Why bother with the Bible?

The Methodist Church and Bible Society have teamed up to help young people navigate the Bible.

They have created a new series of short videos tackling questions like why young people should bother with the Bible, whether it is trustworthy and what difference it makes to life today.

The Navigate resource has been designed for use by youth leaders working with 11 to 15-year-olds and offers five interactive sessions in addition to the video animations.

"As Christians we take for granted that we should read the Bible, but we often don't ask why or consider the challenges it presents," said Methodist Youth President Tamara Wray.

"This course is a fantastic introduction for young people to the most world-changing, exciting and significant book the world has ever seen."

The launch of the new resources comes just a few weeks after the Bible Society published new research revealing that although 80 per cent of parents agree it is important for their children to know Bible stories, a third of 15-year-olds have not read, seen or heard the Nativity story.

The research prompted the Bible Society to launch the Pass It On campaign encouraging parents and children to engage with Bible stories.

James Catford, Group Chief Executive of Bible Society, said, "Our research indicates that the Bible's brilliant and engaging stories could be lost to future generations unless people take action. The Bible's contribution to our culture – language, literature, the visual arts and music – is immense.

"It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from. The Bible enriches life, and every child should have the opportunity to experience it. The Navigate course is a great way of doing that."

Navigate is available to download for free here

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