A few days ago on December 22, 2023, I completed Bible in a Year with Father Mike Schmitz on the Hallow app. I finished ahead of schedule, having doubled-up on some of the readings for the last month. My goal was a simple one: to complete the entire Bible before Christmas Day mass. (See the YouTube video toward the end of the post that I made for your video walkthrough).
Now, before I explain how I did this and all the tools I used, I would like to explain WHY I wanted to do it (if you’ve ever read Simon Sinek’s book Start with Why, I learned that it’s really important to understand your WHY before you undertake any endeavor. This simple tenet is another “thing” that has changed my life).
But back to the story…
Our children went to Catholic school in their formative years in our previous town, and when we moved here, after a bit of time, we lost our way with church for various reasons. However, during the pandemic and over the course of the last many years, I have felt a call to come back to my faith in full force. Sometimes, the call was subtle and sometimes it was strong. I began to get what I’d like to call spiritual signs, or as Hallmark Channel loves to call them, Godwinks. God was winking pretty hard at me, and so I finally listened (with apologies to God for taking such a long time to heed His hints. Thankfully for all of us, His patience is never-ending.) You can read my full testimony that I shared publicly here.
So, that’s WHY I have a story and that is where it begins.
Now, to tell you the story of how it has unfolded over the last couple of years…
Sitting in church one Sunday, I saw the write-up for Walking with Purpose in the weekly bulletin—a Bible study for women. With newfound freedom during the day after opting to leave full-time teaching in favor of part-time teaching, I had room in my schedule to attend the 9:30 a.m. Wednesday sessions. I couldn’t wait to sign up. Walking with Purpose—a Catholic-based Bible study—connected me with like-minded, faith-filled women. Many churches have this program, and if yours does not, you may want to think about starting one. With weekly lessons to tackle some of life’s difficult questions melded with questions about our relationship with God, I took to this Bible study like a duck takes to water. I loved it. I met wonderful women. And I strengthened my relationship with God.
That taste of Bible study began a fervent quest of wanting to know even more about God’s story. I longed to dive more deeply into His word. Having been familiar with Father Mike over the years through social media and having listened to Father Mike’s homilies on the Hallow app (in addition to my own priests’ homilies at church), I yearned to feel a connection to the Bible, to understand the whole story. Father Mike’s Bible in a Year podcast is available via Hallow (which I used), Ascension Press, YouTube, as well as via podcast platforms, and so I set a goal in 2023 to read the Bible from cover to cover along with Father Mike and the reading plan set forth by Ascension Press.
It was definitely a divine decision. And, yes, I did mean to write it that way, and not just for the alliteration.
Now, let’s dive into what you need and some tips on how to do it.
STEP ONE – How to listen to Bible in a Year
Figure out how you will subscribe to Bible in a Year. Ways you can do it:
1-Download the Podcast via your podcast app
2-Listen via the Hallow app (this is what I used because I LOVE the Hallow app. It’s the best app I’ve ever seen/used, chock full of wonderful information, prayers, music, lessons, and things for kids, too).
3-Get the Ascension Press app.
4-Follow on YouTube.
Basically, Father Mike makes it pretty easy to find the way that suits you to follow along.
Fun Fact: if you don’t know how the Podcast started, Father Mike & Ascension created it during the pandemic. It was a way for people to hear God’s word during isolation.
STEP TWO – Download the reading plan
Go to Ascension Press to download your reading plan. Here is the link: Bible in a Year Reading Plan from Ascension Press.
A few things to keep in mind:
• The reading plan is not in chronological order.
• You will skip around according to the structure of the plan.
• It’s fun to cross off each day of the plan to mark your progress; it gave me great satisfaction.
• Father Mike will keep you on track.
STEP THREE – Select your Bible
Father Mike uses the Great Adventure Bible by Ascension Press. I did not. I used the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition by Catholic Bible Press (catholicbiblepress.com). I didn’t find it too difficult to hear Father Mike’s version but read along with my own version. It really was no big deal. Some words are phrased differently, but the gist of the WORD is the same. If you already own a Bible, you can just use that one.
STEP FOUR – Determine your level of commitment to Bible in a Year
So…what do I mean by this?
Some people may just want to listen to the Bible in a Year podcast. Perhaps you will listen in the car or while you walk. You may not want to take notes or journal the lessons and information you glean. That’s fine. Whatever works for you.
Sessions can last anywhere from approximately 15 minutes to the longer ones that run about 30 minutes. That is the oral, or podcast, commitment that you are signing up for each day. That is the bare bones time commitment.
However, there are those of us that want to take it a step further…
STEP FIVE – For those who want to journal or take notes on the experience
I went into this knowing I would give about an hour each day to Bible in a Year. I wanted to journal my experience and to take it all in each day; therefore, I spent time listening, writing, reflecting, and praying.
Ascension Press does have Bible in a Year workbooks (3 of them to get you through the material) that you can purchase to journal your journey. I did not want 3 books, but instead wanted everything all in one book/journal, so I ordered a Bible in a Year workbook by Kandi Gallaty on Amazon.
Now…here’s what I will say about Gallaty’s workbook. Yes, it covers the Bible in a Year, but not every reading that Father Mike reads. Because of that, I had to adjust her book by adding in (gluing in) extra pages to make it work for me. When I began to do this, I made it not only a journal, but a scrapbook of what I learned over the year. I added artwork that I didn’t know what to do with, such as my own art, stickers, prayer sheets, and other things to give it a very personal touch. Essentially, I wanted my journal as a keepsake. See the video I made about it below.
The video overview for the way I approached Bible in a YearAnd yes, I just cut blank sheets of paper and glued them into the book where I needed more room to write. My journal became huge, but I didn’t care…this is how I wanted it. It is my reference when I need it, and I can reread some of my own comments/insights/prayers and personal thoughts that I made along the way for years to come.
My way is not the only way or right way. Please remember: reading the Bible is an extremely personal experience that you share with God (and Father Mike, lol), but it truly is a moving and profound experience if you allow time to reflect.
If you decide to do it, I hope you find it as rewarding an experience as I did. I will no doubt do it again, or pop into Father Mike’s readings when I need it! That’s the beauty of it. You never really have to be done with it.
Some additional reading I found useful during my year:
Woven by Angie Smith – this book, written with humor and love, tells the story of the Bible as ONE WOVEN STORY. I loved Angie’s humor and poignancy with the way she relays her connection to the Bible and what she has learned. I also really enjoyed two other books by Angie Smith: What Women Fear and Mended.
Answers to Tough Questions Skeptics ask about the Christian Faith by Josh McDowell & Don Stewart — given to me by a friend, this book shares research, including archaeological finds, researchers’ substantiations, and thorough knowledge about the validity of God’s word and what is written in the Bible.
I hope this post has been helpful for you. Should you have any questions at all, please feel free to pose your questions in the comments. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have about it.
Wishing you a beautiful experience of reading the Bible in a Year!
About the author:
STEPHANIE VERNI is the author of THE LETTERS IN THE BOOKS; FROM HUMBUG TO HUMBLE: THE TRANSFORMATION OF EBENEZER SCROOGE; BENEATH THE MIMOSA TREE; INN SIGNIFICANT; LITTLE MILESTONES; THE POSTCARD; and ANNA IN TUSCANY. She is also a co-author of the textbook, EVENT PLANNING: COMMUNICATING THEORY & PRACTICE. Currently an adjunct professor at Stevenson University Online, she instructs communication courses for undergraduate and graduate students. She and her husband reside in Severna Park, Maryland, and have two children. On the side, she enjoys writing travel articles for marylandroadtrips.com.
