Hosting a Bible Boot Camp

Bible Blueprint by Joe Paprocki - also available in Spanish

With the end of the catechetical year quickly approaching, you may be looking for ways to engage older children, youth, and adults in faith formation over the summer. One great idea is to host a “Bible Boot Camp” using my book The Bible Blueprint and the free online Leader Guide to increase Bible literacy, leading to a deeper appreciation of Scripture.

Most programs that are labeled as “Bible Boot Camp” are Vacation Bible School programs for little children. The Bible Blueprint, on the other hand, targets audiences of older children (sixth grade and up), youth, and adults. The Leader Guide outlines nine engaging sessions covering the following:

  • Session 1 Discovering the Bible Blueprint
  • Session 2 Overcoming “Bibliaphobia”
  • Session 3 Preparing to Enter God’s Library
  • Session 4 The Bible’s Floor Plan
  • Session 5 Information Blocks: Footnotes and Cross-References
  • Session 6 Recognizing Symbolic Language in the Bible
  • Session 7 Do the Math—Numbers in the Bible
  • Session 8 Draftsman Tools: The Tools of Interpretation
  • Session 9 First Steps and Next Steps

The Bible Blueprint bookmarks that come as part of the book provide a tool for engaging learners inBible Bookmarks a hands-on approach to navigating the Bible. Los planos de la Biblia is also available, with a Leader Guide.

To make things easier on your budget, when you purchase 15 or more copies of The Bible Blueprint, you can get them for only $6 each!

Finally, you will need to provide Bibles for each participant. I recommend the New American Bible Revised Edition since it is the translation we use at Mass, and it can be found as a reasonably priced paperback edition from various online sellers.

Consider using The Bible Blueprint to host a Bible Boot Camp for your junior high or high school kids, a “Theology-on-Tap”-type experience for young adults, a catechist formation series for your catechetical team, or as a general adult faith formation experience over the summer months!

About Joe Paprocki 2742 Articles
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.

8 Comments

  1. Is it possible to do all 9 chapters in one day? or is this a weekend event which includes overnight?

    • Hi Julia, I think it is possible to condense this into a one-day event. Obviously, you will need to select certain parts of each session over others but there is great flexibility in how this can be done!

  2. I am reading The Bible Blueprint with kindle on my phone, how can i obtain a printable version of the bookmarks in the back of the book.

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