Bible Study works well at our church--
I belong to a small church, about 120 members at most. Some of the members formed a Bible study, and we took several weeks hammering out how it would work. Finally we decided to meet every 2nd and 4th Tuesday each month, and the studies usually went from 7:30p to 9:30. We meet in the homes of participating members. This has really become a blessing, for even though the church is made up of people from all different regional and financial backgrounds, we get to know one another and we can share problems and prayer needs. At first, we had problems deciding what to do for study material. Then I personally began writing the Study lessons (I have a long, in-depth Bible study history) and, before you know it, other members began volunteering to lead and write up the Bible lessons. Right now we are studying I Corinthians, and everyone takes turn leading the lesson. It has been a great blessing for everyone involved. We are all becoming closer, and since more people are in the loop of church news, we know who is ill and who needs help, and those who can provide the help. Not to mention, we are learning a lot about our God!!!! All of us find out things that have never really been obvious before, no matter how often we had heard them. Seeing and learning from another Christian's perspective is great, too, as well as learning about other members' experience in life, spiritually as well as otherwise.
A word of caution--since Bible Studies such as this involve human beings, someone is bound to get upset, sooner or later, which happens when people become closer. But that is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as every member is treated with respect, and every person is treated as worthy. The dust-ups between my pastor and the senior elder of this church has been a running gag for years in the church, and everyone who knows about it is quite amused. The important thing is this: When there is a conflict, acknowledge and validate the rights of each person involved. Most of the trouble begins when the attitude "this person counts; this person doesn't" crops up in the situation. Believe it or not, all the people in the world count to God. That's why He sent His Son to die on the cross. To emphasize this point, read James 2:1-13. That set of scriptures pretty much sums it up!
Bible Studies can be an excellent tool on many levels; just plan them wisely!
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