As another part of my promise to better serve you, I am pleased to present another major initiative from the Offices of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. This Bible App will help us all to feel connected, provides a platform for participating in the Bishop's Bible Challenge, and perhaps most importantly is a powerful tool for you to read or hear the Word of God in 1,000 languages. With the Bible App, many now have access to the word of God in their primary language. Reading the Bible together as a diocesan community will have a life changing effect. The importance of Christian people using Holy Scripture as a foundation for daily life is hard to overstate. Who we are as the People of God flows directly from our worship, doctrine, and liturgy, which are all rooted in Scripture. To know the Bible better, is to know ourselves as the People of God better, to know our mission to the world better, and to know our faith better. We are here to help and to serve you, and this mobile app is another important step in showing the kind of innovation and emphasis that is placed on equipping our congregations to build the Kingdom of God.
The Rt. Rev. Daniel G.P. Gutierrez
XVI Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania
As 2017 quickly approaches we are excited to begin the Bishop's Bible Challenge on January 2, 2017. The Bishop's Bible Challenge will lead us through the entire bible in a year's time. Not only will you find the daily reading and meditation rewarding, but you will be joining in community with hundreds, possibly thousands, of fellow Episcopalians in our diocese. While this may seem like a daunting undertaking, as the bible tells us "Fear Not", for there are many ways to connect!
* On January 2, 2017, you will be able to download The DIOPA Bible in a Year App available on iTunes, Apple App Store, and Google Play.
To download the mobile application, you will go to the "App Store" icon on your iPhones or the "Google Play" icon on your Android Phone and search for "DIOPA" or "DIOPA bible." It is a self-contained way to participate and has everything you need including a link to the registration page, the Bible readings for each day, an online link to the Bible in audible and readable forms and daily reading or listening selections that will help everyone to read the same selections each day. This feature goes live on January 2, 2017.
* If you don't want to use the app, register to participate at our online registration site:
https://diopa.wufoo.com/forms/bishops-bible-challenge/ * If you do not use a computer or smart phone simply call the Offices of the Diocese at 215-627-6434 to register and receive a Bible Study Packet; or contact your Priest for these materials.
* Join our online Facebook group at <DIOPA Bishop's Bible Challenge>. This is where you can post your own testimonies on the readings. These responses can be written or use your phone or camera to take a picture that reflects your response to the reading. Include a brief description and post with the hash tag #wordon and #diopabbc. Check the group page or the hash tags to see what other participants are saying!
* Information and resources regarding The Bishop's Bible Challenge can be found online:
http://www.diopa.org/bishops-bible-challenge/
The important thing to know is that you are not alone in this and you cannot mess this up! If you miss a day of reading, or a week for that matter, just jump back in to the schedule because there is no wrong way to do this. If you'd rather not read, the Bible App will play the day's selections in a dramatized audio format for you to listen. If you don't like one version of the bible, select a translation that suits you.
So let's come together as a diocesan family and build the Kingdom of God -praying together, worshipping together, studying together - in this the "come and see" diocese. #diopalove #diopacomeandsee #wordon #diopabbc - there are multiple ways to connect!
