Biblefresh: it could change your world

David is a political scientist and a theologian. He is a former policy director at the Evangelical Alliance and founding director of Faith in Britain.

'Let's unite around God's Word in 2011. I commend Biblefresh wholeheartedly.'

Ali is head of Soul Sista and on the leadership team of Soul Survivor and Soul Survivor Church in Watford.

Andy is Associate Director of Soul Survivor Ministries. He heads up the ‘Called to Lead’ course and is married to Beth.

"Reading the Bible isn't about gathering information, how many chapters or books we've read or whether we can reel off verses from memory. It's about a relationship. Understanding this is at the heart of what it is to read the Bible and receive life from its pages. ..If we read the Bible just for the sake of it, it’s likely to become dry and lifeless. But if we read the Bible because we want relationship with the Prince of Peace and the Lord of Life, then it's quite different. It becomes a way of getting to know our Friend."

Read Spotlight on... with Andy Croft

Andy is Director of Share Jesus International. He is also an author and popular speaker. He is married to Jo and loves to surf!

"When I was reading about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and that prayer that he prays, 'not my will be done, but yours'..[it] really impacted me at that time in my life."

Chris is the International Director of the Langham Partnership. He is an Irishman who lives in London and is married to Liz.

Christina is Principal of St John's College, Nottingham and Lay Chairman of the Church of England's General Synod.

"When I was about 15, I was looking for a verse in the book of Joshua, which actually comes in the last chapter, but the Lord spoke to me through Joshua 1:7-8 - and called me to study theology. This has been my life’s work, and it all started by reading the Bible."

Read Spotlight on... with Christina Baxter

Colin is the Minister at Palmerston Place Church. He is also a former General Director of Scripture Union Scotland.

Dave is Pastor of Bethany City Church in Sunderland. He is married to Cathie who works for Action for Blind People, and has two adult children, Jonny and Emma.

David is General Director of Keswick Ministries. He is married to Liz, a teacher and lives in Northwood, NW London.

"I want people to get a 'wow' factor when they read the Bible, whether that's a humbling experience or an exaltation, to be really enthused by the Bible as the 'living and active Word of God' and put it into practice."

Read Spotlight on... with David Bradley

David is the founder of the Proclamation Trust.

"[My prayer for Biblefresh is that] the Bible will be restored to its rightful place 'in the driving seat' of our individual lives, in the priorities and plans of our churches and at the heart of our nation. May this initiative be a great step forward by which the Spirit of God takes the Word of God to accomplish the will and work of God."

Read Spotlight on... with David Jackman

David is the minister of Smithton-Culloden Free Church of Scotland and the moderator of the General Assembly in 2010.

David is Vice-Principal & Lecturer in Mission Studies at International Christian College in Glasgow and spent nearly ten years in Japan with OMF.

"..it doesn’t matter if you don’t have an earth-shattering sense of God’s Word leaping out at you in letters of burning fire every time you read the Bible. We read the Bible as much to get our heads round the big story of God at work in the world through Jesus and His Spirit as we do for a personal spiritual experience. These experiences will come, but they come out of a deepening relationship, and reading Scripture really helps that relationship to grow."

Read Spotlight on... with David Miller

David is Principal of St John's College, Durham.

"One of the times when God has spoken most vividly and personally was as a research student when my work was in the origin of the universe and the galaxies and how galaxies form. One day I was reading Colossians ch.1 v15-20 and was caught by the verse ‘In him all things cohere’. It struck me in a brand new way that the reason I was able to do science, the reason that there are laws of physics at the heart of the universe, is because all creation has coherence and further than that, Jesus is the source of that coherence."

Read Spotlight on... with David Wilkinson.

Elaine is an author, international speaker, President of Tearfund and Chair of Fulcrum.

"I don’t think it’s a challenge at all to get people engaged in the Bible; you just have to read it. You just have to let them see how exciting and dynamic it is. You know, I’ve been in schools up and down the country, been in all kinds of contexts where you just open the Bible, often starting with the gospels, maybe a parable, and just share it with folk there and they are riveted. You know, it’s not rocket science. Its stories accessible to everybody and I think we just have to do it. Open the Bible and do it."

Read Spotlight on... Elaine Storkey

Gordon is Minister of Stranraer St Ninians. He is married to Fiona and has 2 sons.

"A few weeks after my father died my sister and I found a scrap of paper inside one of his books. On this piece of paper he had used a typewriter to copy out Psalm 27:4, “One thing I have asked of the Lord, and that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life”. In the weeks following, I was, and remain, encouraged with the hope that these words expressed the faith which my dad had and which held him into that eternal presence of his Father. Since then, I have found in Bible reading that the desire of the Lord is to dwell with his people and to have us live together with him. This is not a minor theme in Scripture but a great hope which shines from every page."

Read Spotlight on... Gordon Kennedy

Greg Haslam is the Senior Pastor of Westminster Chapel, London.

"My whole Christian life of some 42 years now has been punctuated with many vivid occasions when God has spoken to me through the Bible. Perhaps the most significant was in the third year of my ministry when I was desperate about the state of the church I was pastoring. The letter to the Laodicean church in Revelation 3 came alive to me in a remarkable way. I was gripped by its message and knew that in preaching from it our church would never be the same again."

Read Spotlight on... Greg Haslam.

Howard Marshall is Emeritus Professor of New Testament Exegesis at the University of Aberdeen.

Jamie is Vice-Principal and Tutor of Biblical Studies at Highland Theological College in Dingwall, Inverness. He is married to Iwona and has two daughters and a son.

"We all struggle with our personal devotions from time to time but the important thing is not to give up. If it's really hard, don't try to bite off more than you can chew. Read smaller passages and ask God to make them real to your life. Don't feel guilty about it, but bring your struggle with your devotions to the Lord in prayer."

Read Spotlight on... Jamie Grant

Jason is Senior Pastor of Vineyard Church, Sutton.

'Biblefresh is a catalyst encouraging us to grow in our knowledge of the Bible. This is essential for Christian maturity. Through the Bible we sharpen our focus on God. In turn that enables us to see ourselves through God’s eyes. That disturbs us out of our sins and comfort zones. It drives us to Jesus for forgiveness and spurs us on to greater maturity and more profitable service for the Lord.'

Joel Edwards is the international director of Micah Challenge, a global campaign to mobilise Christians against poverty, and to influence leaders of rich and poor nations to fulfil their promise to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

Jonathan is the International Program Director of Langham Partnership International, a group of ministries committed to the strengthening of the church in the Majority World through fostering leadership development, biblical preaching, literature and doctoral scholarships.

Jonathan is one of the Senior Pastors of Glory House, a multi-cultural church in East London and Convener of the London Global Day of Prayer.

Rt Rev Dr Lee Rayfield is the Bishop of Swindon and prior to ordination was an immunologist teaching medical and dental students in London. He is married to Liz and has 3 children.

Martin is the minister of Chryston Parish Church, near Glasgow.

Martin is the Executive Director of Global Connections.

Martyn is the General Secretary of the Methodist Church and secretary of the Methodist Conference.

Matt Summerfield is the Executive Director of Urban Saints.

Nicky is the Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton and the pioneer of the Alpha course. He is also Vice President of Tearfund. He is married to Pippa and they have three children.

'We are so pleased to be a part of this exciting initiative which we hope will bring fresh perspective on the relevance for the Bible in our daily lives and for the world today.'

Nims is the Pastor at the Freedom’s Ark Church, in Tottenham, and Chief Executive of the Peace Alliance, which created London’s annual Week of Peace.

Olu works as a Field Director with Friends International in the UK, serves on the Board of the African and Caribbean Alliance and is married to Ola and they have two daughters.

Paula is Canon Theologian of Birmingham Cathedral and visiting lecturer at King's College, London. She is also a freelance writer and lecturer in Biblical Studies as well as a Reader in the Church of England and a member of General Synod.

Richard is a preacher and writer and the Former Rector of All Souls, Langham Place.

Robert is a British academic theologian and a reader in black theology and popular culture at Oxford Brookes University.

Roger is the founder and leader of Ichthus Christian Fellowship. He is also the Chairman of the Council for the Evangelical Alliance and Honorary Vice President of Tearfund.

'Biblefresh inspires men and women to breathe in God’s inspired words.'

Rose is a former missionary with OMF international, author, speaker, teacher at International Christian College and Vice-Chairman of the WEA's Mission Commission.

'My prayer for Biblefresh is that up and down the country, young and old will learn or re-learn the joy of listening to God for themselves as they read and listen to Scripture. Every period of authentic renewal in church history has been accompanied by a hunger to hear and internalize God’s Word. Today’s church in the UK faces deep challenges. We need God’s equipping – and the Scripture is an essential part of that.'

The Bible competes with A Brief History of Time for the dubious honour of being the least read best seller. In my experience, many people struggle with three questions: how on earth do I go about reading this rather daunting book?; how can I figure out what it means?; and does it have any relevance to my life in the 21st century? By providing a variety of creative and thoughtful ways of working through these questions, Biblefresh has the potential do something truly significant for individuals, for the Church and even for the wider community. I am delighted to commend and be a part of this excellent initiative.

Stephen is Director of Clarion Trust International and is a senior church leader in the UK, having pastored two large churches and served as President of the Baptist Union. He is married to Janet and they have 3 adult children.

'Confident communication of God’s word has never been more needed – make sure your church is part of Biblefresh as it gets the church hearing God’s word again.'

Steve is Principal of Moorlands Bible College and preaches widely at conventions both in the UK and abroad.

'Our great need is to know the Word of the Lord so that through it we may know the Lord of the Word. Biblefresh will encourage to do just that. I heartily commend it.'

Steve is Senior Lecturer in Theology, Director of Teaching and Deputy Head of School of Divinity at St Andrew's University.

'I pray that all of us .. [would realise] what a treasure God has given us in the Scriptures, and just how powerful they are. And as a result, we wouldn't leave the Bible in a box under the bed - or on a table beside the bed - but would use it to change God's world, for God's glory.'

Stuart is Rector of St Michael's, Aberystwyth.

Terry is the is the founder of Newfrontiers. He is a well-known Bible teacher, speaking at conferences internationally and hosts the annual Together on a Mission conference in the UK, which draws thousands of delegates from around the world.

'When God’s church hears and obeys God’s word, the Spirit is at work, lives are changed and communities transformed. Join the Biblefresh initiative and let’s see what God will do amongst us.'

Three passages have been central to my understanding of the immensity of the grace of God and the hope contained in the gospel.

The first is John 10:10, ‘I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.’ This spoke to me at the beginning of my walk with God. It is the message that changed my life and underpins my preaching ministry and witness.