Americans are spending less time reading, and employers now rank reading and writing as the top deficiencies in new hires. Studies show that the greater the number of books in a family’s home, the more education a child will seek. Sadly, 1 in 3 high school graduates will never read a book after graduation. Reading is counter-cultural today. But not so for Lutheran women.
Lots of Lutheran women across generations are avid readers and, even more so, like discussing books with each other. Multiple research studies conducted by Women of the ELCA have shown this to be true.
Why is this? Perhaps it’s because books show us other dimensions of God. They take us on journeys that we would otherwise never take. They offer glimpses of lifestyles and experiences that will never be our own. And when we get together with others to discuss books, those new dimensions, journeys and glimpses multiply many times.
This message incorporates ideas from the program resource, Page Turners: Building a book club that suits your style, available as free download and a Women of the ELCA blog by Linda Post Bushkofsky.
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