, however, drew on a 'preaching series' model for encouraging biblical literacy trialled in the Yorkshire Dales, which itself emerged from a discussion at circuit level. A Bible Month on James was held across the Connexion in 2017.
