07 Bible Library Shelves


Church Library Bible Research Resources

              

Question:  What can CHURCH LIBRARY do to help GOD'S PEOPLE begin to "dust off
 their Bibles" and give GOD'S WORD, the real "STAR-OF-THE-REAL-SHOW" kind of attention
and appreciation that it deserves as "The World's Best Seller?"
                 [QUESTION: Is it possible that may also be the "world's least read?"]

Answer:  The Church Library can make available and attractive the latest in 21st Century Study Bibles from several evangelical publishers that deserve high-priority publicity and creative promotional learning activities including workshops that encourage the formation of Bible Research habits for Bible students of all ages that will benefit them for all of their lifetime and in eternity.
[See Matthew 24:35; 1 Peter 2:23-25]

THE CHURCH LIBRARY STAFF 

Provide A High-Visibility Bible Research Location

In larger churches with an extensive library, there could be at least one librarian available during library hours available to assist those of all age-interests and can give one-on-one guidance about what study aids exist and can be checked out from the church library.

This helpful guidance will give prospective "Bible Buyers" what may well be their best chance to make wise choices before they go to the book stores or onto the internet to make this one of the very most important purchases of their lifetime.

In the more typical smaller church settings you might have volunteers to help organize your church's library by helping place the key Bible research books in a highly visible location with a posted list of books available. You could ask the church leaders for a list of people who are qualified to "give one-on-one" guidance about what your church library aids can be checked out.

A Prayer Challenge: 

+ Church leaders and church librarians could well ask God to help them find creative ways to minister to the biblical literacy needs of the entire Church family.

+ Never before in Church history have there been such user friendly 24-7-365 Study Bible features and and other research helps to encurage new believers and old alike to grow and mature in their faith.

     + Bible literacy should be a priority goal in the total Church ministry and in its Church library.

                    &

     Bible Research Has Never Been More

        Inexpensive Or User-Friendly!


Your Library Bible Study Research Shelf (Or Cart)

The Priority (Top) Shelf - This highly visible shelf could well be reserved for all the various versions and Study Bibles available.  [Giving priority preference to 21st Century Evangelical Study Bibles.]

These are the kinds of resources used by Study Bible Editors in compiling a Study Bible.  Some indicate that they have used several hundred such resources to provide STUDY BIBLE charts, concordances, cross references, footnotes, etc. Here is a list of such resources.  Are you impressed?

Additional Shelves -  Here is where you locate all the BIBLE REFERENCE "TOOLS" needed for research beyond the features and information included in the Study Bible(s).
   (Suggestion:  Those who have a Bible Research Library at home may be interested 
     in underlining these reference books that they own in their private library.)

Bible Atlases,
Bible Character Studies,
Bible Charts (Samples: Christ-focused list of charts: Harmony of the Gospels, Teachings, Parables, Miracles, Travels, Passion Week, Trial, and Resurrection Appearances),
Bible Chronologies,
Bible Commentaries,
Bible Concordances, 
Bible Dictionaries,
Bible Encyclopedias,
Bible Geographies,
Bible Handbooks,
Bible Harmonies (Old and New Testament),
Bible Histories,
Bible Indexes, (Especially those in your Study Bibles.)
Bible Maps, (Study Bible In-Text Maps)
Bible Panoramas or Overviews,
Bible Surveys,
Bible Timelines,
Bible Topical Encyclopedias,
Bible Version Histories, and
Bible Word Studies. 

A Timely Research Tip: One valuable way to find encouragement in learning how to research the Bible is to observe who has a well-worn Bible, especially a larger than usual Bible, and then do them a favor by asking them if they will help you get started in forming a habit of reading and researching God’s Word.
Most serious Bible research students of God’s Word would love to join you to participate in such an assignment. "You have not, if you ask not!" (Matthew 7:7,8)

Research Tools To Buy ~  The Bible Bookstore At Church

& &


       "Try Before You Buy" ~ Your Study Bible Option!


The Bible On Church Library Shelves

You can use your Church Library to add to your Study Bible and Bible Research options!

 1. FIRST PRIORITY ~ The Church Library needs to have an attractive, highly visible, and current collection of Bibles of different versions, with samples of available Study Bibles that are age-grouped on the shelves or a portable Library Cart. 

2. SECOND PRIORITY ~ Librarians should be trained to focus attention to the prime locations of the Library Bible Study Research shelves or carts to provide "user-friendly" encouragement for people of all ages to borrow a Study Bible in order to explore and discover for themselves its features and helps.

                "Try before you buy!"

This should be one of the most researched purchases of a spiritual lifetime. It will be life-changing! Not everyone can visit a Christian bookstore or have the opportunity to "Check-A-Study-Bible-Out" and "Check-It-Over" for a couple of weeks --- the Church Library or Book Store should help Bible readers to meet that need.

PASTORS, CHURCH LEADERS & BIBLE TEACHERS

Every follower of Christ should be challenged to do more than casual Bible reading.  They should be encouraged to become Bible Researchers to make a habit of using two or more Bibles in their Bible study of God's Eternal Holy Word.

(1) First,  You are encouraged to use your all-time "old familiar-favorite" Bible side-by-side along with a quality Study Bible. [Visit the "10 Related Links" website or "Study Bible Shopping" for 21st Century trusted evangelical selections.]

(2) Second, Choose a user-friendly everyday-language Study Bible in a different version for stimulating comparisons of the texts and the footnoted answers on the same pages as you study.  [No two Researched Study Bibles include the same information presented in the same way.]

     BIBLE RESEARCH PUBLICITY &

           "HOW-TO" WORKSHOPS 

Learning how and where to get started in Bible research should merit much more attention than it gets generally in the educational program of the typical church.
It seems to be largely taken for granted that the purchase of a Bible is all that is needed to make a habit of faithful Bible reading and research!

There really needs to be a highly visible and well-publicized educational emphasis on what aids the library has available by using workshops to promote Bible Research study technique seminars that will show everyone how to explore the "gold mine" treasures of a Study Bible’s features. (Especially those Study Bibles they already own that are often just collecting dust.  They may never have had someone to show them what a GOLD MINE of helps they have been carrying with them in their "heavy" Study Bible!).

          & & & & &


Ready to go "Study Bible Shopping?"

On the menu bars of the www.studiedbible.org website under "Study Bible Shopping" you will enjoy comparing five of the 21st Century Study Bibles and all their features.

The Comparison Chart features: Tyndale’s Life Application Study Bible and New Living Translation Study Bible; Crossway’s  English Standard Version Study Bible, and Zondervan’s New International Version Study Bible, and the  NIV Archaeological Study Bible.  This valuable Comparison Chart has been compiled by Virgil V. Reeve for his www.studiedbible.org website internet Study Bible Research Course.

                                   

The picture above is from the Wheaton, Il. College Church Libray
   It shows one side of their BIBLE STUDY RESEARCH CART. [B.S.R.C]

THE TOP ROW features several age-appropriate research Study Bibles.
THE SECOND & THIRD SHELVES are an arrangement of Bible reference books that are arranged in alphabetical order: Archaeology, Atlases, Commentaries, Concordances, Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Geographies, Handbooks, Harmonies, Histories, Surveys, and Word Studies.

NOTE: These special Research Bible Reference helps (or "tools" for "Mining the Gold Treasures" of a Study Bible) can be instantly accessed saving you valuable time trying to locate them in the Church Library stacks and shelves.  [You might just run out of time and have to give up in your quest to find what you are looking for.]

When "time is of the essence" and the user-friendly access is there for you, it stands to reason that you will return to the B.S.R.C. again and again for spiritual nourishment resources.

© by Virgil Reeve ~ 2011. 

All rights reserved, but permission is granted for the free use where Jesus Christ is the Matthew 11:28-30 "Teacher" and the goal is: "all to the glory of God!"       1 Corinthians 10:31.

& The Church Bookstore in the larger churches can make it possible for the members of the church family to own a worthy selection of an age-appropriate Research Study Bibles for the whole family over the period of years.

 & If the church does not have a full library program, they may consider the possibility a system of securing a supply of age-appropriate LOANER STUDY BIBLES to be located on a high-visibility  bookcase in the Bookstore or on a portable Bible Study Research Cart that can be checked out to be able to.....
 "Try Before You Buy."

& Such a Research Cart could be moved about to be available in the narthex for high visibility access or in Bible study environment for classroom or small group study resource. It can also be valuable for use in a special discipleship course on how to select and research an age-appropriate Study Bible.