NEW TO THE BIBLE?
Never opened one before? You're in exactly the right place.
Don’t need this section
You're in good company
If the Bible feels like a locked room — a thousand pages, small print, names nobody can pronounce — you're in very good company. Most of us felt exactly that the first time we picked one up. There's no exam at the end, no right speed, and nobody keeping score.
In fact it’s better not to… The Bible is a library rather than a novel. Beginning in the middle — with the life of Jesus — is the most natural place to start, and the place we'd recommend.
You don't have to start on page one
You don't have to understand it all
Some of it lands straight away; some of it takes years. Reading a little and understanding a little is a great start. Questions are a sign you're paying attention, not failing.
Bring your questions to us on a Sunday, or send an email. Nothing is too basic and nothing is off limits — we've all asked the same things at different stages and times.
You don't have to do it alone
What the Bible actually is
It isn't one book. It's a collection of 66 books, all God-breathed—inspired by the Holy Spirit—written by dozens of people over roughly 1,500 years, containing history and poetry, letters and songs, family sagas and eyewitness accounts. (2 Timothy 3:16 says… All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness)
Held together, they tell one story: God making a world, loving people who wandered away from Him, and coming to find them himself in Jesus. The first two thirds (the Old Testament) is everything before He arrived. The last third (the New Testament) is His life, and what happened next.
The shape of it
66 books, 2 halves
39 books in the Old Testament, 27 in the New. Every one has a name, and each is divided into chapters and verses.
Finding your way
How a reference works
"John 3:16" means the book of John, chapter 3, verse 16. All the books can be found on the contents page at the front of any Bible.
Which one to read
Pick a modern translation
For a first read, the NIV or the New Living Translation are both plain, modern English. Both are free on the Bible App from YouVersion — no need to buy anything yet.
Where to start
Here’s 4 short suggestions on what to open first. Each one stands on its own, so you can read it in a week or two and feel you've finished something.
Luke
24 chapters
The life of Jesus, carefully researched and beautifully told by a doctor who interviewed the people who were there. If you read one thing on this page, read this.
Try first: Luke 15 — three stories about being found
Psalms
150 prayers
Ancient prayers and songs for every mood — grief, gratitude, fear, anger, joy. Honest in a way that surprises most people.
Try first: Psalm 23, then Psalm 139
Mark
16 chapters
Try first: Mark 4 — a storm, a boat, one question
The shortest account of Jesus — quick, vivid and readable in an afternoon. Everything happens "immediately". A good choice if long books put you off.
4 chapters
Philippians
A warm letter written from prison about joy and contentment — about ten minutes end to end. A gentle introduction to how the first Christians wrote to each other.
Try first: Philippians 4:4–9
Leave for later
Leviticus, Numbers and Revelation are the three that most often stop a good run. Not because they don't matter — but they make far more sense once you know the story they sit inside. Come back to them.
How to read it
The same four steps work whether you have five minutes or an hour. Pause. Read. Ask. Respond.
01
Pause
Find five quiet minutes and put your phone down. Ask God, in your own words, to show you something. One line is a real prayer.
02
Read
Take a short passage — ten or fifteen verses — read slowly. Then read it once more. Underline anything that stands out, and don't rush past it.
Five minutes on most days beats an hour once a month.
03
Ask
Three questions, every time: What does this show me about God? What does it show me about people? What might it mean for me today?
04
Respond
Say one sentence back to God — thank you, sorry, or please — and then get on with your day. Write down anything you'd like to ask someone about.
START HERE
Read with us
We’ve put together two short guided plans for you as you begin. We give you the passage and a few words to help; you bring the five minutes. Choose whichever suits the season you're in.
7 days
Meeting Jesus
One short passage a day from Luke, with a sentence of explanation and one question to sit with. About five minutes each morning — a whole week, start to finish.
Day 1 An unlikely announcement — Luke 1:26–38
Day 2 Born in the wrong part of town — Luke 2:1–20
Day 3 What Jesus came to do — Luke 4:14–21
Day 4 The kind of people he ate with — Luke 5:27–32
Day 5 How to pray — Luke 11:1–13
Day 6 Lost and found — Luke 15:11–32
Day 7 The morning everything changed — Luke 24:1–35
Both plans run on the free Bible App from YouVersion. Download it, tap Plans, and search for Trinity Cheltenham — or use the buttons above and it will open the plan for you.
30 days
A month in the gospels
Mark from beginning to end, with a psalm on Sundays. Ten minutes a day, and deliberate space to catch up when life gets in the way.
Week 1 Who is this man? — Mark 1–4
Week 2 What he does about hunger, storms and fear — Mark 5–8
Week 3 The cost of following — Mark 9–12
Week 4 The cross and the empty tomb — Mark 13–16
Sundays A psalm to pray — 23, 27, 103, 139
Prefer paper? Ask anyone on the Host Team on a Sunday and we’ll give you a Bible to take home, free.
Where this can go next
The journey of getting to know God is always done more fully in community. There’s lots of options, but here’s our recommendations on how to begin that journey…
Alpha
Ever wondered if there's more to life than this? Alpha is a space to explore life, faith and meaning in a relaxed, friendly environment, with no pressure and no question off limits. Each session includes food, a short talk on a big question of the Christian faith, and open conversation in small groups. Topics include: "Who is Jesus?", "Why and how do I pray?", and "How does God guide us?"
Alpha is for everyone, whether you're exploring faith for the first time, returning to church after some time away, or simply curious. It runs for around ten weeks, including a day away partway through, and it's completely free.
Alpha runs for 10 weeks, including one Saturday session and will begin running again on the 24th September 2026 - sign up now by clicking find out more.
Element
Element is designed for anyone who wants to go deeper in their relationship with God and grow in their Christian faith. We eat, worship and open the Bible together, pray for each other, etc... very similar to a Life Group.
Examples of questions we'll explore together : "How can I hear God's voice?", "How can I grow in trusting Him?", "What gifts has the Holy Spirit given, and how do I develop them?"
Element runs for 10 weeks and will begin running again on the 24th September 2026 - sign up now by clicking find out more.
Honest questions
The things people actually ask us at the coffee table, answered plainly. If yours isn't here, get in touch via the link below.
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Luke, chapter 1, verse 1 — or the 7-day plan above, which does the choosing for you. Don’t start at Genesis and try to read straight through; almost nobody finishes that way.
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No. Plenty of people read it while entirely unsure and allow questions to come. Curiosity is enough to begin with.
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First ask us on a Sunday and we'll give you a paperback NIV for free. You can also get the whole bible for free via apps on your phone. When you're ready to buy your own bible, a study Bible with notes at the bottom of the page is a great option!
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Try praying - simply ask God to speak to you, and see what He says. Also talk to someone from church. There are difficult passages that might not make sense or just seem to go against our presumptions. It’s better to talk it through with a few people than get totally confused.
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Yes — gladly, and it's the thing we'd most recommend. Email us and we'll do what we can to get you connected into community.
Get in touch
Want a Bible, a reading partner, or an answer to something on your mind? Drop us a message — we'd love to hear from you, and there's no such thing as a silly question here.
Julia Thomson
Welcome Coordinator
hello@trinitycheltenham.com