Teaching “Deep” Bible Study – Part One
Many Bible teachers want to know how to make their Bible study “deeper.” Too many Bible studies teach familiar passages in the same old ways. The concepts addressed by learners may seem moralistic (“just try to be a good person”) or simplistic (“Jesus will help you with your problem”), and leave people hungry for something […]
Teaching the Poetry of the Bible
“When I observe Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You set in place, what is man that You remember him, the son of man that You look after him?” Psalm 8:3-4 The Book of Psalms contains some of the most beautiful and encouraging passages in the Bible. The […]
Teaching the Bible on Facebook
I am a big advocate for face-to-face Bible study. Sharing deeply with each other as we contemplate the truths of Scripture meets the needs of group members in a way that is difficult to duplicate on social media. Still, in these weeks in which the Coronavirus has us staying at home, how does a Bible […]
7 Daily Questions for the Disciple in Quarantine
When life gets difficult, maintaining discipline makes life doable. Effective living means putting first things first. Effective self-management requires discipline to carry out those priorities. These days of “shelter-in-place” are precious days that will require daily personal rhythms to make them meaningful. Yesterday on the neighborhood app “Next Door,” this conversation was posted. “I was […]
Teaching With the End in Mind
At about 22 years, I started teaching a Bible study class for ninth-grade boys. Our class met behind a screen at the back of the church auditorium. I loved teaching the Bible to the guys and would often get lost in all the details of a passage. The guys seemed to listen to me, but […]
Surprising Community
In the past week, our church world has been turned upside down. Church members who have sat in the same pews for decades have had to navigate to Facebook, YouTube, or Zoom to participate in worship. Pastors who are skilled at speaking to a room of congregants have had to become instant tech experts and […]
Connecting with Teenagers During the Coronavirus Lockdown
In some ways, teenagers have been preparing for the coronavirus lockdown all their lives. Building community online is not new to them. Using everything from text messages to Internet-based video gaming, they talk and laugh with each other electronically all the time. We can discuss the value of online community for young people later. The […]
Connecting Members to Leaders In the COVID-19 Pandemic
As we consider how online education theory can inform ways to create a healthy community at a distance, the next component in our “Community of Inquiry” framework is to facilitate ways for the church leadership to interact with members. Sometimes we forget how important a quick phone call, text, or written note directly from the […]
Connecting Members to Content in the COVID-19 Pandemic
As our church members feel isolated, fearful, anxious, and uncertain, they need the truth of God’s Word. This brings us to our first component of the online education framework called “The Community of Inquiry,” which is the need to connect members to content. During this chaotic time, church leaders must help members engage with Bible […]
Caring for the Deaf Community during the Lockdown
My little church has about 75 or 80 attenders, about 35 members, and a Deaf ministry. Yes, I know, you normally see Deaf ministry in larger churches, but we have Derek Foddrill. Derek is a college student with a passion for the Deaf, has learned to interpret American Sign Language, and invites his friends who […]