Our home group programme for the beginning of 2011 is based around the E100 Bible Reading Challenge. This is a programme of 100 carefully selected Bible readings (50 from the Old Testament and 50 from the New Testament) designed to give participants a good understanding of the overall Bible story from Genesis to Revelation. The 'E' stands for Essential and each of the Essential 100 readings ranges from a few verses to a few chapters.
 

The Penistone Community Church Statement of Faith says that ‘we believe in the divine inspiration and supreme authority of the Bible, which is the written Word of God - fully trustworthy for faith and conduct.’

It is good to get to know our Bibles together and by doing the E100 challenge at home group we will be able to encourage each other. This will involve individually reading 5 passages at home each week and then doing a study at home group, with a week off every few weeks for prayer meetings and ladies’/men’s home group which will also allow time for catching up/getting ahead!

The programme was pioneered by Scripture Union in the USA where it is now a joint project with American Bible Society. Australia, New Zealand, Germany and Argentina are implementing or planning nationwide E100 campaigns.

As part of the Biblefresh initiative, a consortium comprising the national Bible Societies and the Scripture Union movements of England and Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland, along with Wycliffe Bible Translators has been formed to promote the programme throughout Britain and Ireland.

The website address for further details is: www.e100challenge.org.uk

A plan for the first 50 readings and 10 small group studies for Home Group has been put together for Penistone Community Church  - this finishes around Easter. After this we can pause to have a break and perhaps look at some aspects of the Old Testament in more detail e.g. look at more of the prophets. We could then study the 50 New Testament readings later in the year.

The Bible reading planner and small group Bible Study outlines are available as part of the online resources - see the E100 links.

Of course, any extra study to fill in the missing chapters and books, both alongside the programme and once it is finished will reap more rewards! Please share with your group anything helpful you have read or any useful tips that have enriched Bible reading for you.

Please join us in this, even if you can’t make every home group. It will be good to be doing this together