Pick My Brain: Year of the Bible, Feb. 5, 2013

2.  Start today.  What new Bible reading or “engaging with the scriptures” practice will you begin for the new year, for Lent, or as you ponder a Year of the Bible experience?  Don’t be shy – just plunge in. My commitment at this point is to memorize the Sermon on the Mount – anyone want to partner with me?3.  Talk to your friends, family and congregation.  Plan to attend the BIG event on August 1-2 when WDC hosts a Year of the Bible Launch.  Speakers, yes, but loads and loads of hands-on learning and immersing into the scriptures.  You will come away excited and ready to plan your very own Year of the Bible for your congregation. Start NOW to plant seeds of interest and pull together a team you will bring to the YOB Launch.4.  Fantastic Planning Team for Year of the Bible:  Cleo Koop, Hoffnungsau Mennonite Church, Inman, KS; Caleb Regehr, Inman area youth pastor and web wrangler; Jaime Cazares, Casa Betania, Newton, KS; Susan Jantzen, First Mennonite, Hillsboro, KS; Kathryn Bauchelle, Houston, TX Mennonite; Carol Duerksen, Tabor Mennonite Church, Newton, KS; Jeanette Leary, Bethel College Mennonite Church, North Newton, KS; and Peter Goerzen, Grace Hill Mennonite Church, Whitewater, KS.  Perhaps one of these folks called you recently to inquire about what is happening in your congregation.  To make a better YOB website and event, we need to hear ideas from you.  Submit them any time to me, mbogard@mennowdc.org.5.  The New WDC Garden: stories from the Western District Conference.  Did you see it?  This beautifully designed newsletter was created by Phyllis Regier and Nancy Funk.  What a fantastic job they did.  The lead article is on Year of the Bible….and provides an overview and insights to what we hope God will do with our efforts. It’s also available in e-form on our WDC website, www.mennowdc.org.6.  More Bible resources – to use now, to use for engaging with God’s word. Find these at www.mennowdc.org/libraryHow to Read the Bible Book by Book, a Guided Tour from Genesis through Revelation by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart.  Includes a section-by-section tour that helps you to see the larger landscape of the book and how the parts work together to form the whole. Wonderful, basic introduction and handbook for youth – adult.Learn to Study The Bible: 40 Different Methods to help you discover, apply and enjoy God’s Word by Andy Dean.  Try it, you will like it!.

How to Pray with the Bible by Page Zayromski.  Includes lively reflections and experiential exercises, step-by-step approaches to praying with scripture.
Plus – see this list from a previous edition of Pick My Brain:  https://mennowdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/2012-12-04.pdf