Resources

The Year of Biblical Literacy is a collaborative project between Reality San Francisco and Bridgetown Church in Portland, in partnership with The Bible Project and Read Scripture. The project launched in 2016 as a way to help churches, small groups, and individuals move through the story of God starting in Genesis and ending in Revelation.

These three outstanding and generous organisations have coordinated their websites and resources to help us read the Good Book:

Using these three websites allows us to bring everything together: the reading plan; the videos; the small group resources; and deeper theological studies.

App / Reading Plan

If you are a user of apps - download the app: Read Scripture and follow their reading plan (see How to Get Started). If you don't want to use an app you can print off this Reading Plan. (Or ask the office to send you one if you don't have a printer). If you have a computer you can watch the fantastic Read Scripture videos (provided by the Bible Project).

Please put aside a comfortable 30 minutes in each day for this (it won't really work if you just try and squeeze it into an already busy day!).

Videos

To watch the Read Scripture videos which accompany the reading plan go to this page at the Year of Biblical Literacy. This draws its material from the Bible Project who also do an awesome range of other videos about the bible - we love it.

The Bible Project
These guys are amazing. They have done introduction videos to every one of the books of the bible. It's high-level scholarship - with pictures.

Books & Reading

Here are some books and other reading materials which you may find helpful.
If you would like to add to this "library" please send your suggestion to hannah.green@leedsvineyard.org
It will need to be accompanied by:

when you read it;
why you think it is particularly helpful for us;
what changed in your prayer life as a result.

Bibles

You've probably bought a smartphone so you can afford a bible! There's lots to choose from - different colours, sizes and shapes! The translation is important. The Read Scripture App uses the ESV, which is great. Our go-to translation is the NIV. I also like the NLT for a slightly more contemporary reading. Some people find the Passion Bible or the Message easier to read.

You could browse this site or wander up to Hinsley Hall in Headingley which has a good selection of bibles.

I recommend buying a Study Bible (get someone to get it for your Birthday or for Christmas!) - Zondervan produce good ones (probably best not to go for the King James) as does Crossways (theirs uses the ESV translation).

The Infographic Bible

Book
Recommended by Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland
Published in November 2018

'In this this pioneering book Karen Sawrey shows you the bible as you never seen it before, using powerful infographics, with data sourced by experts in their fields, to communicate the key biblical themes and narratives. The Infographic Bible focuses on the meta narrative, the key points of the major stories and themes, to give the reader insight into the bigger story and help you understand the complex or abstract themes in a relevant way. Through revealing the ancient traditions, showing connections between Old and New Testament themes, and profiling important characters, you are left with a deeper and more memorable interpretation of the scriptures.'

Audio Bibles

There are lots of audio options out there. Here are links to a few. These are a great way to make your way through the scriptures if you find reading difficult. Be wary that you don't try and listen whilst doing something else! The whole point is to be totally focussed on the Good Book - a good combo would be to listen to the audio whilst following along in the book itself.

Bible Gateway
This is an easy-to-use website with the whole bible available in many translations. If you choose the NIV UK version you get David Suchet!
Once you have found the passage and version you want to read you just click on the Audio button. They do several styles including ones for children and a dramatised version.
They also have a sister App.

YouVersion
YouVersion only offer their product as an App but it is very good with lots of features to help you read - as well as the audio function. They have a range of deep-voiced Americans reading!

Bible Study Tools
This is an easy to use website with the ESV and NLT as the main choices. They have a range of deep-voiced Americans reading!

Audible
If you subscribe to Audible they offer the same John Suchet recording (amongst others) and sell a CD version too.

Mark Yeadon attends Leeds Vineyard and these are his personal reflections as he's been reading through The Good Book:

Genesis to Deuteronomy 9 summary