Bible-reading program set for Maumee
1/3/2009The Bible in 90 Days, a program that is usually aimed at individual Christians but which became a community effort last year in Waterville, is being offered this year in another Toledo suburb, Maumee.
"It's about building unity. We all read the same Bible, we should all be on the same page," said John Knollman, who with his wife, Marcia, organized the Bible in 90 Days program for Waterville in 2008.
About 210 people signed up last year and more than 150 completed the Bible-reading program, a success rate of about 70 percent.
Some of the participants in the Waterville sessions were from Maumee and asked the Knollmans if they would organize the program again this year.
The program was created by Ted Cooper, a Texas software entrepreneur, with resources published by Zondervan.
Participants read 12 pages of Scriptures per day, which typically takes about an hour, for the 90-day period. The cost of the Bible is $13.99 and a guidebook is $5.99.
Mr. Knollman also showed a video and led discussions on the week's readings, holding identical meetings on five different nights in five different Waterville locations. His goal was to make it easy for people to find a night that fit their schedules.
Free introductory sessions will be held next week at the following times and locations:
•11 a.m. tomorrow at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 112 East Wayne St..
•7 p.m. tomorrow at Cass Road Baptist Church, 1400 Cass Rd.
•7 p.m. Tuesday at First Presbyterian Church, 200 East Broadway.
•7 p.m. Wednesday at the Church on Strayer Rd., 3000 Strayer Rd.
•7 p.m. Thursday at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 310 Elizabeth St.
In addition, the Bible in 90 Days will be offered on YES-FM (89.3) Christian radio, with information online at yeshome.com.
Mr. Knollman will be on YES-FM at 7:45 a.m. Tuesdays weekly during the 90-day program.
The station's involvement will make it possible for people to participate anywhere in the listening area, which covers most of northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan.
He said he had scores of positive reports from last year's Waterville project, mostly from people who told him they had always wanted to read the Bible but never were able to follow through on that goal.
"So many people who go to church have never read the Bible," Mr. Knollman said. "This program makes it easy. I read a blog in which a pastor said that we Christians proclaim the Bible as God's word and believe every word in it, yet most of us have never read all of it. How can you proclaim the Bible is true if you haven't even read it? I want to challenge Christians to at least read the Bible."
Registration and information are available online at biblein90days.org, calling 419-441-0090, or by sending an e-mail to Johnk90dyas@embarqmail.com.
- David Yonke