This weekend at S. Barrington the main lobby was packed with people seeking to dive in and dive deep with God and His Word. At our first ever “Bible Engagement Fair,” a team of volunteer “Bible Consultants” were on hand, along with a few members of the American Bible Society, to support four “Getting Started/Going Deeper” Seeds resource tables, the Seeds Branch, and two online resource stations in the main lobby.
People of all ages and backgrounds asked about how to start reading the Bible, which version to start out with, and what to expect as they began being intentional in reading and reflecting on God’s Word. People were really interested in the St John’s Bibles after seeing the exhibit in Guest Central. They were thinking of friends and family who might really enjoy receiving a copy of this beautifully written and illustrated Bible. The Psalms and Wisdom Books were the most popular editions.
Lots of people also picked up bibles for their kids while they were at our tables. Many people were grateful that we had a bible to give them free of charge if they could not afford to buy one. However, everything was discounted between 25%-30%, and there were a variety of Bibles for sale in every price range – from $2 up to the $50 Study Bibles, so there were choices, even for those without a lot of money to spend. We had several Bible study aides to available to people looking for a companion resource. The most popular were The Essential Bible Companion and The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary – the latter edited by our own Dr. Gary Burge.
Many also came forward to explore how to use commentaries and other tools to engage more deeply with Scripture. The emphasis across the board was to help people explore tools and get moving with God’s Word. Story after story from the Bible Consultants expressed how people were really moved by the process of picking a “life verse” and now wanted to commit to getting into Scripture on a more frequent and intentional basis.
One great success was the St. John’s Heritage Edition Bible exhibit in Guest Central. Approximately 2,000 people patiently waited in line and walked through this stunning display of Scripture that evidenced historical reverence and care and the beauty behind the text through magnificent calligraphy and artistic illumination. One fourth grade girl was with her family and was found comparing her Bible line by line with the text on one of the framed pages on display (perhaps a future Bible scholar?). While the text on black and white paper or read online using YouVersion is powerful, so many people shared how the artwork of the Heritage Edition made familiar Scripture come alive in new ways for them. What a gift this was to our church on so many levels.
In all, the Bible Engagement Fair wrapped up the four week “Life Verse” series in a highly practical way. It took the 100 verses that were provided on week one to the next level. Each person received a booklet with guidance for diving into or diving deep with God’s Word. The tools to try, recommended resources, memory verse cards, and simple ways to engage with the Bible set up the Willow family with a compelling vision and the avenues necessary for growing as a community centered around Christ through Scripture.
The materials will be available at North Shore next week, as they wrap up the LifeVerse series.
We are grateful to all the Departments that invested time, talent and treasures to make this Bible Engagement Fair a reality. A big thanks to Dan Lovaglia, Paul JVR, Susan DeLay, Jennifer James and Greg Hawkins for their contributions to this article!
