Answers to Questions about the Community Bible Experience

• What is the Community Bible Experience?

  Community Bible Experience is a totally new way to experience the Bible.
  Three aspects of this experience combine in a powerful way to transform participants, small groups, and entire churches like never before:

  • Read Big –Participants read the entire New Testament (or large chunks of the Old Testament) in 8 weeks, simply by reading about 10 pages per day. The Books of the Bible is formatted without chapters or verses to enable the greater understanding and comprehension that comes with reading larger portions. In this way, Community Bible Experience participants begin to truly understand the complete story of the Bible, in many cases for the first time in their lives.
  • Read in Context – The Books of the Bible has re-ordered and re-combined many sections of the Bible back to the way it was originally written. This re-ordering allows the participants to experience the Bible in its historical context. By understanding the times and circumstances in which the Bible was written, participants feel the real power and drama of the God’s word like never before.
  • Read Together – The small group format allows participants to read the same passages at the same time and come together in fellowship to discuss the power and meaning of what they read. Group members wrestle with the same passages, and together they provide deeper meaning and understanding for the entire group. They grow closer to God, and to each other.

• Why make an entire campaign out of reading the Bible?

  Understanding God's Word is the greatest unmet need in our churches today. But we can change this by learning to "read big." That is, we need to experience the big-picture story of redemption so we can find our place in it.
  When the Bible becomes an experience –and not simply a book- it strengthens your relationship to God, your family, and your community.  You will find yourself transformed and enriched in only 8 weeks.

• What campaigns are available?

  It starts with an 8-week journey through the entire New Testament.
  Beginning in 2012, we'll introduce three Old Testament campaigns:
  
  Covenant History
  Genesis to Kings (Order Now)
  Return to where our story begins: creation, rebellion, exile, and the formation of a covenant people through whom God will bring redemption to the world.
  
  The Prophets (Coming 2013)
  Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Micah, Isaiah, Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, Obadiah, Ezekiel, Haggai, Zechariah, Joel, Malachi (Order Now)
  Read the prophets in historical order — and retrace Israel's story through the unique perspective of these divinely inspired messengers.
  The Writings (Coming 2014)
  Psalms, Lamentations, Song of Songs, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job, Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah, Daniel (Order Now)
  
  Experience the poetry and wisdom of the Hebrew Scriptures, as God's people reflect on their story and look ahead to their deliverance.
  
  Sign up to receive updates on future campaigns.
  
  

• How much does Community Bible Experience cost?

  Each participant in the experience will receive everything they need to be transformed by the Community Bible Experience for just $7.99 per person.
  All promotional, church and group leader materials are FREE.
  
  

• What campaign resources do you provide?

  When you sign up, you will be given secure access to the materials download page where all of the digital resources are available for download. 
  This page includes everything you need to prepare for the experience, including

  • Complete e-book of The Books of The Bible
  • Complete MP3 audio file of The Books of The Bible
  • The Books of The Bible for Kids Complete New Testament MP3 Audio
  • Daily participant reading and audio materials,
  • A planning guide
  • Small group leader's guide,
  • Customizable bulletin inserts for churches, and more. 

  The hard copies of The Books of the Bible will be shipped separately to the group leader.
  See the complete list of resources.

Information for Participants

• I feel like I have a good understanding of the Bible already, can I gain anything from the Community Bible Experience?

  Yes! There are two things that make the Community Bible Experience completely different than the traditional Bible experience.  First, the Books of the Bible text provides you with the entire Bible story in its greater context and natural order for a whole new reading of God’s story for you.  In addition, the Community Bible Experience provides a framework for open and honest group discussion of the experience.  This is about how the Books of the Bible make you and your friends feel as you read it in a whole new way--strengthening your relationship to God, your community, and your family.

• I'm not much of a reader. Can I still participate?

  Yes!  The beauty of the Community Bible Experience is that it can be enjoyed in a number of ways.  The Books of the Bible: New Testament is available as an audio download upon purchasing the Community Bible Experience for your group. Many participants indicate they get more out of the experience by reading and listening at the same time. The multimedia presentation makes Community Bible Experience unique in comparison to other bible study programs.

• Do I need a Kindle or Ipod, or any other specialty software or devices to access the digital resources?

  No.  Our digital Community Bible Experience resources are formatted to be accessible by any computer with basic software, as long as you have access to the internet.  You can choose to download all of your daily materials at once, or have them emailed to you day by day.  In addition, every participant is provided with a hard copy of the Books of the Bible text, making it easy to read the segments the “old fashioned way.”

• Some Bible studies separate men and women, teens and adults, etc.  Is that the case with the Community Bible Experience?

  No.  The Community Bible Experience is about being nourished by the Books of the Bible in your authentic, everyday community.  It is not restrictive of gender, age, or anything else.  The focus is on reading God’s word as it was meant to be read and discussing it in an environment that is caring, honest, and free of judgment.  In this environment, God’s love can wash over you and transform you.

• Can children participate in Community Bible Experience?

  Absolutely!   Children as young as 12 have successfully read the entire New Testament as part of the Community Bible Experience. Be sure to invite any junior or senior high students in your group to join your reading campaign!
  Those too young to read the entire New Testament can listen to The Books of the Bible for Kids: New Testament Audio, which is included FREE. This downloadable audio version consists of 39 episodes that sync with each day's reading for grown-ups. That way parents and their children can share the experience together!

Information for Group Leaders

• What makes Community Bible Experience different than other Bible study programs?

  As a small group leader, you’re always looking for a fresh study to share with your group – something to rejuvenate mind, heart and spirit for God. You search out Bible scholars and interpreters of the Word, hoping to find a study that’s a “good fit” for your group.
  The Books of the Bible is a new and innovative way to engage your small group in Scripture. Stripped of artificial formatting and presented in pure, complete form, The Books of the Bible reveals God’s Story as it was meant to be. Your group will go right to the Source. They will ponder meaning, discuss application and share challenges. And they will grow…together.

• Am I responsible for printing, organizing, burning discs and distributing all the materials for my group?

  No!  Community Bible Experience has created an online resources page where your group members simply click to gain access to all of their personal campaign materials in digital format. Your responsibility is simply to distribute one hard copy of the Books of the Bible to each participant.  The rest is up to them!

• Is there a minimum group size to participate in the Community Bible Experience?

  No, groups of any size are welcome to participate from small groups to whole churches.  We believe the Community Bible Experience is most effective when read and discussed in a group as opposed to read in isolation, but group sizes do not determine eligibility or pricing.  Flexibility and authenticity are key to its success, so very few limitations have been placed on groups embarking on the Community Bible Experience.

• How will I get my group excited about getting started?

  Community Bible experience provides videos, PowerPoint decks, posters and more for group leaders to create excitement and awareness among your group.  These materials are all hosted digitally on our online resources page.

Information for Pastors

• It seems like myself and my church have tried everything to increase Bible engagement.  How is the Community Bible Experience different?

  Your mission as a pastor – your calling – is to influence others for Christ. You preach with passion, you shepherd your flock, you lead by example. You know the power of God’s Word in your own life, and you yearn for your church to embrace this truth as well.

  Community Bible Experience, through The Books of the Bible, is your opportunity to further facilitate change and growth. Your congregation will engage in the Bible like never before. The pure format and novel-like presentation will capture their minds and restore every heart. The small-group format will connect people to each other and to God in a fresh, new way.

  In just eight weeks, you will see the impact that only comes from God’s Word. Individual lives touched. Relationships healed. Marriages strengthened. Your community transformed.

• I don’t have the budget for a graphic designer to create and print materials to recruit group leaders and participants.  Does this mean the campaign won’t succeed in my church?

  Not at all!  Our team has created a full graphics and marketing package for you to encourage recruitment.  Including our materials in publications you’re already creating and distributing, like bulletins or emails makes announcing the campaign easy and inexpensive.

Questions about The Books of the Bible

• What's different in The Books of the Bible?

  The Books of the Bible is specially designed to be read from start to finish. Features include:

  • Chapter and verse numbers removed
  • Natural literary breaks restored
  • Better book order
  • Single column format
  • Book intros to unlock the context of each book

• Why did you remove chapters and verse numbers?

  The chapter divisions found in our modern Bibles were added more than a thousand years after the last books were written.
  Verse numbers appeared even later, when a French printer named Stephanus added them to the New Testament in 1551.
  Chapter and verses help us navigate the Bible, but they're artificial dividers. They don't always line up with the natural divisions of thought found in Scripture. And they encourage us to read in fragments.
  The Books of the Bible removes chapter and verse numbers from the text so you can go beyond fragmentary reading — so you can experience whole books.
  
  
  

• How do I find my way around without chapter and verse numbers?

  It's easier than you think, once you've got a big-picture view of the whole story. The Books of the Bible uses natural section breaks to divide the text into manageable portions.
  Plus, we included the chapter/verse range at the bottom of each page to help you navigate — without the numbers getting in the way.

• What do you mean by "natural section breaks"?

  The original writers had ways of letting us know when they were wrapping up one section and starting another. Often, they did so by repeating a specific phrase.
  For example, the gospel of Matthew is naturally divided into five major sections, each of which concludes with some variation of the statement, "When Jesus had finished saying these things…"
  The Books of the Bible uses these natural literary divisions to help you follow the author's train of thought as you read.
  

• How is the book order different?

  For several hundred years after the Bible was compiled, book order varied widely from one edition to the next. The order found in most of our Bibles today became common after the invention of the printing press.
  We had two priorities when choosing a new arrangement for The Books of the Bible:

  • Arranging the books in a more authentic order - For the Old Testament, we followed the original Jewish order more closely. We also recombined books that were separated over time — like 1 and 2 Samuel. Around 200 BC, Samuel was divided in two because the Greek translation didn't fit on one scroll. The Books of the Bible reunites Samuel for the first time in over 2,000 years.
  • Helping you follow the story as it unfolds - For example, the New Testament books of Luke and Acts are two volumes of the same story. So we put  them next to each other in The Books of the Bible. Also, most Bibles arrange Paul's letters roughly from longest to shortest. We put them in a more chronological order so you can trace Paul's life as it unfolds.

• What translation does The Books of the Bible use?

  The Books of the Bible uses the text of the New International Version® (NIV®) — the most read, most trusted contemporary English translation of the Bible. Learn more about the NIV.

• Who developed The Books of the Bible?

  The Books of the Bible was developed by Biblica in collaboration with a team of biblical scholars, pastors, and experts in Bible design and publication.