Full disclosure: I have never read the Bible from cover to cover. I am excited and looking forward to this challenge this year, A Year in the Bible with St. Luke’s Methodist Church.
I have been a Christian my whole life. I was born and raised at the church my parents have been members at since they were born. I attended church every Sunday and even volunteered with my parents within the TV Ministry at our church. During college, I attended church with my husband, and you guessed it, volunteered for many years. My husband, Brian Morgan began working for St. Luke’s Methodist Church in 2014 and we instantly felt at home. We became members shortly after and I instantly began volunteering. Volunteering my time and gifts has always been a part of me and it should’ve been a sign for me at a young age that I would eventually work within a church setting. I have been happily and unequivocally changed for the better as I have been the Director of Children’s Ministry at our Edmond campus since February 2022.
I have given you my Christian background to let you know I am not a stranger to the written word of God. I have always been able to tell you the “highlights” of the Bible but for some reason have never pursued reading and understanding the Bible. Throughout the last couple of years, I have learned so much more about various stories and scriptures through preparing and teaching Sunday school at our Edmond campus.
This year I hope you accept Dr. Bob Long’s challenge to read through the Bible during the year 2024. It is not too late to start. Every day you are encouraged to open your Bible and read a few chapters. There is a monthly guide available to help assist you through this huge endeavor. Taylor Easttom, Director of Children’s Ministry at our downtown campus and I are asking parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to encourage the future generation of our church to open their Bibles. Every month in children’s church, we have a memory verse that we focus on and try to memorize. These memory verses are usually well-known scriptures that we feel our children would benefit from knowing. We would love for you to help your child find their memory verse in their Bible. If they do not own a Bible, share your Bible, and find the memory verse together. Lastly, Ms. Taylor and I would love for the children in our congregation to bring their Bibles to children’s church every Sunday they attend Sunday school. This is a great habit to start in 2024.
I hope you are enjoying this challenge of reading the entire Bible with me in 2024.
– Jocelyn Morgan, Edmond Campus Director of Children’s Ministry
