Church newsletter pastoral column for St. Peter Lutheran Church, Greene, Iowa, for September, 2021.
Growing in Faith Through Bible Study
“An intelligent mind acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.”
– Proverbs 18:15
One of the three primary tasks laid out in our congregation’s mission statement is to “Equip people with a faith that works in daily life.” Primarily, we do that through worship. We learn the faith by hearing and enacting it in worship. Teaching comes through the sermon, but it also comes through songs and hymns, liturgy, readings, and tangibly in the sacraments of baptism and communion. Each week as we gather for worship, we hear again the story of God’s love for us and for the world.
Of course, worship is not our congregation’s only avenue for education. Most visibly, we have youth and children’s ministries like Sunday School, Confirmation, Junior High Ministry, Luther League, and Vacation Bible School.
But learning and exploring faith doesn’t stop after high school. Adult education is important, and it’s an area where I think our congregation has some good opportunities and momentum for growth. As we enter this new school year, I’m thinking about three strands of adult education at St. Peter.
First, we have ongoing groups. Men’s study meets Wednesday mornings at 7:00 am at church to read and discuss books of the Bible a chapter at a time. The second Thursday of each month, we have a women’s Bible study as part of the WELCA meeting which uses studies from the WELCA Gather magazine. Newcomers are most welcome to either group.
Second, we have short-term small group studies. These are groups that form for a defined period (say 4-8 weeks) and explore a particular topic together through a book and discussion. In the last few years, we’ve had studies on topics like Luther’s Small Catechism, Generosity, the meaning of Christmas, and the book of Acts. Info about the next study, Making Sense of Scripture, is elsewhere in this newsletter.
Third, I think it’s important for us to offer a stand-alone study option, something where you can come without needing to sign up or buy a book. During the month of October, we’re going to experiment with this on Sunday mornings after worship, at the same time as Sunday School. Each week will be a little different style and topic, and after five weeks, we can evaluate and see if it’s meaningful for people. Come by and see if it works for you!
Hopefully, one or more of these strands works for you to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus. Challenge yourself to get involved. If you have other ideas or you’d like to help lead a study, I’m all ears!
In Christ,
-Pastor Daniel Flucke