Ship of Fools: Weekly bible study

Thread: Weekly bible study - help Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by poileplume (# 16438) on :

Sorry to be missing for a few months but have we had problems (parochial not personal I hasten to add). However, the revolution started last Thursday.

As part of the January uprising, we are introducing weekly bible studies with immediate effect. About time too you will say. However they are going to have to be run by the two wardens and the lay preacher, no help from the priest. So may I beg your help please about church bible sessions?

The problems are 1) we have no previous experience, 2) it is going to be lead and organised by the laity, no help for the priest 3) we are bi-lingual – French and English.

The congregation is intelligent, educated, but not that versed in theology. We are best described as liberal, modern, Catholics.

Does anyone know a good web site that will suggest passages from the bible that includes commentaries that the leaders can use to prepare, in case the spontaneous discussion dries up? I say web site as we have to translate any material into English and French, so an electronic source is ideal

Also does anyone have any suggestions, like to share experiences etc. – any contributions would be very, very, gratefully received. We are a bit nervous.

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :

There is a series called Neighborhood Bible Studies which is very good for groups that are just starting Bible study.

There are separate booklets for each book of the Bible. The emphasis is on thinking about and discussing what each passage actually says. There is a series of discussion questions for each section.

Leadership is rotated among the participants; since only the actual words of the passages are discussed, no expert knowledge is required.

After a group has studied a fair number of books this way, the technique gets old hat, and it's time to try something else. However, this is an excellent way to begin.

Moo

Posted by Alan Cresswell (# 31) on :

We started a fort-nightly study group many years ago, after discussing it with the minister who responded "the congregation won't want to do anything like that". It was only a few of us, and I had prepared and led study groups at university and previous churches. So not exactly the same situation. We found that the first thing to do was to get used to talking about something other than the weather or Mrs Smith having a hip replacement. Without any previous groups like that in the church we needed to learn that we all have something valuable to add, that there's no such thing as a stupid question, that no-one has all the answers, that we learn better by listening to each other and questioning what's said rather than listen to someone presenting answers to questions we may not be asking.

What we did was look at the lectionary passages for the Sunday just gone (ie: usually what had been preached on) and simply talked about them, what things didn't we understand etc. We didn't usually stick to the passages, and generally the discussion covered a lot superficially. It gave us somewhere to start, and that's what was needed.

Posted by fletcher christian (# 13919) on :

I wouldn't be worrying too much about not having any help from the priest. In a way it presents a good opportunity for shared study and insight. When a priest or cleric is present at such things, in my own experience when a question is asked, everyone turns their head and stares hard at the priest/cleric - which I imagine is a slightly unnerving experience!

Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :

They are also far less likely to speak freely, possibly because they are frightened of giving a "wrong" answer.

Posted by Alan Cresswell (# 31) on :

In churches I've been in where study groups have existed with the blessing (and, indeed, encouragement) of the minister the minister didn't attend, let alone lead those groups. Because they recognised that a minister in the room inhibits the functioning of the group. It allows things like "listen to what the minister says, and then agree" and "I don't want to say the wrong answer and get corrected by the minister". In those cases the minister was available to assist leaders prepare for the meetings, and in other ways support the groups.

Posted by poileplume (# 16438) on :

Let me summarise my understanding, as they say.

The gist is that we let the congregation get used to talking, listening and sharing before we attempt anything more advanced. Sounds sensible to me… learn to walk before you attempt to run.

This is great stuff, so if you have any other reflections would you post them please. I am sure I am not the only one who would appreciate them.

Posted by IconiumBound (# 754) on :

The previous bits of advice I would heartily second. The key is to listen first, teach third.

Also I am impressed with the amount of interest and curiosity there is in the press and other media on religious questions like "Is the Bible true? I would suggest by beginning with questions like these from new group; let them ask the questions.

Posted by Alan Cresswell (# 31) on :

We started our group having found a couple of others interested, and then made an announcement in church that we'd be meeting Tuesdays at 7.30 and anyone interested should see us. The first meeting was for those who came to share what they were wanting from the meetings. Did they want to work through a book, follow the lectionary readings, look at a theme, something different each meeting? The group itself then set the agenda.

Posted by Bishops Finger (# 5430) on :

What Alan said - find a few interested peeps, and start from there. Don't worry about input from priest/pastor/leader, if they happen not to be keen! For those in the C of E or other churches following a lectionary of some sort, the Sunday readings can make a good beginning.

We started a monthly Home Group/Bible Study a while ago which quickly fell flat on its face (no blame to Father, I hasten to add!). Never mind - such things are of God, and will flourish, no matter what, if it is as He wills.......

Ian J.

Posted by Aravis (# 13824) on :

How about using a book of meditations on Bible passages as a starting point for reflection?
I suggest Michel Quoist "Prayers of Life" as it's widely available in English but was originally in French (not sure of French title) so presumably you can get it in both, and everyone will have something in their preferred language. He was (is?) a liberal Catholic priest so the content should be about right. All the meditations in "All of life would become prayer" start with a Bible passage.

There may be suitable materials available from Taize.

Posted by tessaB (# 8533) on :

I lead a small group bible study once a week and have done for a few years. I have found Lifebuilder study guides very good with people just starting out in study as there are hints and help at the back of the book. They also cover a wide range of books of the bible or themes. Women of the Old Testament was very well received by a women only group I once led.

Posted by Eutychus (# 3081) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Aravis:
I suggest Michel Quoist "Prayers of Life" as it's widely available in English but was originally in French (not sure of French title)

It is simply Prières.

Posted by Dal Segno (# 14673) on :

Your local christian bookshops should have a wide range of different types of bible study books, ranging from thin, simple lists of questions to think about to detailed commentaries about individual books of the Bible, suitable for priests preparing sermons.

From many years of using these books, the one thing to watch out for is the type of booklet that asks leading questions. That is, a booklet that has a list of questions designed to lead the group to the One Correct Answer, where the One Correct Answer is the one that fits with the theological bent of the author. These stifle rather than encourage discussion. Whenever I've had one of these foisted on me, my group has generally veered well away from the One Correct Path by question four, ditched the rest of the questions, and then had an interesting and wide-ranging discussion about various interpretations of the passage.

Posted by Horseman Bree (# 5290) on :

The idea of having nice little books that gave leading questions in line with the author's view pretty well killed our Bible study group...

Plus it didn't help that the priest never quite stopped talking

Posted by Pine Marten (# 11068) on :

Over the last few years my friend D and I organised some study groups at church (for Lent and Advent generally though we did have other times too). D arranged the food and I thought up various topics for different sessions, eg., we looked at the historical background & context of Mark's gospel; examined 1st century Jewish expectations of the Messiah; looked at the Nativity stories in Matthew's gospel; did a study on St Francis's life in our Environment Month; and so on. The clergy were not involved though once or twice one of them turned up, but discussions were good and (I hope) people enjoyed them and discovered at least something new.

Posted by Dal Segno (# 14673) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Dal Segno:
From many years of using these books, the one thing to watch out for is the type of booklet that asks leading questions.

To clarify: what I meant to say was "the one thing to avoid like the plague is"

Posted by Adeodatus (# 4992) on :

A problem I've noticed with a lot of Bible study courses is that they start out without much idea of what they want to accomplish. They might say, "Let's do 1 Samuel" ... but do what with 1 Samuel?

You can draw a number of dichotomies. Do you want to be more analytic, or more devotional? (Or, do you want to nurture people's knowledge or their prayer?) Are you going to be broad-brush or microscopic? Is "the Bible says..." going to be the start of a conversation, or the end of one?

Again, at the end, how are you going to evaluate the course? The teacher has to learn from each course so that the next one will be better. (And remember, it's hard to get anyone to say anything critical to your face, harder still to get them to say anything complimentary behind your back.)

Posted by South Coast Kevin (# 16130) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Dal Segno:
From many years of using these books, the one thing to [avoid like the plague] is the type of booklet that asks leading questions. That is, a booklet that has a list of questions designed to lead the group to the One Correct Answer, where the One Correct Answer is the one that fits with the theological bent of the author. These stifle rather than encourage discussion.

Oh yes. Another thing that really gets on my nerves is when the study guide doesn't make the life application points clearly. Sure, some groups can get there themselves, but in my experience it's awfully easy and tempting to stay at the surface level of what the Bible passage means, without really considering how our lives should change as a result.

It feels to me like keeping God at arms length, while convincing ourselves that we've done something fruitful and edifying because we've 'had a Bible study'.

Posted by poileplume (# 16438) on :

Thanks so much, we launch next Sunday. Thanks especially for the avoid the commentaries that allow only for one answer. I will certainly watch out for that.

What do you think about how we start of the session?
Go straight in after serving coffee?
Have a short pray, then go for it?
Hold a short service?

Keep us in your prayers, as mentioned in the OP we are declaring the revolution. Taking back control by the laity. The problem is that we are one of only a handful of French Anglican churches in the west, so we have no history or pattern to model ourselves on. It’s very much Guide me Oh Thou Great Jehovah, every step is into uncharted territory. Talk about blind faith…

Posted by CJS (# 3503) on :

https://gotherefor.com/

Well road tested weekly Bible study materials that you can freely customise given your theological position would be different to the authors. Plus access to all sorts of other useful resources for people 'just starting out'.

Hope it all goes really well.

Posted by South Coast Kevin (# 16130) on :

quote:
Originally posted by poileplume:
What do you think about how we start of the session?
Go straight in after serving coffee?
Have a short pray, then go for it?
Hold a short service?

Hope this isn't too late but here's what I find helpful in this sort of meeting:

- Make sure everyone at least knows each other's names. Maybe do a little icebreaker exercise if you think that would help your specific group to become more comfortable (I know some people hate icebreakers!)

- I like a brief period of quiet prayer before starting a study session. I find it helps me focus on God and keep in mind that the point of the session isn't to come up with clever ideas and win the arguments!

- Think in advance about how you're going to manage the conversations. There's bound to be someone who wants to say a lot, and another person who is reluctant to pipe up. What (if anything) will you do to limit the verbose people and encourage the quiet people?

- As I said upthread, I think it's vital to ask the 'So what?' question; how will we live differently, what might we change in our lives as a result of what we've been talking about. Without this, there's a danger that people will go home having simply had a nice, mentally stimulating conversation (which is fine in itself, but is a missed opportunity I think).

All the best with your new venture!

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