Are you in need of a spiritual boost..... a "pick me up from the pew"?  Join fellow parishioners every Christmas and winter in our Parish Book Program!

The Parish Book Program is designed to reconnect men, women, and families within our faith community - to help engage Catholics and reinvigorate parish life.  According to research, each year only 1% of Catholics in America read a Catholic book. Each Christmas, as we share the joy of the Birth of our Lord, we can share the gift of knowledge and, at the same time, share our Catholic Faith!

Each year, every family who attends Mass on Christmas will receive a complimentary copy of a great Catholic book.  The title will be carefully selected to meet people where they are and lead them to where God is calling them to be.  Following the distribution of books, study groups will be formed to discuss the book.
 

2020 Parish Book Program - Bible Basics for Catholics, by John Bergsma

John Bergsma’s popular Bible Basics for Catholics, which has sold more than 60,000 copies, offers readers an accessible vision of salvation history as it unfolds in the Bible, showing readers how the Bible points us to the saving life and work of Jesus. 

Bergsma provides Catholics with the big picture of the Bible by focusing on the covenant story of God's plan for all his sons and daughters. By employing a conversational style and simple illustrations throughout the book, he helps contemporary Catholics understand the ancient world of the Bible and discover how it is still meaningful for their lives today. Readers will begin to see the Christian understanding of salvation by walking through the Old Testament, going through the great stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, the great kings and prophets of Israel, and culminating in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Bergsma brings to his theology a combination of academic expertise, pastoral wisdom, and unique playfulness.  

Don't just take our word for it: these prominent Catholics highly praise this book!

"John Bergsma is a very effective teacher of Scripture with a gift for clarity and depth." -Scott Hahn (Author of The Lamb's Supper)

"John Bergsma brings his biblical scholarship, pastoral heart, and gift for teaching together in this charming, easy-to-use overview of Salvation History. Highly recommended." -Edward Sri (Chancellor and Professor of Scripture and Theology at the Augustine Institute)

"Bible Basics for Catholics is the best resource in my classroom, hands down. It is my go-to resource for teaching Scripture and I tell all my students and their parents to add it to their library." -Katie Prejean (Theology teacher and author of Room 24)

Copies of Bible Basics for Catholics will be available beginning at the Christmas Masses. 

Tentative 2020 Dates 

Saturday, January 11, 10:00 a.m.:  Host Training
Saturday, January 18/Sunday, January 19:  Parish-wide kick-off
Jan 19-25:  Read Introduction and Chapter 1 (pp. 1-31)
Jan 26-Feb 1:  Week 1 Small Group Gatherings, read Chapters 2-3 (pp. 33-59)
Feb 2-8:  Week 2 Small Group Gatherings, Read Chapter 4 (pp. 61-83)
Feb 9-15:  Week 3 Small Group Gatherings, Read Chapters 5-6 (pp. 85-121)
Feb 16-22:  Week 4 Small Group Gatherings, Read Chapter 7 (pp. 123-152)
Feb 23-29:  Week 5 Small Group Gatherings, Read Chapter 8 and "A Last Word" (pp. 153-170)
Mar 1-7: Week 6 Small Group Gatherings

Questions?  Please contact Michael Rubbelke at (574) 272-8462, ext. 122 or bookprogram@stpius.net