In the fall, we will relaunch the Donald A. Wells Preaching Prize. We are expanding the pool to include all seminaries in the Southern New England Conference as well as any Member in Discernment (person preparing to become a pastor) in the Conference. The winner will preach their sermon live during our online Martin Luther King, Jr. Day worship service on January 15, 2024. More details coming soon!
Every year, MBS partners with schools hosting a scripture reading contest demonstrating outstanding ability in the reading of Scripture in a pubic setting. MassBible presents an Award for Excellence in the Liturgical Reading of Scripture to the winners. The award is a Bible or other religious text of the student’s choosing and is offered to the student that has demonstrated outstanding abilities in the reading of the Scriptures in a public setting.
From generation to generation, the Bible has been an essential tool for sacred relationship & guidance, meaning making, community building, and so much more. For over two centuries, the Massachusetts Bible Society has been dedicated to promoting biblical literacy and we are excited to announce that as of January 1, 2023, the Massachusetts Bible Society is now part of the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ.
The Board of Trustees and Staff of the Massachusetts Bible Society are delighted to present Madison Boboltz with the 2022 Donald A. Wells Preaching Prize for her sermon, “Here We Are, Let Us Be: A Call for Image-Bearers to Tend Creation’s Wounds.”
In reviewing our Bible Grant Program in the recent years, we have noticed a decrease in requests for Scripture coming from prison chaplains and people who are incarcerated. We believe this decrease has to do with organizational staffing and policy changes, and that the need for hope and reform remains in all prisons and correctional facilities. We were searching for ways to help more people behind bars. People who are incarcerated are all too often out of sight and out of mind—but they do not have to be forgotten. They need hope.
The Massachusetts Bible Society likes to share how the Bible inspires in new and exciting ways. Recently, we heard about the podcast on the for reading the Bible in a year by Father Mike Schmitz of the Catholic ministry at the University of Minnesota Duluth. The podcast is number one in America, with more than 238 million downloads and counting, landing a billboard in Times Square. They have listeners of many faiths and atheist followers from around the world, as well. The podcast has the largest following of any podcast in America.
The "Exploring the Bible" series has been a wonderful addition to our church’s adult education program. It provides a challenging yet safe space to examine the Bible among a diversity of backgrounds and previously held opinions. Additionally, the materials are well developed and easy for laypersons to facilitate which takes pressure off of our pastor and staff.
-Todd Vosper, Saint Paul’s United Methodist Church, Coronado CA
For over 210 years, the Massachusetts Bible Society has been at the work of distributing God’s word - the Holy Bible - to those in need. Small churches, hospitals and hospices, prisons and street programs have all benefited from this dedicated service mission. We have found ways to encourage small groups of people to really study the sacred texts to help apply old lessons to current problems.
The First Congregational Church of Wareham celebrated the Installation of Rev. Philomena Hare, Board President for the Massachusetts Bible Society, on Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021. Installation is a rite in the United Church of Christ that confirms and celebrates the relationship among a congregation, pastor, and the wider church.
The Massachusetts Bible Society (MBS) is please to announce we recently received a generous gift from The Evangelical Missionary Society in Massachusetts in support of our Bible Grant Program. MBS has been giving out Bibles for over 210 years. With this new partnership, we are able to continue granting gifts of Bibles (and sometimes other sacred scriptures) to prisons, hospitals, homeless programs, churches, and many others who have need.
LITERACY
UNDERSTANDING
DIALOGUE
