Bible-Driven Church

I recently read "What the Bible Is All About"  written by Dr. Henrietta Mears. She is the founder of Forest Home and Gospel Light Press. This book is a classic of Sunday school. This book is designed for a one-year course of Bible survey. If we study a lesson in a quarter instead of a week. This course can be expanded to a 12-years preaching series or a 12-years Sunday school curriculum. 
The Sunday School can start from New Testament, and the Sunday Preaching and the small group can begin with Old Testament. Together, people can go through the whole Bible in six years.

If we have a span of sixty years, we can have five cycles. But this should not be a static cycle, it should be a dynamic cycle. Instead of the same group of people studying together for a lifetime, they are trained in a way with small group Bible study and one to one discipleship and 12 years as a generation. The Calvary Chapel is growing with this strategy. Each disciple aims to lead a new disciple for twelve years. A church should aim at doubling size in twelve years. Although the 12 years are not a short period of time, many people will say that it is too long, but today many churches are stagnant and shrinking. The doubling in 12 years is actually ambitious. This is a slow but real growth. A Bible-driven church is the church of my dreams. The churches led by John Calvin, John MacArthur, Chuck Smith and Warren Wiersbe are all Bible-driven churches. Drive the growth of the church based on the Bible

Study a book in one quarter, for a total of 12 years of reading. Each season has a clear learning goal and progress. If you study a book in two months, it will take eight years. If you study a book in a month, it will be four years. You can adjust the speed according to the different spiritual needs of the church. Personal devotion can read the entire book volume repeatedly during the season, the Sunday school and the group group can select optional chapters, the Sunday preaching can select the verses in the chapters . The Sunday School can start from the Old Testament, and the Sunday Preaching and the small group can begin with the New Testament. Together, the two can go through the Bible in six years.

1. Introduction of Bible
2. Genesis
3. Exodus 
4. Leviticus
5. Deuteronomy
6. Numbers
7. Joshua
8. Judges，Ruths
9. 1 Samuel
10. 2 Samuel
11. 1&2 Kings ,1&2 Chronicles
12. Ezra , Nehemiah
13. Review
14. Esther
15. Job
16. Psalms
17. Proverbs,Ecclesiastes,Song of Songs
18. Isaiah
19. Jeremiah , Lamentation
20. Ezekiel
21. Daniel
22. Hosea, Joel, Amos
23. Obadiah, Jonah, Micah
24. Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah 
25. Haggai, Zechariah,Malachi
26. Review
27. Introduction of Gospels
28. Matthew 
29. Mark
30. Luke
31. John 
32. Acts
33. Romans
34. 1 Corinthians
35. 2 Corinthians
36. Galatians
37. Ephesians
38. Philippians
39. Review
40. Colossians
41. 1 Thessalonians
42. 2 Thessalonions
43. 1 Timothy
44. 2 Timothy
45. Titus, Philemon
46. Hebrew 
47. James
48. 1 Peter
49. 2 Peter
50. 1&2&3 John , Jude
51. Revelation
52. Review

I am happily dreaming about a Bible-driven church by myself. Although I can't realize this dream for the time being, I am leaving a record of my dream here. I hope that someday someone with the same dream can promote this plan in the church.


I recently read the biography of Dr. Henrietta Mears and found out she is a legend. She is also the founder of Gospel Light Press and Forest Home. Her Sunday school had more than 6,000 students. She also influenced Bill Bright of the Campus Crusade, as well as the evangelist Billy Graham. Her book sold four million copies. I have both the old and the new versions. I found that the new version has deleted the titles of many segments. It is a pity, but the article has not changed. This is really a good book, I still remember that I was very fond of reading in the bookstore.