CAPTION: So far, a total of 36 people have joined in the challenge and offered to read, with over 1000 chapters being allocated.
Devon Church’s Lent Bible Read-a-thon Raises Funds and Builds Community
A church in Devon has set itself a challenge to read the whole Bible aloud during Lent.
Members of St John the Baptist Church, Plymtree, started their ‘Readathon’ with the opening chapters of the book of Genesis on Ash Wednesday.
Volunteers are taking it in turns to read and the aim is to get through 35 chapters a day.
The organisers are hoping to get through all 1,189 chapters of the Bible by Palm Sunday.
They plan to read the final chapter of Revelation at a united ‘Easter Carol Service’ marking the start of Holy Week.

From 8 to 80; a range of ages have joined in with the Bible Readathon Challenge.
The bible reading challenge is an opportunity to raise funds for the work of the church and the local Plymtree community.
Churchwarden Alan Barnett, who came up with the idea, said, “We might not be able to run a marathon, but we could read a marathon!
“What better marathon than to read the whole of all 1,189 chapters of the bible.”
Locals have been able to sponsor the books of the Bible being read for £1 a chapter.
Alan was inspired to organise the Readathon after discovering two historic copies of the King James Bibles whilst looking at the church book collection.
The Bibles have had minimal use in recent decades, and Alan wondered how they could still be used and valued within the church.
Both Bibles had been gifted to the church .
One copy was presented to the congregation in June 1872, by the then Rector Thomas Mozley.
Alan said, “He did a lot to improve the quality of life in Plymtree, including overseeing and financing the buildings of the school which opened on 10 February 1873.
“Both the Bible and Plymtree School have just passed their 150th Anniversaries.”
The second bible was gifted by Sir Edmond and Lady Schreiber in 1969.
Lieutenant General Sir Edmond Schreiber served in both world wars and became the Governor of Malata from 1944-1946.
He later spent 20 years of his retirement in Plymtree, and became the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Devon.
The bible reading challenge also presented an opportunity to raise funds for the work of the church and the local Plymtree community.
So far, a total of 36 people have joined in the challenge and offered to read, with over 1000 chapters being allocated.
Alan said, “Some people have popped in to read just one chapter, others have taken on as much as three hours on one day of every week of Lent.
“One of the other churches in our Mission Community has asked to read all of the set 35 chapters for a whole day.”
Alan said, “This Lent challenge includes aspect of self-discipline, and gives the chance for reflection on the words of the Bible.”
The readers range in age from 8 to 80.
Alan said, “It is hard to meet anyone around the village without being asked, “How’s the Bible reading going?”
Alan said his key bible verse in life is Romans 8:38-39, which reads:
‘For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.’
He will be on the rota to read it on the 29 March at 10am and all are welcome to come along and listen.
The Palm Sunday service will finish with the last chapter of the bible in Revelation. The congregation will be given the opportunity to join in with the last verse, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”