Every website has an origin story. Somebody somewhere had an idea or a vision that set the wheels in motion. ReadtheBibleinaYear.com is no different. In our case, it started with a group of teenagers and their trip to summer camp.
Changed Lives
It was one of those typical summer camps that all church youth groups attend. You know the kind. The trip that is spiritually convicting for students, where they make a decision to live a better life and then end up keeping that commitment for about two weeks after they get back from camp.
For some reason though, this camp was different. There was the inward conviction that came for the kids as they listened to a series of dynamic messages from the Bible. But an interesting thing happened that was exciting to see. Their brokenness of heart led to some real reconciliations within the group and between teens and their parents. Students were confessing their sins to one another and asking for forgiveness. Walls and divisions of spirit were all being broken down.
They even began to call home from camp to make things right with their parents. It was one of those movements of God all leaders pray for.
And then something amazing occurred. These kids wanted more. They wanted to know how they could make their conviction stick. How could they take what they had learned at camp and continue the momentum forward once they returned home?
One answer that came out of that question was to make a commitment to read the Bible.
A Bible Reading Journey
It may seem obvious, but reading the Bible does bring you into a closer relationship with God. That’s what these teens needed and wanted. The question for the group was figuring out the best way to do this. Reading the Bible is an activity that can easily get lost in the day-to-day busyness of our lives.
They needed a plan.
And, perhaps most importantly, they needed accountability.
Within a few days of returning from camp, a group chat was set up and a group leader appointed. Each day the leader sent a text to the group with the day’s Bible reading. Each student committed to read and then text the group back when they were done. The group leader would record when that person had read the passage for the day.
Amazingly, what started out with just a few students began to grow. The participants began to tell their friends what they were doing. And we all know if teens sense something special is happening, they want to be a part of it. Within a few weeks the group had grown to about 40 teens.
The daily Bible reading led to many conversations within and outside the group chat. Often students would post verses from that day’s reading that had meant something to them. God was at work in their lives and it was awesome to see.
In the End…
Over the course of the next year, about half those 40 teens didn’t miss a day of reading. A great number more read large portions of the Bible. Those that stuck with it testified at the end of one year how it had been such a blessing to them.
And it just started us thinking…if it worked for teens, why couldn’t it work for everyone?
But it would take several years and further inspiration from others for ReadtheBibleinaYear.com to be realized. Our vision is to be the #1 site on the web people use to read the Bible and share their spiritual journey with others who are doing the same. So to those teens who took on the challenge and others along the way who have inspired us, we say “Thank You!” This site lives as an extension of your faith and encouragement and hopefully will impact the world for years to come.
Image courtesy of Sorin Popa at Shutterstock
Leave a Comment Below: How has having a plan helped in your life? What decisions did you make as a teen that still impact you to this day?
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