Biblefresh

Throughout 2011 the Methodist Church is encouraging churches and individuals to deepen their discipleship by focussing on the Bible. 2011 marks the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, which brought the Scripture to people in the English language and, when read aloud, had a dramatic effect on church attendence and people's lives.

The Methodist Church is supporting Biblefresh, a movement of churches, agencies, organisations, colleges and festivals which has a vision to reignite and re-enthuse the church in its passion for the Bible.

You can find out more about Biblefresh on the Biblefresh website or the Methodist Church's 'Deepening Discipleship' website.

“Written by hand, taken to heart “

So what is “Written by hand, taken to heart “?

An opportunity, in the year which marks the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, to engage with scripture in both a personal and a communal way:

  • personally - by handwriting a few verses, which could become your verses

  • communally – your few verses written in a space shared by other scribes, and becoming part of a distinctive “Written by hand, taken to heart “ Bible.

  • A project, in the year which marks the 400th anniversary of the stories of the Bible becoming accessible to the ordinary people of Britain, offering opportunities for both deepening discipleship and imaginative mission:

  • deepening discipleship – along with the verses you write by hand for the project, comes a challenge to take up a journal and keep writing, to begin to discover where the stories of the bible and the story of your life coincide

  • imaginative mission – the spaces in which we handwrite our verses will be many and varied, offering all kinds of opportunity for conversation, hospitality, and further invitation. Some of these spaces will be churches, but others will be schools, galleries, workplaces, public squares, community spaces

An opportunity, in the year which marks the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, to engage with scripture whether you hear it read every week in a church, or have never read a word of it before:

  • every week – if the Bible is an old friend, then “Written by hand, taken to heart “ is an opportunity to deepen your friendship, to get to know one another better, to see what you have to say to each other at this point in your journey

  • never read a word – if the bible is new to you, “Written by hand, taken to heart“ will offer, alongside the invitation to write a few verses, the opportunity to read some more, along with a helpful little booklet (Glimpses of the Word).

So I get “Written by hand”, but why “taken to heart“?

Because we don’t believe that the Bible, whether published by printing press or written by hand, is just words on a page. We don’t believe it’s just another book.

We believe that when we take it to heart, when we enter into its stories and let it speak to our lives, then good things, God things, happen. Those things might be comforting, or challenging, might make us look at the world differently, or ourselves, might give us answers, or might ask more questions. Taking the Bible to heart changes things. It could change your world.

For more ideas or information please contact Nick Blundell,
01274 637470, 19 Moorway, Guiseley LS20 8LD nickcblund@aol.com