TO FALL IN LOVE WITH GOD IS THE GREATEST ROMANCE; TO SEEK HIM THE GREATEST ADVENTURE; TO FIND HIM, THE GREATEST HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT. – Augustine
How do you help students know the story of God? Is Bible reading a crucial part of your ministry? If so, how do you show it?
I don’t know about you, but every time I talk to a student about reading their Bible, I am always amazed at how they struggle to find the time, and lack resources in a digital era to read the Bible. The are tons of different resources that you could use to help students dig into the word, but here are a few ones that have proven helpful for my youth ministry.
You Version
This is the best way to help students dig into the Bible wherever they are at. When I am working with new students, I help them start a verse a day plan. The biggest thing is trying to get them into the word daily. This app does that, and it helps people try out different plans to wherever they are at in their walk with Christ.
This is the best app. Use it, put links to it on your Facebook, Instagram account and more.
He Reads Truth
Want to help a student understand what they are reading? This is really awesome. Make sure that you check it out online, and not on the app. The app makes you pay for every Bible reading plan as an add-on.
It would be more accessible if all the plans were available on the app without a purchase.
I have been using a plan on, He Reads Truth, and I am constantly amazed at how great this website is.
Not only does it look great, but there are simple applications for different books of the Bible.
Help students in your youth ministry understand and do something about what they read in the Bible from He Reads Truth.
Your own plan.
There should always be a Bible reading strategy for every series you do. According to Ed Stetzer, “only 45 percent of those who regularly attend church read the Bible more than once a week.” That is people who are attending your church or youth ministry.
If you can help students in your youth ministry to interact with the Bible over Instagram, Facebook, or any other social media tool more than once a week, you are breaking the norm.
This is why you need to include a plan to supplement what you are teaching weekly. I don’t know about you, but I need to be in the word more than once a week. Having a plan helps prioritize the Bible and getting students to interact with it more than once a week.
Conclusion
Those are 3 ways to help students read the Bible. There are way more. You could buy each student a Bible, you could tell their parent to buy their kid a really nice Bible, or you could help parents read the Bible alongside their kids.
These are all great. But what it comes down to is a strategy. What is your plan to help students in your ministry know the Bible? Not what you say about it, but what it actually says. I hope these 3 ideas will put you in the right direction.
