The Good Book Club Bible Challenge
The Gospel of Luke

In Easter, we are moving from a study of Luke to reading the Acts of the Apostles. Join us as we embark on this 50-day season of new life walking with the apostles as they receive the Holy Spirit and work to build a new Church.

"The Acts of the Apostles tells of the earliest people who dared to follow the way of Jesus, actually living by what he taught, living in his Spirit, and walking his way, day by day...These stories and the teachings of Jesus--and the witness of those who followed him--help, heal, lift up, and set the captive free."

The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry
Presiding Bishop, The Episcopal Church

Why read the Bible?

The Bible Challenge began as a simple idea: to encourage daily reading of scripture. Simple ideas can bring forth great change.

Developing a daily spiritual discipline or practice is crucial for all Christians who wish to be faithful followers of Jesus. Saint Augustine and many other great Christians have written about the power of reading the Bible quietly on our own. There is no other book in the world that can so transform the human heart, motivate the human spirit, and give us the mind that was in Christ Jesus himself.

Regular engagement with the Bible develops a strong Christian faith, enhances our experience of worship, and helps to create a more committed, articulate, and contagious Christian. This is exactly what the world needs today.

Following the footsteps of Jesus, alongside exceptional leaders like Pope Francis and Bishop Curry, we can blend a passion for the Bible and fervent prayer with a strong call for social justice and combating poverty.

--Marek Zabriskie
   Founder, the Bible Challenge

Read with us

The Journey with Luke is a 50-day reading plan. We will start on February 11 and proceed through Lent and Holy Week to Easter. Although we will read individually, by participating as a larger group we will be supported in spirit and prayer by the whole St. Peter's community.

On each day of the challenge, participants will read a selected Bible passage and a reflection written by one of a variety of spiritual leaders and writers from around the world. There are also questions for reflection and a brief prayer.

The Journey with Luke can be purchased online through Forward Movement, or through Amazon, as a paperback or e-book. 

Minister with us

Members from ministries across the entire St. Peter's community will be participating in the Good Book Club beginning this Lent. Ministry leaders are asked to include the day's reading and reflection questions at the beginning of their meetings during this period.

Engage with us

As a community, we will be offering the following opportunities to engage with others who are also participating in the Good Book Club:

• The Good Book Club is a joint venture between Forward Movement, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, and more than 25 organizations from around the Episcopal Church.
• Father Dirk will be at Panera Bread (Mounts Corner, Rt 537, Freehold) on most Tuesdays of the Challenge, at 10:00 am and again at 7:00 pm.
• Clergy and formation staff will be available for group chats at Fellowship Hour each week of the Challenge in the Parish Hall.
• Father Dirk and other staff members will blog throughout the Challenge.

Reading with Kids

A Bible Challenge like this is in not just for adults! Children and teens can engage with Scripture in powerful ways. Readings are usually not too long, and reflection questions can be adapted to be age-appropriate. Feel free to use a children's Bible for younger children. This is a great way to introduce Scripture to kids, but also to model the Christian practice of reading the Bible regularly.

Here are some great articles from our friends to inspire you:

From Grow Christians:

• The Good Book Club is Coming!
• The Good Book Club with Kids: Picking a Bible
• The Good Book Club with Kids: Setting Up for Success
• The Good Book Club with Teenagers

From Building Faith:

• The Gospel of Luke with Children
• The Gospel of Luke with Teenagers

How to Read the Bible Prayerfully (from The Center for Biblical Studies)

• We suggest that you try to read the Bible each day. This is a great spiritual discipline to establish.
• If you need more than forty days to complete the Social Justice Bible Challenge, we support you moving at the pace that works best for you. And if you want to keep going when you're done, a list of additional scripture citations is included in the back of the book. Keep reading!
• Other resources for learning more about the Bible and engaging scripture can be found at Forward Movement or at The Center for Biblical Studies. The center also offers a Read the Bible in a Year program, and reading plans for the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs.
• Because the Bible is not a newspaper, it is best to read it with a reverent spirit. We advocate a devotional approach to reading the Bible, rather than reading it as a purely intellectual or academic exercise.
• Before reading the Bible, take a moment of silence to put yourself in the presence of God. We then invite you to read this prayer written by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer:

Blessed Lord, who has caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

• We encourage you to read in the morning, if possible, so that your prayerful reading may spiritually enliven the rest of your day. If you cannot read in the morning, read when you can later in the day. Try to carve out a regular time for your daily reading.
• Have fun and find spiritual peace and the joy that God desires for you in your daily reading. The goal of the Center for Biblical Studies is to help you discover God's wisdom and to create a lifelong spiritual practice of daily Bible reading so that God may guide you through each day of your life.