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 ..read more

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. The Massachusetts Bible Society desires to present a Bible that both acknowledges the accomplishment and is suitable to be used to develop the st ..read more

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. MBS leadership has discerned long and diligently about how best to sustain our core mission. As James D. Smith III wrote in the 1984 history of the Society ..read more

What Is a Prayer Journal?   A prayer journal, sometimes known as a prayer notebook, is a place to organize your thoughts about prayer. Often, it functions as both a dynamic list of prayer requests and a log of your prayer life. There’s no specific method for how to use a prayer journal; it should match your personal needs and preferences. To spark ideas for your own journal, take a look at these sections that commonly appear in people’s prayer journals:   Prayers From the Bible Things I’m Grateful For Answered Prayers Personal Prayers World Issues   Prayer journals help us r ..read more

What does the life of a Christian woman look like? Proverbs 31 illustrates this by portraying a biblical woman who is “worth far more than rubies.” Here’s a look at her virtues, and what Proverbs 31 has to tell us about living life as a follower of Christ.   The Proverbs 31 Woman   A large portion of Proverbs 31 is dedicated to describing a wife who has come to be known as the “virtuous woman” in the Bible. Also called the Proverbs 31 woman, or simply the Proverbs woman, this person is an example of a Christian woman. The passage describes her virtues and qualities—not as a laundry ..read more

Songs in the Bible   When people think of music and the Bible, Christian hymns are what probably come to mind first. Hymns are stanzaic, metrical poems meant to be sung as an act of praise to God. There are hymns from the Bible in both the Old Testament and New Testament, but the most popular ones today were written long after biblical times. The lyrics, however, are inspired by and sometimes draw from biblical text.   Other songs of worship appear frequently in the Bible and have a range of styles and purposes. There are songs of lament, songs of victory like Deborah’s song in Jud ..read more

What Is Bible Journaling?   Bible journaling has been a growing trend recently, with Christians posting images of their artwork on social media, and bookshops selling Bibles with journaling space included. But what exactly does it entail? Here’s what Bible journaling involves and how it can promote biblical understanding in your life.   What Is Bible Journaling?   Bible journaling is a form of Christian journaling that pairs Bible reading and spiritual growth with art. Sometimes known as Bible art journaling, the practice encourages creativity inspired by biblical text. It inv ..read more

Mental illness takes many forms and plagues many people, across all ages, geographic regions, and religious groups. The World Health Organization (WHO) found in 2017 that “there has been a 13% rise in mental health conditions and substance use disorders in the last decade.” The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that in 2020, 1 in 5 adults in the US experienced a mental illness, while more than 12 million had serious thoughts of suicide.  The concerning prevalence of mental health issues in the US and around the world has led to initiatives like Mental Health Awareness M ..read more

Wondering how to start reading the Bible? Here’s a list of helpful tips, tricks, and tools to see you through from start to finish. How To Read the Bible, for Beginners Choose the right Bible for you. The first thing you need to do is to pick your Bible. You’ll have to make lots of decisions, including these: Catholic or Protestant Bible? Which version? Ebook, app, or in print? Choose what works best for your goals, habits, and lifestyle. Use helpful resources. Take advantage of resources to help you understand what you’re reading and the historical context of the Bible. You can use truste ..read more

Bible study is essential for anyone who wants to more fully understand the colossal story of God’s intention for humanity. Spanning thousands of years of theology, history, and culture, the Bible tells a colossal story of God’s intentions for humanity, the Bible is neither a simple collection of books written by human authors, nor is it the literal words of God dictated to human scribes. It is a source of religious truth, presented in a diversity of styles, genres, and languages. The Bible was written by many authors, but all inspired by God. To deepen our understanding of the Bible, it’s of ..read more