Read the Bible
The most important thing we can read is the Bible! It can feel overwhelming but there are lots of plans and resources that can help. Here are just a few ideas:
Bible in One Year - Started by Nicky & Pippa Gumbel of Holy Trinity Brompton, this plan gives three daily readings (Psalm, Old Testament, New Testament) along with a short reflection on each one. You can sign up to receive a daily email or download the app, where you can also listen to an audio version.
Chronological plan - This Chronological Bible reading plan that takes you through the Bible in the order that events occurred, helping you to grasp the flow of the overall story and understand how the historical books, prophecy and psalms all interweave.
Other reading plans - The Navigators organisation has three helpful plans available to download: one is a 5 minutes a day plan to read through the New Testament and the other two go through the whole Bible in a year either book by book or reading 4 different passages a day (these also feature some rest or catch up days!).
Other books
As a church we occasionally take the opportunity to read a book together. Over recent years we have looked at:
Fresh pathways in prayer by Julian Hardyman
If you've ever felt like you're the only person who's thought that prayer is a bit strange, then this is the book for you. It can feel wrong to admit that having a conversation with someone we can't see can feel rather unusual. Prayer doesn't come naturally to most of us which can leave us feeling guilty, stuck in a rut, or far away from God. Julian Hardyman tackles head-on those questions we all have about prayer, but feel we can't ask. He gives us permission to be honest about how our prayer lives are going and he provides fresh, practical ideas to help us to enjoy talking to our heavenly Father.
Risk Takers by Malcolm Duncan
The book of Acts is the story of the first Christians doing church together. It wasn’t systematized, ordered and disinfected. It was risky. They didn’t have a clue what was coming next – but they soon learned to depend on the Spirit. They tried, often failed, and then tried again. In his book, Malcolm re-captures God’s vision for the Church and puts it into the inescapable context of mission. Then he highlights the common risks many stumble over including living in Gods provision, saying yes and embodying grace.
