Missional Bible Study

[Fr. David]

I would like to try some type of religious education/Bible Study or other worthwhile weeknight endeavor at our parish here in Indiana. Any ideas?

[Fr. Steve]

How about starting a cell group? It will provide a more informal setting, and tool your teaching to the setting, where people are allowed to ask more questions and spark more discussions. Be sure you let them know that at these meetings, you are there to answer their questions and concerns. If you like, you could go through the catechism and have them ask any questions they have about it. The who, what, where, when, why and how's that occasionally come up.

[Fr. Steve]

This article has 10 points of conversation that would make a great 10 week study in an informal, cell group setting meeting in the home of one of the parishioners. It was linked from here. Its important to get our parishioners involved in what is going on in the church. They still have their call as the priesthood of believers to fulfill. This kind of access to their Priest, and these kinds of conversations with them could drive the missional purpose of the church and light God's people on fire.

[Fr. Greg]

Dcn. Steve:

What you suggest here are some very good resources. I'm going to commit myself to using these in our Sunday Adult Forum, or maybe as a Saturday retreat on what it is to be a Missional Anglican Christian. Thoughts anyone?

Fr. Greg

[Fr. Greg]

Fr. David:

As Fr. David has suggested, using a Cell Group format could be a very healthy way to start some sort of mid-week event/fellowship. A Bible Study is always one avenue to get people participating and talking with each other. You could have a book group that takes a good book on the faith to read and discuss. You could, on occasion, have a "Stump the Priest" evening where people can come and ask any of those nagging questions they have always wanted to ask about the faith, or why we do some things the way we do them, and then see if there is anything that stumps the priest. During the summer, having a monthly BBQ and short study session on a particular topic would be great where people could invite their neighbours, with a heavy accent on fellowship.

Of course, there is no reason why you can't have some of these Bible Studies, or Book Reading Groups, in a place like Starbucks or some other coffee venue. This gets the group out into the community and hopefully building relationships with other people they see on a weekly basis inside these places along with your group. Who know; someone might decide to join in the study!

Just some thoughts...

Fr. Greg