MEN'S BIBLE STUDY FELLOWSHIP: Spring 2013
We just recently finished a 12 week Men's Bible Study here at the church. We met once a week on an "off" church night to study "The Abundant Life" Discipleship Course. It is an excellent book written by Ray Baughman back in 1959 and published by Moody Press. The book covers 12 important areas of Christian discipleship. Each chapter ends with questions and additional information with plenty of Scripture references. It is the best little book I know of for instructing new Christians and discipling older Christians who need to grow and for instructing Christians in how to disciple others. The book deals with the simple, practical, daily Christian life.
There is so much information in each chapter that we were not able to cover everything in a chapter in one night. What we did was have each man read the chapter and answer the questions at the end (on his own 'recognizance' ;), and then when we met, I highlighted the chapter and had handouts based upon that chapter. It worked out well, and everyone said it was helpful and held their interest. We started at about 7:15 and finished about 8:30, and no one was "in a hurry" to be done.
If you go through this book, you will grow spiritually, and it will give you the tools necessary to disciple someone else, which is what we are all supposed to be doing. In addition to our church's men, we had regulars from several churches in the area. The average attendance was 6 or 7 each week for the duration of the 12 weeks' Bible study. (We opened the Bible study up to any man who would come, and encouraged each to invite others, whether saved or lost. Several visitors did come. )
The purpose of the Bible study was to strengthen our men, and to use it as an outreach to get other men in who, though they might not come to a church service, might come to an informal Bible study where we sit around a table with an open Bible, and where questions are welcome. I think it went well, and there is interest in having another Men's Bible Study Fellowship in the future.
Lord willing, I would like to have a 12 week Bible study each Spring and Fall. Please pray for us in this matter, that God's will be done, and God's' men be edified, and lost men saved.
-- Pastor Martin
We just recently finished a 12 week Men's Bible Study here at the church. We met once a week on an "off" church night to study "The Abundant Life" Discipleship Course. It is an excellent book written by Ray Baughman back in 1959 and published by Moody Press. The book covers 12 important areas of Christian discipleship. Each chapter ends with questions and additional information with plenty of Scripture references. It is the best little book I know of for instructing new Christians and discipling older Christians who need to grow and for instructing Christians in how to disciple others. The book deals with the simple, practical, daily Christian life.
There is so much information in each chapter that we were not able to cover everything in a chapter in one night. What we did was have each man read the chapter and answer the questions at the end (on his own 'recognizance' ;), and then when we met, I highlighted the chapter and had handouts based upon that chapter. It worked out well, and everyone said it was helpful and held their interest. We started at about 7:15 and finished about 8:30, and no one was "in a hurry" to be done.
If you go through this book, you will grow spiritually, and it will give you the tools necessary to disciple someone else, which is what we are all supposed to be doing. In addition to our church's men, we had regulars from several churches in the area. The average attendance was 6 or 7 each week for the duration of the 12 weeks' Bible study. (We opened the Bible study up to any man who would come, and encouraged each to invite others, whether saved or lost. Several visitors did come. )
The purpose of the Bible study was to strengthen our men, and to use it as an outreach to get other men in who, though they might not come to a church service, might come to an informal Bible study where we sit around a table with an open Bible, and where questions are welcome. I think it went well, and there is interest in having another Men's Bible Study Fellowship in the future.
Lord willing, I would like to have a 12 week Bible study each Spring and Fall. Please pray for us in this matter, that God's will be done, and God's' men be edified, and lost men saved.
-- Pastor Martin