by Marc Olson Take a deep breath. First, relax. You don’t need to be an expert to read the Bible, or even to lead a discussion, so don’t hold yourself to some arbitrary standard—and certainly don’t try to fake it. Let your own interest in finding stuff out, your gratitude for God’s grace and your love of the people you’re sitting with set the table … Continue reading 12 Tips for Bible Studies that Don’t Suck
by George Baum So, before I went off to seminary, my local priest thought it would be good for me to lead a Bible study, just to have the experience. He suggested a name for the group, announced it to the congregation and for about half a year, six people joined me on Tuesday nights. We read through the scriptures together, and had conversations about … Continue reading And Then There Were Six (Always six)
by Dr. Nathan Frambach I’m sitting on a simple wooden stool in a small, spartan room in the Taize community in France. I am here with a group of students from Wartburg Theological Seminary for a J-term pilgrimage, and it seems a fitting place to write about an open and inductive approach to reading the Bible in community. Though I have been teaching in a … Continue reading Sitting with God: Reading and Hearing Scripture in Community
by Kathie Phillips As leaders invested in the spiritual formation and discipleship of kids, we desire to see kids grow in their relationship with Jesus. We pray that all of the time and energy that we pour into preparing lessons for them and building relationships with them bring them closer to Christ, not just in head knowledge, but in heart change. One of the ways … Continue reading Eight Ways to Make Bible Study Engaging for Kids
by Heather Hansen Focus Text: John 20:30-31 Objectives: Help students understand the role of Scripture in their lives Encourage students to explore and discover in the Bible Have fun with Scripture Introduction Begin with a prayer: Holy God, we thank you for your Word and the role it plays in our lives. Give us the desire and the will to learn and study your Word, … Continue reading Bible Study: The Role of God’s Word in our Lives
by Leigh Finke Young adulthood—that murky phase of life when adulthood is just starting. Or, maybe should be starting but just quite hasn’t. Or, perhaps it has, despite one’s best effort to avoid it. It’s hard to know just what young adult means these days. Even for those who make young adults their very livelihood. Savanna Sullivan, director of Young Adult Programs at the ELCA, … Continue reading Young Adult Ministry: An Interview with Savannah Sullivan
by Dr. Phil Ruge-Jones A woman has committed the entire Gospel of Mark to her memory. As she tells the two-hour story, a two-year-old plays by her mother’s feet. Sometimes she watches, sometimes she plays quietly with toys, other moments she gets a bit restless. When the storyteller begins the story of the blessing of the children, suddenly the child is completely attentive to the … Continue reading Biblical Storytelling as Entering into the Word
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