First Step
Begin to become familiar with the Bible by regularly reading from it.
Start small. Read a few verses each day. Pick a book of the Bible like Mark or the Psalms and slowly work your way through the beginning chapters.
You can use an online site for daily readings like d365.org.
Many people use a daily devotional to guide them in prayer and scripture reading each day. Copies of These Days are available at Fairview in the narthex (lobby) of the sanctuary.
Next Steps
Study the Bible using resources and tools to help understand the message and context of scripture. Learn more about Christian traditions and how faith impacts our daily lives and the societal issues.
Use a Study Bible to understand more about the history and meaning of the Bible. A Study Bible has introductions to each book of the Bible, and extra notes and explanations alongside the passages. The CEB Study Bible is a good one to use if you don’t already have one.
Read a book about Christian faith. Holding Faith: A Practical Introduction to Christian Faith by Cynthia Rigby, Faith Seeking Understanding by Daniel Migliore, or Christian Doctrine by Shirley Guthrie are helpful in explaining many traditional Christian beliefs.
Further Steps
Be able to articulate your Christian beliefs with scriptural foundation. Commit to being with a small group of others over time for study, support, and encouragement.
Join a Bible study, church class or start a small group for fellowship and study with friends. Learn about the groups Fairview has to offer.
Commit to reading the Bible regularly in a systematic way. You can find a variety of reading plans at Bible Gateway.
Read a book on Christian Faith. Find recommendations and ideas at Westminster John Knox Press.
When studying the Bible use a Bible Commentary, like The Harper Collins Bible Commentary.
Dive deep into a particular area of faith or theology. For example, here is bibliography of resources around “Escaping the Violence of Bad Atonement Theology.”
Additional Resources
Theocademy - High quality video lessons for all stages of faith formation
Watch film or show portrayals of stories from the gospels. Identify the passages from the Bible in the film or show and then ask how accurate the portrayal is, what’s different, why do you think the creators added that difference? Below or some suggestions for films and shows based on the gospels. One popular series that is available online for free is The Chosen. You can find discussion questions for The Chosen here. Some popular movies are: Jesus Christ Superstar, The Nativity Story, The Last Temptation of Christ, and The Greatest Story Ever Told.