The Ultimate Summer Book Club Promotes Reading Entire Bible in 90 Days
Contact: Brian Burch, 616-233-0500
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., April 16 /Christian Newswire/ -- Three months of summer are just around the corner, and people across America will dive into a good book to beat the summer heat. Former agnostic Ted Cooper and leading publisher Zondervan are challenging Americans to not only dive into "a" good book, but to dive into THE Good Book, to read the Bible from cover to cover before summer ends as part of The Bible in 90 Days Summer Reading Challenge.
According to a study by Barna Research, 72 percent of Americans who have never read the entire Bible say they want to do so during their lifetime. Even among Christians and regular Bible readers, the vast majority have never read the entire Bible. Developed by Ted Cooper, The Bible in 90 Days helps to make what seems a monumental task more manageable by segmenting the book into 12-page sections. Weekly group meetings and companion resources provide vital accountability, fellowship and guidance.
"I was living life happily as a successful businessman when, at the age of 43, I decided to try reading through the Bible. By the time I got to the book of Isaiah, I became a believer and my life has never been the same since," said Cooper. "So, I created a course to help other people read the Bible from cover to cover, left my career and founded The Bible in 90 Days ministry."
The Bible in 90 Days has helped tens of thousands of people read the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Churches in most denominations, corporate Bible studies, neighborhood small groups, even prisons and drug rehabs, have all used the curriculum successfully. In a recent innovation, entire towns have begun inviting their citizens to read through the Bible as a community. To date, groups ranging from two people to more than 1000 people across 49 states and several countries around the world have utilized The Bible in 90 Days.
"Just 12 pages a day is all it takes to read the Bible in ninety days. Once you break it down into bite-sized pieces and share the experience with others, what seems like a formidable challenge becomes possible, enjoyable, and, for many, life changing," said Cooper. "Something transformational happens when you read the Bible in its entirety in a compressed timeframe. That's why I'm launching the ultimate summer reading challenge and encouraging people across America to get their churches, families, neighborhood small groups, even entire communities reading the Bible. The whole Bible. 90 days. Let's read it together."
The Bible in 90 Days Summer Reading Challenge will run June 1 -- August 29, 2009. Churches, small groups, Bible studies and other individuals interested in taking the challenge can sign up at www.biblein90days.com. The program is designed for each reader to start reading on the same day, June 1, follow the daily reading plan and come together as a group once a week to discuss the week's reading, ask questions, share insights and give and receive encouragement.
About The Bible in 90 Days Ministry
Founded in 2002 as a non-profit ministry, The Bible in 90 Days' mission is to encourage people to read ALL of the Bible, and to provide exceptional resources to help them do so. The ministry's unique curriculum, resources and approach make possible what for many had been previously impossible. In conjunction with strategic partners like Zondervan and local churches, the goal of The Bible in 90 Days ministry is to make reading all of God's Word a typical human experience.
About Zondervan
Zondervan is the world's leading Bible publisher. With a vision to see more people engaging the Bible more, Zondervan produces bestselling study, devotional, reference, text, audio, software, and digital Bibles designed to inspire readers at every age and stage of life. Zondervan holds exclusive North American publishing rights to the New International Version (NIV), which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2008. The NIV, the most popular modern English Bible translation, has more than 300 million copies in print worldwide. Zondervan also publishes Bibles in the TNIV (Today's New International Version), NIrV (New International Readers Version), KJV (King James Version), NRSV (New Revised Standard Version), NASB (New American Standard Bible), Amplified Bible, and parallel Bibles featuring The Message. Over the past 75 years, Zondervan, a HarperCollins company, has grown to be a global leader in Christian communications through its bestselling Bibles, books, curriculum, children's, and new media products. Visit Zondervan Bibles on the Internet at www.zondervan.com/Bibles.
