July is Bible Month

Last year, Bible Society NZ and Nielsen undertook research on public engagement with the Bible and results showed a marked drop in ownership and daily reading. Bible ownership has dropped to 53 percent of New Zealanders owning a Bible with 9 percent of owners reading it daily. The three main reasons cited by Christians for not reading their Bibles were:

Ø a lack of self-discipline (21%).

Ø distracted by other activities (20%)

Ø not a priority for them (20%).

Bible Society has a mission to help to make the Bible accessible to everyone and encourage interaction with it and Bible Month is a key event aimed at fulfilling that mission. This year’s theme is, ‘The Bible is Life’, and specialised free resources are available for church leaders, small groups and individuals including:

· a beautifully designed, easy to follow 31-day Calendar with a verse a day

· a 31-day devotional – Reflections on Life. A downloadable booklet, ideal for small group discussions or studies written by staff and friends of Bible Society.

· a YouVersion reading plan with devotionals from the Reflections on Life

Other resources available for Bible Month include regular resources created by Bible Society for church and ministry leaders – ‘Book a Speaker’, RightNow Media and LYFE Course subscriptions and a Bible Guide.

To find out more about Bible month, to donate and to access free resources, visit www.biblemonth.nz