It isn’t clear when or exactly why the tradition developed among the Methodists to present Bibles to third-grade students. Perhaps it was assumed that as their reading skills improved, the availability of a Bible that was presented specifically to them would provide even more motivation to read, memorize scriptures and participate in worship as a liturgist. In some churches, the children read from their new Bibles when they serve as liturgists. In some churches, the Bible presented during worship to the third graders becomes a favored Bible because it is the first Bible that the child has received.

In some traditions Bibles are considered appropriate gifts to be given at weddings, baptisms, graduations, and other occasions in which significant milestones are celebrated. Unfortunately, the significance of these Bibles seems to fade quickly and the Bibles are rarely used or even recalled. In an rticle entitled “I Got My Third Grade Bible! Now What?” Darby Jones describes some helpful exercises that will help make the Bible a well-used resource rather than a simple token that symbolizes the trivialization of a moment of spiritual growth. Among the suggestions are exercises to memorize Scriptures and books of the Bible, as well as highlighting the stories of the Bible.

Because children are eager to learn, sharing stories from the Bible while encouraging the child to describe the artwork that accompanies the stories can strengthen the bond between the child and key adults in their lives. As key adults share stories from the Bible with a child(ren), the adults can also talk about their Bibles. Many people have several Bibles that they’ve received or purchased over the years. Children will not only be eager to learn about the differences among various Bibles, but they will also be encouraged to learn about the different experiences you have had and the ways that you’ve grown through reading and studying Scripture.

During some of the recent worship services, we’ve talked about the numbers of people in the church who received Bibles as third graders. Surprisingly, many of them still have their Bibles! Some of the Bibles were filled with gold stars to reward the children for their attendance, memorization of scriptures and knowledge of Biblical facts.

As Methodists, we often talk about the Wesleyan Quadrilateral as it relates to our understanding of theology—Scripture, Tradition, Experience and Reason. Among this list, Scripture is primary. There are many ways that we study the scriptures and different ways that we learn the scriptures. As a congregation, we will look forward to each opportunity to encourage the children to bring their Bibles to church, read from their Bibles during church and refer to their Bibles when they read alone and with their families.

As the children begin to explore their faith more and more through Sunday school, Bible study, missions activities and retreats, we can all fondly recall the moments and the people who’ve supported us along the way. Together, we look forward to seeing those well-worn pages of their Bibles that remind us of the promises that we all make when we celebrate the sacraments and when we recite our membership vows. Please don’t forget to share photos of you and your third grade Bible. A few photos are included below: Jan Aguirre, Marlana Karsten, Darcie Sutton, Sean Sutton.