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Surveying the Survey of the Bible Group
By Paul | April 8, 2008
Jim and Jane Hansen not only help educate Bethelites with a better knowledge of the Bible each Sunday, but they also exhibit some excellent group dynamics that all leaders could take notes on. Take special note of the purposeful leader behaviors to make connections with their members in question 3. And since it’s offered in both fall and spring, it’s a great referral for someone inside/outside your group to build their understanding of Scripture.
1. Jane and I lead the Survey of the Bible class at Bethel. This is a 16-week class directed to anyone aged teen through adult who has an interest in gaining a better understanding of the “Big Picture” of the Scriptures. It’s good for families or singles, and is enjoyed by young as well as more mature Christians.
2. Key outcomes include: 1) drawing closer to our Lord through a better understanding of the Scriptures, 2) increasing our trust in the Scriptures as the inerrant, infallible, all sufficient, and inspired Word of God, 3) development of a passion for reading and studying the Word of God as a key element in the Christian walk, and 4) understanding current events in light of Scripture.
3. Connection is super important to us, and is one of the most difficult aspects of leading a class, particularly when there are 75 people to connect with. We try hard to:
• Complete setup well in advance so that we can mingle with attendees as they come in
• Greet everyone by their first name, every class, and getting to know them as much as possible
• Encourage connection by actively introducing less social class members to others (particularly important for teens and singles)
• Establish a warm and social atmosphere and encourage members to come 15-20 minutes early to enjoy some continental breakfast and fellowship (They do!)
• Recognizing those who volunteer to bring food items by name in class, and by giving them a “homemade” corsage in appreciation
• Welcome questions and comments in or out of class, being careful to follow the principle that there are no dumb questions
• Follow-up via phone or e-mail to make sure persons asking questions really got an answer they could understand
• Send every absentee each week a note saying they were missed and inquiring into their situation as appropriate
• Work on lesson retention by sending a mid-week reminder every Wednesday, summarizing the last class, answering questions that are presented at the end of each lesson in the notebook, giving some advance information about the following week, and encouraging attendance
• Calling on those with special situations (e.g., illness, other difficulties)
• One-on-one meetings with those having special discussion needs (a type of one-one-one discipling)
• Offer personal make-up sessions or DVDs of the class for those who’ve missed a session, and
• Arrange one or two social gatherings (e.g., Christmas open house) during the 16-weeks.
Interestingly, the above practices have consistently resulted in a very high level of attendance retention, with few drop-outs.
4. My Preparation includes:
• Review of lessons learned from the prior week’s class
• Editing and creating a master DVD for the prior week’s class
• Search for appropriate current events topics
• Seeking the Lord’s guidance on what to emphasize in the coming class
• Preparation of a lesson plan, PowerPoint slides and handout materials
• Review of the written material
• Reminder phone calls to food volunteers
• Setup of facility the night before … praying for each one that will be there the next day
• Dry running the class in our minds (usually all night the couple of nights before class)
• Asking the Lord to draw members to the class, and seeking His presence and anointing for the class.
5. A high level of communication really helps keep the class in the forefront of people’s minds, helps them connect and has a good effect on attendance retention. We need to remember that the class is the Lord’s, that He does the work, that He enables us to serve, and that He deserves all the glory for whatever good is accomplished. We are blessed when we see people draw closer to Him. Yes, amen!
Topics: Inspire |
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