Beginning in September APC will begin the extraordinary adventure of reading the narrative of the Bible together in one year. “The Story” is an edited version of the Bible which allows the major narrative sweep and theme of the biblical narrative to emerge. Divided into 31 easy to read chapters, it is the actual text of the Bible with certain sections edited or summarized so that the reader can follow the storyline of God’s relationship with His people from creation through Moses, David, and eventually to the Messiah-Jesus and the beginning of the church. If you have ever wanted to read the Bible, or have wondered what the Bible is all about, this is your chance to read and learn “The Story.”
I cannot encourage you strongly enough to take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity. Reading the Bible is the most significant way to come to know God. As Presbyterians we believe that the Bible is the “unique and authoritative witness” to God. Simply put, we cannot know who God is apart from the Bible.
It is also the way we come to know ourselves. Christians are at their core people of the Book. The biblical narrative informs us of where we came from and who we are. By knowing our story we come to understand our identity and the extraordinary love that our God has for us. Our story gives us our identity as the called people of God who have been given a special commission to continue the work of God in the world today.
We want to encourage families to read and know the story together. We will be presenting the same stories in all of our Sunday classes from children through adults. In addition we will renew the practice of an intergenerational opening of Sunday School with all ages hearing a part of the that week’s story before departing for our own classes. This will allow conversation about that week’s readings to be part of your life at home as well as when we gather.
In addition to our Sunday morning classes, there will be a Monday night class taught by Sarah Tunall for those who cannot make Sunday morning or would prefer an evening time slot.
We will kick-off “The Story” on September 8 as we return to our two service format. Copies of “The Story” are available at the church. Please plan to make this the central part of your spiritual journey this year. Let’s read and learn our story together!
Pastor Stephen
copied from the Allentown Presbyterian Church website
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The Story 