Many New Year's resolutions revolve around food and the gym, but a common goal among Christians also involves reading the Bible.

Using self-motivation or joining organized groups, many readers set out to complete 66 books, broken up into 1,189 chapters containing 31,173 verses. Some succeed; others do not.

The Rev. Al Towberman, pastor of St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church on West Jefferson Street, said church members from his past attempted the feat, sometimes without success.

Aware of potential failures, members of St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church began a group this year that uses the program "Daily Message: Through The Bible In One Year."

Read for about 10 or 15 minutes per day, the Bible is an adaptation of the Message Bible, a contemporary paraphrased translation by Eugene Peterson. The adapted Bible follows the Discipleship Journal reading plan in which books do not appear chronologically.

"The Discipleship Journal approach has found that it helps to keep the interest of the group by alternating from the Old to the New Testament rather than just reading straight through in order," Towberman said.

As well as striving for completion, the group will discuss the readings and their meanings.

"Our goal was to not just have people read the Bible, but to be able to apply the Bible to their lives and really understand what the scriptures were saying," Towberman said.

"This version of the Bible speaks on a level that most can understand."

With the program introduced in November, 41 people are currently participating. The group will meet monthly beginning in January to discuss how the concepts relate to their daily lives and to preview coming readings.

Although most in the group are adults, Towberman said a third grade student is participating along with his mother.

In Middlesex Township, another duo is reading the Bible. Mother and daughter Mary and Hannah Knox are journeying through the Bible together, each in her own way — although both have completed the Bible previously.

"God's Word is so rich that I wanted to know all he had to say," Mary said.

"I've just read it straight through, starting with Genesis to Revelation," she added.

"Presently, I am following a tract I received in the mail from the American Bible Society.

"The daily readings are according to the church calendar, and I check off each day I read," she explained, saying it takes anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes per day.

"The Bible is relevant to today, as it still carries the inspiring words of God. That is absolute truth," she added.

Hannah, a junior at Mars High School, is reading the "One Year Bible," a New International version. It is set up with a daily reading from the Old Testament, a reading from the New Testament and a Psalm.

"I read through the Bible in one year, but when I tried to do it again, I failed to continue my readings about halfway through," she said.

"When I first read it, I was successful because my determination. I had a goal, so that even if I missed a day, I made sure that I caught up the next day. At one point, I was about four days behind, but because I made it a priority, I persevered," she explained.

Lisa Lacek of Butler read the Bible in 2008 after trying unsuccessfully in previous years.

"I was motivated by learning how few Christians had actually read the entire Bible. I wanted to be included in that number, so I disciplined myself to accomplish it," she said.

Lacek's approach last year was a plan that had her read various selections throughout the Bible daily.

"It took about 15 minutes a day, and there were days when the readings were tedious, but it fueled my hunger to learn more," she said.

This year, Lacek is trying a chronological approach.

"Last year's readings jumped around a lot and lacked continuity. I want to read it the way it was written because I think it will be more relevant," she said.

"Reading the Bible is inspirational because you can see how God helped others overcome problems and trials and that he can do that in your own life today," she explained.