PR Newswire

A Biblically Illiterate Generation

Leaders of the U.K.’s largest Christian youth event, Soul Survivor, co-author book to make Scripture more accessible to today’s teens

by Audra Jennings Thursday, March 11, 2010

Contact: Audra Jennings
800-927-0517 Ext. 104 or ajennings@tbbmedia.com
Visit our website at www.tbbmedia.com

Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX—Across our nation, thousands upon thousands of people, especially young people, are biblically illiterate. Many give up trying to read the Bible at all—confused and intimidated by its length and complexity. In their new book, Storylines: Your Map to Understanding the Bible (David C Cook, March 2010), Mike Pilavachi and Andy Croft address this issue head on by providing readers with the keys to unlocking their understanding.

Intended for beginners, rather than biblical scholars, Storylines explores the six main themes of the Bible—Jesus, Covenant, (Divine) Presence, Kingdom, Salvation, and Worship—and takes an exciting journey into the “big pictures” of Scripture. On the way, readers will also uncover amazing truths about the Person to whom all Scriptures ultimately point.

“We believe the six major motifs we investigate in Storylines are the strong cords that will bind together readers’ understanding of Scripture, helping them grasp the central ideas before delving into the details,” say authors Pilavachi and Croft, leaders of the U.K.’s biggest Christian youth event, Soul Survivor. “We hope the book we’ve written will make a massive impact on readers’ lives; we know that it has deeply affected ours!”

Storylines is topped and tailed by an overview of Scripture’s content—a concise summary of the Bible in 20 pages!—and a brief history of how the Bible came to be in its present form. In between, each chapter focuses on one “thread” and closes with a “paperchase” that summarizes how that particular theme develops through Scripture. Throughout the book, readers will encounter Old Testament characters and events who anticipate the fullness that came in Christ and is being worked out in the world through the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church.

With a youth-friendly style, Storylines is a handy and much needed resource for pastors and youth leaders concerned about low biblical literacy levels in their churches and groups. Older Christians will also find it lively and refreshing as they, too, trace the threads that run through the Bible. The future sequel to Storylines, Lifelines, will be a journey through big ideas in Scripture—biblical values and life management issues such as generosity, sexual morality, and anxiety—to equip readers for living.

Author Bio
Mike Pilavachi is the founder and public face of the U.K.’s biggest Christian youth event, Soul Survivor (25,000 annual attendance), and senior pastor of the Soul Survivor church in Watford, North London. He is the author of Live the Life, For the Audience of One, Wasteland?: Encountering God in the Desert, and Worship, Evangelism, Justice.

Andy Croft is a young twenty-something who has just been awarded a First Class Theology degree from Cambridge University. He is due to be the next leader of Soul Survivor.

Storylines: Your Map to Understanding the Bible by Andy Croft and Mike Pilavachi
David C Cook/March 2010/ISBN 978-1-434764-75-1/207 pages/softcover/$12.99
www.davidccook.com

Audra Jennings is Senior Media Specialist at The B & B Media Group. Since 1987, The B & B Media Group, Inc. has used its broadcasting, marketing and advertising experience to provide the specialized and strategic publicity necessary to achieve the public relations goals of each client. The Barnabas Agency, a division of The B & B Media Group, Inc., is a proven provider of exceptional public relations and personal management services for authors, speakers, ministries and organizations.