FINDERS KEEPERS: IT'S ONLY NATURAL

By Paul Donaldson

The first day we had 15 students on an Asian university campus join us for Bible study (our max from the two prior years). Two weeks later, we had to expand to a second classroom with 60 first-time readers studying together in small groups facilitated by our team members. When we left, at least three groups continued – a first ever. What was different?

We changed our Bible study time from a large group, single-leader model to a “discovery” format, introduced to me by Paul Watson* last year. The basics are:

1) Share how life’s going.
2) Read the scripture passage.
3) Retell the Scripture passage as a group.
4) Ask:
• “What does it teach about God?”
• “What does it teach about people?”
• “If you believed this is true, what would you change in your life?”
• “Who do you know that needs to hear what you’ve learned?”

After reading/retelling Genesis 3, I asked what we could learn about God.

Student 1: “God is merciful.”
Me: “Which verses tell you this?”
Student 1: “God said if they ate from the tree they would die; but God let them live, gave them clothes,.. they deserved to die.”

We received responses like this to the simple, open questions every day!

Our primary task lay in teaching the format for study, and as quickly as possible, transferring the facilitating to a student leader.

If students asked questions, instead of making the facilitator’s answer the first option, we strove to direct students back to verses in the passage, asked another student what they thought, or offered to talk more outside the group. We simply wanted to give students a chance to read the Bible so they could make an informed decision about what to believe for themselves. Isaiah 55:11 (God’s word being sent by Him will accomplish what He desires)

*http://www.everydaydisciples.com/2010/07/16/using-small-groups-to-disciple-people-to-christ/