“The Sacred Writings contain the instruction of the ages.”
– Ephrem the Syrian
Along with Prayer, Love, and Justice, few things are as fundamental to Christianity as the Bible itself. St. Jerome advised a friend, “Read the divine scriptures constantly; indeed, never let the holy book be out of your hand.” And yet, many Christians have only experienced a modest fraction of the Bible. This year, join us as we challenge ourselves to read through the Bible in 2026!
You can use our calendar of readings, with readings from the Hebrew Bible and New Testament for 365 days beginning on February 1, 2026. [Two formats: formatted for smart phone; formatted for printing at home].
You can read through the entire plan with us (readings from both Testaments daily), or set yourself a more modest challenge:
- Hebrew Bible only: average 3 chapters / day; perhaps 20-30 minutes
- New Testament only: av. 1 chapter / day; about 10-15 minutes
- both testaments: av. 4 chapters / day; about 30-45 minutes
Also, you can “drop in” to the reading plan at specific times, to read particular sequences. Some great “points of entry” are:
- Exodus and Wilderness Wandering: Feb. 21 – April 18
- The two later gospels (Luke & John): April 23 – July 14
- Wisdom Literature (Job/Psalms/Prov. etc.): July 25 – Oct. 26
- Acts: July 15 – August 28
- Paul and the Pauline letters: August 29 – November 20th
- The Three Major Prophets: Oct. 27 – Jan. 4
- The Twelve Minor Prophets: Jan. 10 – Jan. 31st
Here’s an online audio Bible if you’d rather listen to scheduled readings; it can be set to whatever book/chapter/verse you want.
Connect with others doing the 2026 Bible Challenge (3 ways to join the discussion!):
In-person: Mondays, Noon – 12:50; Wilson Room (B-14)
Zoom: Mondays, 6:30 – 7:15 pm (password: 1225)
One tap mobile: +13462487799,,88983962637# US (Houston)
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1EAzDLY3Qh/
(Private group– just request to be added)
“Reading the Scriptures is a great safeguard against sin.”
– Epiphanius of Cyprus