Bible Society Australia’s 2012 Bible reading campaign Live light in 25 words wraps up today, with one in four Australian churches committing to help get their congregations back into the Bible for October.

The campaign encouraging Australian Christians to kickstart a daily Bible reading habit, saw over 9,100 individuals and 2,500 churches commit to reading 25 words (or slightly more) from the Bible every day for 31 days. Over 50,000 Bible reading resources have been downloaded from the campaign website, 25words.biblesociety.org.au.

Bible Society CEO Greg Clarke told Leigh Hatcher on Open House this week he was “absolutely delighted” with the response.

“We knew people wanted to read the Bible, but we knew they were struggling…So what happened here is that we lowered the bar far enough for all of us to say, ‘we can do this, we can do one verse of scripture per day.’”

Bible Society estimates 200,000 Australian Christians have followed along with the campaign in October in some form, either on their own or as part of their committed church.

Radio host from Sydney’s 103.2FM Leigh Hatcher is one of them: “[The verses] have been popping into my inbox each day, and it’s already become a significant part of my day, each day, for me,” he said on air on Sunday night.

“People’s response to the 25 words each day has been that it is ‘heart lightening’, which is exactly what we wanted,” said Clarke.

For those keen to continue to receive 25 words (or roughly 1 verse ) from the Bible every day beyond 31 days, you can opt in to continue by visiting 25words.biblesociety.org.au/Continue.

The Live light in 25 words campaign will be available to any individual or church who would like to kickstart their Bible reading habit for 31 days.

“Any month is a good month to build your Bible habit,” says Greg Clarke.

“You can still sign up past October, and we’ll send the verses out to you every day.”

What’s next?

According to Greg Clarke, Bible Society Australia plans to make every October ‘Bible month’.

“We’d love to keep serving the churches by making a lot of noise about Bible reading around October, so that any church, anywhere can build a program to help their people engage with the Bible. So next October, we’ll back with another campaign.”

Bible Society is also planning a 25 words-style build up to Christmas. “Stay tuned,” says Clarke.

[<a href=”http://storify.com/biblesocietyaus/how-we-ve-lived-light-in-25-words-this-october” target=”_blank”>View the story “How we’ve lived light in 25 words this October” on Storify</a>]</p> <h1>How we’ve lived light in 25 words this October</h1> <h2>Check out the social media story of the 2012 Bible Society #25words campaign.</h2> <p>Storified by &middot; Tue, Oct 30 2012 21:17:04</p> <div>Bible Society CEO, Greg Clarke starts making noise about a National Bible reading campaign, saying it’s time Australian Christians reinvigorate their excitement about engaging with the Bible: “We got these awful statistics that only 2 in 10 Australian Christians have any kind of Bible reading habit. We’d love to help change that.”</div> <div>Discouraging data on Christian Bible reading is behind our campaign thinking. Come join in! http://au.christiantoday.com/article/only-20-australian-christians-read-bible-daily-new-campaign-helps-to-form-better-habits/13460.htmGreg Clarke</div> <div>Bible Society Australia sent out ‘seed packs’ to 2,000 churches around Australia as a teaser to get them interested in being part of the campaign. The idea was to see the Word of God grow in their churches.</div> <div>Has your church received one yet? RT @biblesocietyoz V exciting. Our seed box sprouted over the weekend! #25words http://instagr.am/p/LJfyuHJm3K/Greg Clarke</div> <div>Yay! Growing #25wordskaleypayne</div> <div>Campaign website, 25words.biblesociety.org.au is launched, encouraging Aussie Christians around the country to commit to reading 25 words (or a little bit more) from the Bible every day for 31 days. The website contains great resources to get back into Bible reading for individuals, small groups and churches. Thousands of Christians and churches signed up, committing to kickstart their Bible habit in October 2012.</div> <div>We live in an age of SMS, Facebook and Twitter. How can we bring people back to #Bible, which has over 700,000 words? http://ow.ly/cjIwhUBS Bible Societies</div> <div>Oh my, oh my! This is exciting! Phase 2 of our 25 Words campaign gets underway at our new website! Come join in! http://bit.ly/QueHcwGreg Clarke</div> <div>Nice one @communic8jesus: We’re not reading the Bible (and why it’s a problem) http://www.communicatejesus.com/2012/08/were-not-reading-the-bible-and-why-its-a-problem/ #25wordsBible Society Aus</div> <div>Throughout the 25 words campaign, Christians from around Australia were sending us what 25 words from the Bible looks like for them, or one of their favourite Bible verses.</div> <div>#25words @biblesocietyoz Day 20 Live Light in 25 Words. 1 Tim 4:8mowen7777</div> <div>@biblesocietyoz CEO @gregoryjclarke with his #25words for the day. What are your 25 for today?Deanna</div> <div>Day 21 – Live Light – In all your ways acknowledge Him &amp; He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:6. #25wordsmowen7777</div> <div>#25wordsAFES</div> <div>#25words psalm 30:11 (GNT)daftgiraffe</div> <div>So much better than advice you’d get reading your tea leaves #25wordskaleypayne</div> <div>Bible Society developed several online vids to communicate what the campaign was all about, viewed by thousands of people across the country.</div> <div>Wondering what ‘Live light in #25words’ is all about? Watch this short vid: https://vimeo.com/48993331Bible Society Aus</div> <div>Live light in 25 wordsbiblesocietyaus</div> <div>Living light in 25 wordsbiblesocietyaus</div> <div>Awesome to hear about how the Word of God impacts lives today:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5pB8wflpkU&amp;feature=youtu.be #amazed @biblesocietyozSamantha Nguyen</div> <div>On October 1, 9,150 individual Christians and 2,568 churches all started reading 25 words from the Bible each day, receiving a daily email from Bible Society Australia, on Facebook, Twitter and using the YouVersion Bible App’s special <i>Live light in 25 words </i>devotions. They could also read along with over 40 well known Aussie Christians, who developed a series of devotions for Christians to ‘Read the Bible with…’ them during October.</div> <div>#25words poster is up today at St Matt’s Kensington, hurrah for @biblesocietyoz ! http://twitpic.com/axexrfDan Harris</div> <div>It’s #25words on York Street outside St Philips, @biblesocietyoz. Any other sightings? http://instagr.am/p/QTci-0Jm_h/Deanna Lang</div> <div>Music to our ears! RT @devangel74: @biblesocietyoz bought myself a one year Bible today, inspired by #25words excited to grow and learnGreg Clarke</div> <div>I’m doing it. Are you? http://vimeo.com/48993331Mark Owen</div> <div>New iOS Bible reading app available FREE. Official resource for Live light in #25words from us and @matthiasmedia http://bit.ly/U3VjiVBible Society Aus</div> <div>25 Words! Will you take up the challenge? Visit 25words.net.au #biblesociety #25wordsjesusracing</div> <div>The response to the campaign has been phenomenal.</div> <div>It’s not too late to read the Bible with the @biblesocietyoz this October – http://commjesus.com/QhXu1sSteve Kryger</div> <div>RT @biblesocietyoz: 4 days till we start reading #25words from the Bible everyday for 31 days! JOIN IN!: http://25words.biblesociety.org.au/UBS Bible Societies</div> <div>Looking forward to @biblesocietyoz #25words bible reading campaign. Kicks off Monday. Join me with #JesusEpicStory http://davemiers.com/7LNLDave Miers</div> <div>Stoked to be starting this Bible reading program from next month #25words. Why not join me? #Christianliving http://25words.biblesociety.org.au/whartonag</div> <div>Live Light in #25Words begins. Praying that God’s word &amp; Spirit go to work throughout Australia for the sake of Jesus!Mark Barry</div> <div>I just finished day 1 of the Living Light in 25 Words Bible reading plan from @YouVersion. Check it out here: http://bible.us/r/5sBeloved</div> <div>You can also check out http://biblesociety.org.au/25words and sign up. I have listened to John Dixon’s talk on the Gospels. Very good! Can’t recommend it enough!Ed Perkins</div> <div>Thank you – what a great verse! So much can be said in 25 words when it comes from the Bible!Steve Shipley</div> <div>Girls listening to Scruff, day 3 of #25words with @biblesocietyoz #quizworx #bible #reading http://instagr.am/p/QUIrYbNYtO/Lisa Whitbourn</div> <div>278/366: my #25words for today – Hebrews 3:12-13 #bible #biblesociety #jesus #photooftheday #igdailyneiviv</div> <div>Loving #LivingLight in 25 Words! @YouVersion @BibleSociety Has anyone else been doing it? http://bible.us/r/5smarissanicole</div> <div>Photo: 278/366: my #25words for today – Hebrews 3:12-13 #bible #biblesociety #jesus #photooftheday #igdaily… http://tmblr.co/ZJ6oYyUdMMDFV. ✌</div> <div>Halfway through Oct, how’s the Bible habit going? I’ve come to appreciate the impact of single verses to change a day. #25wordsGreg Clarke</div> <div>@gregoryjclarke #25words is great! It’s good to slow down and focus on a single idea for the day. My challenge is to not rush through.Matt Jacobs</div> <div>Munching on some fruits of the spirit this morning #25Words Galatians 5:22-23whartonag</div> <div>Really enjoying 25 words. Thank you Bible Society and all the wonderful contributors.Fayleen Arevalo</div> <div>I’m reading the Living Light in 25 Words Bible reading plan at @YouVersion. I found today’s reflection encouraging http://bible.us/r/5sGeoff Pengilly</div> <div>Planning. #25words Proverbs 16:3 http://instagr.am/p/RHDjF_r88i/Renae F.</div> <div>RT @biblesocietyoz: Day 26 #25words This one packs a punch: &quot;Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.&quot; 1 John 2:6UBS Bible Societies</div> <div>Bible Society Australia has been so overwhelmed with positive feedback about the 25 words campaign in October, it has decided to extend daily 25 words verses for a whole year, giving Christians the opportunity to keep going with their daily 25 words habit, and encouraging them to extend beyond 25 words! Continue the habit here: 25words.biblesociety.org.au/Continue</div> <div>I’ve really enjoyed #25words in October. @biblesocietyoz any chance it will continue?Suz Gorham</div> <div>Chatting with Leigh Hatcher on Open House re what’s next after 25 Words. http://bit.ly/VwqZ0UGreg Clarke</div> <div>Loving the #25words in your inbox each morning? It doesn’t have to end! We’ve got more verses for you, just opt in: http://25words.biblesociety.org.au/Continue/Bible Society Aus</div> <div>For all doing #25words thru Bible society @biblesocietyoz in Oct,don’t forget you can scroll down and sign up for more #greatstart2thedaySuz Gorham</div> <div>It’s the last day in Oct which means last day for #25words in your inbox each morning. Want to keep going? Opt in: http://25words.biblesociety.org.au/Continue/Bible Society Aus</div> <div>MT The @biblesocietyoz is continuing the daily Bible verse by email after October’s success. Sign up here: http://25words.biblesociety.org.au/Continue/AlburyBibleChurch</div> <p>