7 Ideas for Improving Bible Engagement in Your Church
J. R. Briggs, “7 Ideas for Improving Bible Engagement in Your Church: How to encourage a deeper experience of Scripture” CT Pastors (July 19, 2018).
First a caveat–I’m quoted in this article; so I had to be cautious about my subjectivity. But the truth is that I found myself saying quiet “Amens” throughout. Several overall impressions:
- Briggs’ 7 ideas are sophisticated, in the best sense of the word. So much Bible Engagement advice is simplistic, little “tips”: Set aside a time every day, find a quiet place, choose a translation that suits you, etc. I recently stumbled on a new “tip” that suggested drinking a strong cup of coffee before devotions. I am glad Briggs went much deeper than this.
- Before presenting his 7 Ideas, Briggs first addresses the nature and purpose of the Bible. What is the Bible? And what are we to do with it? Understanding this is foundational to reading the Bible well, but it’s seldom part of the Bible Engagement conversation. The Bible isn’t a random collection of commands to be obeyed and promises to be claimed. Reduced to its essence, the Bible is a historical drama, a wild and wooly tale, full of mystery and majesty, and yes, sometimes misery. The Bible’s invitation is for us to step onto the stage in our era, and to live faithfully into that story in our generation. Deeply immersing ourselves in the Bible’s history is foundational to being faithful to the story’s trajectory. There are no shortcuts.
Briggs offers seven imaginative ideas for stellar Bible Engagement. My three favorites:
- Write out Scripture by hand. “Write yourself clear” says the ancient proverb. Writing slows us down and calms our racing minds. Writing out Scripture is a timely strategy in the middle of the internet revolution where our attention spans are being truncated, interfering with our ability to meditate, to think deeply and critically!
- Ask questions–even tough ones. Bible readers who graduate from “Bible McNuggets” to bigger readings, discover that questions pop up everywhere. This, it seems, is part of the Bible’s design–the Spirit’s genius to get us wrestling with the text. It was in the wrestling that Jacob evolved into Israel.
- Read the Bible communally and ask five simple questions. I’ve been a serious Bible reader since I was 17, mostly as a solo activity. Then 20 years ago I made a decision to read Scripture communally. Most often that takes the form of reading privately and then getting together with a group that’s following the same reading schedule. In addition, we pivoted from directed Bible studies to a book club model, with open ended questions that provoke far more interesting and honest conversation. I encourage all my friends to take the book club model for a test drive. R.’s open-ended questions are a good place to start.
Image: Kelly Sikkema
Dr. Briggs tips his hand to his target audience– “Improving Bible Engagement in Your Church.” If you follow J.R.’s work you know his passion is influencing Kingdom leaders. In this article I hear him prodding church leaders to restore the Bible to a place of primacy; to admit that in the modern era, programming, not Bible Engagement, has become king. But dazzling programming has had its day in the sun, and proven to be inadequate for the indomitable problems we’re facing. Briggs presents compelling research that deep Bible Engagement is the #1 catalyst for individual and church vitality!
Improving Bible Engagement in Your Church–the rally cry for the next generation of church leaders? May it be so!
Reviewed by Paul Caminiti
Category: Biblical Studies, Fall 2024
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