Contact: Shawna Cronan, Communications Specialist, Biblica, 719-867-2692, shawna.cronan@biblica.com 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., July 27, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Every day, 1700 people give up reading the Bible, despite having more access to Scripture than any generation in history. In response, Biblica launches a bold new Bible engagement initiative called Community Bible Experience, an eight-week journey through the entire New Testament.

Berkley Hills Wesleyan Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan saw dramatic results after participating in the reading campaign. Their small group participation tripled, and the number of congregants reading the Bible on a regular basis increased from 25 percent to 75 percent as a result of Community Bible Experience. Senior pastor Kyle Brown said, "We've done this experience twice, and it has transformed our church in a way that nothing else has. In a world where there's so much bombarding us, there's something really simple yet very significant about the Church saying, 'We're going to go back to our roots -- back to getting people engaged in God's Word.' That's why I love this experience and why we'll be doing it again."

Biblica's Community Bible Experience invites participants to explore Scripture in community, together with their church, small group, or family. Weekly gatherings are designed to feel more like a book club than a traditional Bible study. The experience brings people together to read, understand, and apply God's Word.

"Most of us only read the Bible in fragments – a verse here or a chapter there. Most of us read without a sense of context; and sadly, most of us read in isolation," said Paul Caminiti, Biblica's Vice President of Bible Engagement. "Community Bible Experience helps readers glimpse the complete story, understood in context, and experienced in community."

The next Community Bible Experience launches September 25, 2011 with an eight-week journey through the New Testament, using The Books of the Bible, a revolutionary presentation of Scripture that strips away centuries of artificial formatting, leaving behind nothing but pure Bible text. Participants read around 12 pages a day, five days a week, and by the end, they will have read the entire New Testament.

Groups can sign up for this journey through Scripture at Biblica.com/CBE. Videos, testimonials, information on upcoming campaigns, and other resources are available on the website.

Participating groups will receive a free Digital Resource Kit, containing everything needed to plan a Community Bible Experience. This kit contains a church leader's guide, discussion leader's guide, customizable bulletin inserts, and more. Copies of The Books of the Bible (Biblica Publishing, $5, paper, ISBN: 9781563206603) are available at BiblicaDirect.com/CommBibleExp.

About Biblica
Celebrating more than 200 years in ministry, Biblica provides God's Word to people through translation, publishing, and Bible engagement. Biblica's ministry extends worldwide, with outreach in over 55 countries. Biblica has translated the Bible in more than 100 languages and is the translation sponsor and publisher of the New International Version® (NIV) Bible, the most widely read and trusted contemporary English translation. Biblica engages people with God's Word so lives are transformed through a relationship with Jesus Christ. For more information, visit Biblica.com.

Shawna Cronan, Communications Specialist · shawna.cronan@biblica.com · 719-867-2692 · Biblica.com