Grace Church of the Nazarene to Launch 'Groundbreaking' Bible Reading Campaign

Editor's note: The following is a press release from Grace Church of the Nazarene. 

The Bible is the best-selling book in history, but how many people in IGH are actually reading it?

A Gallup survey reports the average American household has four Bibles. However, research by Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life (2008) found that only 16 percent of Americans read the Bible every day.

“The Bible is central to our faith,” said Pastor Tim Asbill Jr. of Grace Church of the Nazarene, “but many people are intimidated by its scope and size."

Grace Church is hoping to reverse the trend, starting with its own congregation.

Pastor Asbill believes that The Story is the right tool to increase Biblical literacy—helping readers understand God’s story from Genesis to Revelation and how their own stories intersect with God’s.

Consisting of 31 chapters of carefully-selected scriptures sequenced in chronological order, The Story presents the word of God in an engaging format, reading like a novel.

“I want the people in my congregation, as well as the city of Inver Grove Heights, to realize the incredible love God has for them and how their story is found in His story,” Pastor Asbill said.

The Story Church Campaign is a unique program providing up to 31 weeks of curriculum for children, teen and adult Sunday school and up to 31 weeks of corresponding sermons.

When accompanied by reading through the five age-related books—The Story, The Story: Teen Edition, The Story for Kids, The Story for Children and The Story for Little Ones—the entire church can be literally on the same page for 31 weeks.

Grace Church of the Nazarene plans to begin the experience on September 30, 2012.

With thousands of participating churches nationwide, The Story is becoming a movement that is bringing wide-ranging benefits to local churches. Many have reported increased community outreach, increased Biblical literacy, congregational growth and a greater understanding of how God’s story reveals the reasons for the things that happen in man’s story.

Grace Church of the Nazarene would like to invite you to experience The Story.

Sunday services start with Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. and Morning Worship at 10:40 a.m.