80 Hour Relay
7/28/2011
The Bible consists of 66 books containing 1,189 chapters and 31,103 verses.
By reading three to four chapters a day, it is possible to read the whole
Bible in a year. Holliston United Methodist Church in Pasadena, California
recently read the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelations, in a little
over three days.
Holliston UMC describes itself as a "church being built with the Word and
prayer." Believing that God speaks to us through the Bible and we receive
the power of the Holy Spirit in prayer, Holliston asked its members to
participate in an 80 hour relay of prayer and Bible reading. Over 200
members ranging in age from nine to eighty committed to reading the entire
Bible aloud, in relay fashion, from the pulpit of the church sanctuary.
The small groups of Holliston UMC were vital in the success of this
endeavor. Various small groups volunteered to take two to three hour shifts
of Bible reading. While some members were reading the Bible other members
were praying in the church prayer center.
To enable all members to participate, even those who couldn¹t physically
come to the church, the Bible reading was broadcast online.
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Some Questions for Discussion
-- What ministries does your congregation have that allow people of all
ages, from children to older adults, to participate as partners in ministry
rather than one age-group ministering to another?
-- What might you do to create excitement and renewed commitment to living
the General Rules of doing good, doing no harm, and attending to the
ordinances of God?
-- How are you helping people to be informed, formed, and transformed by
Scripture and prayer?
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David Kwangki Kim is Director of Korean, Asian American, and Pacific
Islander Ministries at the GBOD. He can be reached at dkim@gbod.org
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About Romans 12
Romans 12 is a project of the General Board of Discipleship of The United
Methodist Church to communicate effective principles and practices
demonstrated by congregations that are actively making disciples of Jesus
Christ for the transformation of the world.
These congregations are marked by:
- Clarity around the mission and vision of the congregation.
- Practice of spiritual disciplines, both corporately and individually.
- Nurture of growth in discipleship through mutual support and
accountability.
- Cultivation of intentional and mutual relationships with the most
vulnerable--the poor, children, the imprisoned, the powerless.
- Consistent concern for inviting people into relationship with Jesus
Christ, combined with wise practices for initiating them into the Body of
Christ.
- Connectional relationships that facilitate participation in God's mission
of global transformation.
- Shared clergy and lay leadership.
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Romans 12 Newsletter. Issue #95. © 2011 GBOD. All rights reserved.
Permission is granted to copy this newsletter for use in United Methodist
congregations. This newsletter is provided as a service of the General Board
of Discipleship and is funded through World Service apportionment giving by
local United Methodist congregations.To subscribe or discontinue a
subscription contact Deb Smith at dsmith@gbod.org. For previous issues of
the newsletter go to www.gbod.org/Romans12
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