Bible in 90 Days: Day 88 Check-in

If you are participating in the Bible in 90 Days challenge, today you are on Day 88 and should have read through the end of the Bible!! Woooooo-Hoooooooo!

How’s it coming? Can you believe we are reaching the end of our reading, or have already finished reading the entire Bible?

If you aren’t finished, the program has 2 grace days built in… You’ve got until Wednesday to finish on time, so don’t worry.

And, because it is a 90-day program, this is NOT the final check-in post. There will be a new “Finisher” post up this Wednesday, with another MckLinky and the opportunity for everyone to comment about their experiences with the program. My hope is that the bloggers among us will post final thoughts and a wrap up post and link to Wednesday’s post, so we can all be inspired by everyone’s stories and we can have our own blog graduation party. . . I’ve already wept at many of your emails. Your stories have been amazing and heart-warming.

Please also link up and comment today at the end of this post, as well and, as usual, make plans to join us for our Tweet-Up tonight from 8-9 CST. Just follow me and use the #B90Days hashtag.

Now, in lieu of a blogger guest post this week, I’ve asked Greg Nance to share with you how he led his whole town to participate in  reading the Bible in 90 days. I heard him tell the story last November at a meeting in Houston for the Bible in 90 Days ministry. A few day’s later I invited a few bloggers to help me get the word out about hosting an online community of readers on MomsToolbox.com.

I wonder how his story might inspire you…

Amy, praise God for all He is doing to bring His people together through simply reading His word, the Bible!  Thank-you for the opportunity to share our story in your blog.

I’m Greg Nance, a preacher for a small congregation in a bedroom suburb of Chattanooga, Tennessee, called Signal Mountain.  My wife and I moved here from New Hampshire where we had served in two churches from 1981 to 1998.  We’ve been with this church for almost 12 years now and one of the greatest blessings this church has ever experienced in her 60 year history is reading the Bible together in 90 days and joining with our entire community to do so.

It all started in 2007 when our little congregation (150 members) read the Bible through in one year.  We decided to have a singular focus as we read together so we used a question to keep us on target:  “Where do you see Jesus in this scripture reading?”  We invited members to our home on Thursdays to simply read and discuss this together.  It was a very good year!

Our Sunday morning Bible classes (adult) and sermons were a review and application of the week’s readings (usually about 25 chapters each week).  I even emailed each day’s readings to all the members who wanted it.  We ended the year with a grand finale view of Revelation and Christ’s return.  The church responded very positively and I was wondering, where do we go from here?

My wife had been listening to a Christian radio station and they talked about an entire community who had read the Bible in 90 days together.  We “googled” it and found Ted Cooper’s website and began praying about doing that here.  (I must say, I thank God for what he is doing through Ted!  His ministry of the Bible in 90 Days is a tremendous blessing).

Before bringing this to our elders, my wife and I decided to do it ourselves to see what it would be like.

We ordered the starter kit that has DVDs, advertising, a workbook and a 90 Day Bible that has the page marked where you start and stop.  It was difficult at first because it required a daily time of about 35-45 minutes of reading to get through.  But doing it together really helped us stick with it as we kept encouraging each other and sharing what we had read.  Each Friday after our reading, we would pop in a DVD and hear what John Walton or Mark Strauss would tell us about the week’s readings, and that always led to a discussion about it with each other.  If we hadn’t done it together, I don’t know if I would have finished it the first time.  This was an important lesson for us: it helps to do it with others and talk about it together as you go.

We prayed and believed that God wanted us to do this as a church and perhaps as a community.

I took it to the elders and they were positive… not overly excited, but positive.  Then I asked about taking it to the neighboring denominations to see if we could do it as a community.  I shared that another community had done it and that I believed we could, too.  And if we took the lead as a church to help it happen, I thought that would give us exposure and perhaps open some doors with the churches around us for conversation about God’s word.

The elders agreed that this would be good and I had their permission and blessing to start.

Now for the work!  The very last thing I wanted to do was to go talk to the preachers of those churches and try to convince them to do this.  But God stirred my heart to do it.  I went to the biggest church in our community first: Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church.  The preacher there and I had met and visited in the past and he was friendly toward me and always encouraging, so I thought he would be a good start.  Bill Dudley is his name and the church there has about 2000 members.

I crafted my speech with questions that I hoped would capture the imagination and interest of the preachers:  1.  How would you like to see everyone in our community read the Bible together?  2. Would you be supportive of an effort to have a community wide drive to get as many as possible to join together to do that?

Then I would share the plan to do the Bible in 90 days as a community.

I didn’t think many “Christian” preachers would say, “No! I think it’s a bad idea to read the Bible together.”  But preachers are wary of “outsiders” and their agendas.  I know.  I’m one of them.

Bill Dudley was my first prospective team member in this endeavor and I called him to ask if I could come to his office to discuss something I believed was very important for our community.  He welcomed me to come over and I nervously went.

His reaction surprised me, “What a great idea!  We have a new high school opening here this fall and this would be a great kick off for our new school!”

I thought, “Thank-you God!  That was much easier than I expected.”

He suggested that we email all the ministers in our community and have a luncheon to discuss this together.  He had his secretary send out the invitations and he even offered to host the meal for all who would come!   We figured that most preachers couldn’t pass up on a free meal!  We had a prayer together and I went back to my office amazed.

The email to the other preachers went out but only three out of 16 responded: two replied with regrets and one seemed interested.  Bill was discouraged, but I was on fire at this point and nothing could put it out.  God would simply NOT let me give this up.  I told Bill, “Don’t give up yet!  If I had received an email about that, I might not have taken it seriously myself.  Please hang in there and I will contact these preachers in person and let them tell me to my face that they don’t want to do this.”

I worked hard for the next two weeks calling and going to meet with these pastors and preachers.  One church, (The Bible Church) responded that they were not interested!  I called and asked them to please let me come and talk with them before they refused.  They were very gracious and let me meet with the pastor and elders of their group.  After showing them the little promotional DVD (from the kit) and discussing it with them, they thanked me and promised to prayerfully consider it.  The next day they called to say they were happy to be on board and would promote it with their members and in the community.  After this I went to the large Methodist church and Baptist church and they both said yes.  Now we had some momentum.  From there I went to every church in our community telling them what “We (other churches) were planning” and one after the other agreed to join the effort.

As the momentum grew, the fire and excitement within me grew.  I knew that God was using me to do something in our community that would glorify Him and bless us all.

I tried to take a laid back position in the decision making and leadership of this, but they all looked to me for what to do next.

We have a little community newspaper so I decided to spend my own money and purchase a full page ad to capture attention from those who were in the community.

The first ad was this:  I asked every pastor of the participating churches to send me a brief (50-75 word) statement about why reading the Bible is important, along with a photo of themselves.  I built an ad that said in bold letters across the top: “All these area preachers AGREE!”  (That caught attention quickly) Then it said, “We want everyone on Signal Mountain to read the Bible together!”   Then our pictures and statements were featured around the Bible in 90 Days Logo, with a date for when to start and finish: September 1 – November 29, 2008.

What I didn’t count on was that those churches would see it and offer to help pay for the ad!  So I did another ad the next week that had pictures of members from every one of the participating churches with sentences from them about how important the Bible is to them.

Again, the funds came to pay for that ad.

We ran five full page ads in the five weeks leading up to the starting date for reading the Bible together.

Next, I put together a little 8″x10″ cardboard stand that said: “We proudly support our community-wide reading of the Bible in 90 days!”  It had the 90 Day Bible logo and a list of participating churches and a pad of 50 schedules for reading that I got out of the back of my 90 day Bible.

I went to our local print shop to ask about how much it would cost to print up the pad 2500 schedules.  I showed my little stand and told the owner about the plan and she said, “That’s a great idea!  I’ll donate the printing for you!”  Again, I was shocked.

I then went to just about every business in our community asking them if they would allow me to put up a little display with the pad of reading schedules.  If they accepted, I told them I would put their business in the paper for free telling that they supported this event.  By doing this we got the attention of many people in the community who do not go to church.  Almost every business accepted!

Finally, I contacted our Mayor, police chief, fire chief, Senator, (Bob Corker) and Congressman (Zack Wamp) to tell them about what we were doing and ask if they would be willing to endorse our community-wide Bible Reading event.  The Mayor and our Senator and Congressman said yes and they gave me a little statement saying how proud they were that our community was coming together to do this.

All in all, we bought about $2500 in advertising and I only had to pay for $500 of it after the other churches pitched in.

We called a meeting of all the preachers from the participating churches to a luncheon to plan our schedule and how to kick off our church readings.  The Presbyterians bought several hundred 90 Day Bibles at a discounted rate and these were available for anyone who wanted to purchase a copy.  The local book store also stocked them for sale and that helped get the word out again.

Through all of this, I had been in touch with Ted Cooper of the Bible in 90 Days ministry and he and Ellie Tow were a tremendous help and support.

A spirit of appreciation and expectation began to build as people all over Signal Mountain began talking about it.  There were a few in our community who were not pleased, but that is to be expected.

Our congregation held Sunday evening 90 Day Bible reading meetings and invited anyone interested to join us.  Ted Cooper came to help churches organize meetings and even kicked off our first public weekly meeting at the local public library.

It was a work of God!  People everywhere in the community were talking about it.  One of our ladies at church told me that she went to get her hair done and everyone in the salon was talking about the Bible!  She said, “That was a first!”  Some of the businesses that were closed when I went around asking them if they would put up a display and offer free reading schedules actually called me to ask why I had not been there and invited them!  I apologized and made up extra displays and brought them to them.

Of all the things I’ve ever done in ministry, this one has been the most amazing.

God has used it to bring more unity in this community between churches than anything I’ve seen.  After this adventure together as churches, the next year these churches came together again and hosted an area-wide fund raising meeting to support a Bible teacher in our public high school.  God again moved and in one amazing evening 10 churches of various denominations meet together and raised over $200,000 to pay for two Bible teachers in our public middle and high schools!  Go to www.Bibleintheschools.org to find out more about what God did here.

We are just waiting to see what will the Lord do next!  When we read the Bible and listen obediently to God… well, He has certainly amazed us!

Pretty amazing, isn’t it?

Alright, readers… don’t forget to link your posts and comment away with how your reading is coming.

I can’t wait to chat tonight and celebrate on Wednesday!!!

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Comments

33 responses to “Bible in 90 Days: Day 88 Check-in”

  1. […] And, for an inspiring read, check out how an entire town read the Bible in 90 Days together. […]

  2. Eileen Avatar
    Eileen

    I am continuing to pursue the goal of finishing. I am only up to Day 53, but I’m trying not to let myself be discouraged. I realize that I have read more this year than I ever have at any one time, even so. I’m hoping to finish by June at the latest.

  3. I was not sure I could do this when I first heard about it, and I thought my husband would think I was crazy. When I mentioned to him that I wanted to attempt this, he jumped on board with me. We finished today on Day 90! Some day were easier than others, some days we were all caught up and the kids cooperated, other days we were several days behind and had to keep reading, but we finished it and have had an amazing journey. Thank you for doing this. I had never heard of the Bible in 90 days, until I read a post on Keeping the Kingdom First which lead me to you. Thank you so very much! God Bless.

  4. i finally finished today!!! boy that was tough even today was difficult but all praise to God He certainly can do anything!!

  5. I finally finished this afternoon! I’m grateful that you did this Amy. This is the first time I’ve finished the whole bible after a year number of attempts over many years.
    .-= stacy´s last blog ..From Frumpy to Fab~The Update =-.

  6. What an uplifting story! Thanks for sharing. I finished on day 88! Boy, that feels good. :-)
    .-= Catherine´s last blog ..BIG NEWS! =-.

  7. Thanks for the blessing of sharing our story! My wife, Jenny and I just started our 90 Day Bible reading again. This will be our fourth time and I can’t believe how it gets better and better each time! I’m even beginning to know all those guys in the genealogy lists of Jesus!!!
    We do a slow, in depth study of a book of the Bible and then a 90 Day Bible reading. It really contextualizes everything and makes us hungry for more and more of God’s presence.

  8. What a wonderful experience! I finished reading Revelation this morning, combining two days of reading so I could finish on time. How amazing God is! Thanks so much for hosting this read-through as I never would have attempted this type of Bible study if it hadn’t been for one of your initial posts.
    .-= Cassandra´s last blog ..Bible in 90 Days – Day 87 & 88 =-.

  9. I finished, too! Thank you so much for hosting this. I hesitated before committing to doing this because I didn’t want to start something and not complete it. I will admit that at times it was rough, but I’m so glad that I kept on. I’ve never read the Bible cover to cover before and doing it in 90 days has been such an amazing blessing. I really think I’ve seen more of the big picture. I’m hoping to do it again, with my husband this time. It will probably be this summer after he graduates from nursing school. I’d like to read the Bible 2-3 times/year reading a new translation. This time I read the Holman Christian Standard Bible and it was an interesting read. Thanks again!

  10. Jane Wiewora (imnjupiter) Avatar
    Jane Wiewora (imnjupiter)

    I finished today!

  11. We finished! My daughter and I both finished today, and we are very excited and so thankful for this experience. I finished early this morning in a quiet house, and as it was a short reading, I just sat quietly for a long time, not wanting it to be over. But both my daughter and I plan to start over tomorrow morning. We won’t stick to a 90 day schedule but will start at Genesis and keep going till we finish. I also want to do this every year on January 1. What a great way to start the new year.
    .-= Kathleen´s last blog ..That’s what I’m talking about! =-.

  12. I finished today! I can’t believe I did it! What an incredible experience! Thank you so much for hosting and encouraging us on this journey. I know I never would have finished had it not been for all the support. I will write a post and link up on Wednesday!
    .-= Allison´s last blog ..Prayer Request =-.

  13. […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by MomsToolbox. MomsToolbox said: Where R U in the Bible? Pls check in on the DAy 88 #B90Days post This has been so exciting!! http://bit.ly/b7HlZy […]

  14. Wow what an amazing testimony!!
    I’m done! I linked up my post. Thank you so much for hosting this! It has been SO amazing, so wonderful… I can’t begin to describe it… but you know what I mean!! =) God bless you Amy!
    .-= Dawn´s last blog ..B90Days: I Read the WHOLE Bible! =-.

  15. I’m nearly there!!! Thanks so much for praying for me last week and for leaving such reassurance and encouragement at my blog! :)

    I’m just finishing Day 85 – I was 5 days behind last Monday and am now 3 days behind (1 with the grace days). I am nervously hoping that I can catch up that extra day before the end of Wednesday. I’m not sure where the time will come from, but if God enabled me to read 2 days worth each day for 2 days running last week, I am sure He will again! I’m so excited about completing the challenge!
    .-= Alice´s last blog ..Bible in 90 Days – Monday Update (Day 88!!!) =-.

  16. I’m on day 82, but still have hopes for finishing on time this Wednesday. I am really trying hard for that. It might be 11:59 pm on Wednesday night that I get it done, but I really want to accomplish this goal on time!

  17. Amy, I know I tell you each week how thankful I am that you organized this online challenge, but I have to tell you one more time: thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I finished reading the Bible cover to cover today (Praise God!) and it has been such an amazing three months! I don’t think I have ever seen God’s plan for us (beginning to end) as clearly as I did when reading through the Bible at this pace! Nor do I ever think I have been this disciplined in my Quiet Time as I have been over the last three months! (I’m already trying to figure out what I’ll start reading tomorrow morning!) :)

    Proud to be a Bible in 90 Days graduate!

  18. Wow- what a challenge and a blessing this has been! I didn’t really think that I could do it, but I did! All things in Christ, huh?! Thank you so much for hosting! I will be sure to come back on Wednesday for the final check in and link up and plan to be at the twitter party tonight! Wow!
    .-= MacKenzie´s last blog ..So…. live blogging… =-.

  19. There were times along the way that I didn’t know if I’d be able to finish on time, but through the grace of God, I was actually able to finish a bit early. My daughter should be finishing up today. Thank you for all of your hard work and encouragement!
    .-= Heather @ Marine Corps Nomads´s last blog ..Bible in 90 Days: Day 88 Check-in =-.

  20. thanks for hosting this, it has been an incredible experience and I can’t wait to do it again because I didn’t always have time to listen to the weekly messages or read the SOAP everyday. I can’t believe I read the entire Bible, this is something I have wanted to do for over 10 years! thank you, you have been such a blessing these last couple of months!
    .-= sarah´s last blog ..what do I do now? =-.

  21. I finished last night. I wasn’t sure I was going to make it, but I did. It feels awesome to be done. I’m still meditating on what I learned and what this experience has taught me, but hopefully by Wednesday I’ll have my thoughts together enough for a post.
    .-= Beth´s last blog ..A Note to My Fellow Americans =-.

  22. I am still not done – but I am going to keep it up. I will let you know when I do complete it though.

  23. boo! I wish I were finishing with everyone else! (Course, i did start 30 days late…)

    I read Isaiah in 2 days and Jeremiah in 2 days. Wow. Sobering, wonderful, and full of wisdom.

    God bless you, for hosting this website….what a blessing! and thanks for letting me join up (Late)!

    kari

  24. Jennifer Weigant Avatar
    Jennifer Weigant

    Amy – thank you so much for doing this and answering God’s call – sometimes that can be hard. I am on schedule – Day 63 – although as you can see I started a couple of weeks after you all did. But that’s OK – I’ve enjoyed reading your SOAP’s and listening to the lessons. I am definitely going to finish on time – 4/23 I believe! And I can’t wait for my “Finisher” t-shirt!

  25. I finished this morning. Reading the Bible like a novel has been wonderful for me. My goal was to read it, but what I found along the way were so many lessons that spoke to me each day as I did SOAP. Thanks for hosting this amazing experience!

  26. christina Avatar
    christina

    Thanks again for the wonderful experience. I finished last night. To be honest, I feel a sense of loss and sadness at finishing. I’m just trying to sit with my feelings right now and think about what is next.

  27. Kay Schenkel Avatar
    Kay Schenkel

    What an inspiring story. God opens doors and works miracles. I finished this morning and thank God that I had this opportunity to read together with all of you!

  28. I linked up and wanted to let you know that I finished reading last night!! :) Thanks so much for hosting this each week!

    Jolanthe @ No Ordinary Moments
    .-= Jolanthe´s last blog ..Bible in 90 Days {B90} ~ Day 88 Check-in =-.

  29. I’m working hard to get done Wednesday. I finished Day 85 this morning so I’m confident I will be able to read the remaining 3 days by Wed. But I would appreciate your prayers that I would in fact get it done. Thanks!
    .-= Kristin S´s last blog ..Facebook Posts – the little memories I don’t want to forget =-.

  30. What an amazing, encouraging story of how God works! Thank you for sharing it. Praise God, I have completed the reading. I have been so blessed by it. Thank you everyone for encouraging me in this endevor. 2010 has gotten off to such a better start thanks to God’s Word.

  31. So happy to have completed this challenge. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for sharing this challenge with us, and encouraging so much!
    .-= MisMom´s last blog ..90 Day Bible Challenge Update — Final =-.

  32. Wow! What a great testimony. God is truly amazing!

    I’m all done! Thank God for these wonderful, wonderful experience. Thank you again Amy for hosting this and for all the encouragement. Thanks to B90 days ministry for their support. Ellie Tow is very accommodating with my requests. Their site is very helpful also esp. the listen while you read feature. May God richly bless this ministry and the Bible be read all across the globe.

  33. Thank you for hosting this each week! I never would have attempted to read my Bible like a novel if not for this program! Let us know if there is a button to advertise for the upcoming Summer session – I’d love to blog about it and share it as an opportunity for my readers!
    .-= Ann Marie @ Household6Diva´s last blog ..Mamarazzi Monday =-.

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