Leeds Vineyard

Engage with the Bible

The outcome we want to see is everyone young and old able to engage with and apply the Bible for all its worth.
 

What does that look like?

 

The outcomes we see in the lives of people following Jesus will vary depending on age, ability and opportunity, but might include (but unlikely to be all of):
  • Using daily Bible notes
  • Reading a "daily Bible" or using a Through the Bible in a Year plan
  • Reading large chunks of Scripture in a modern translation, regularly or periodically
  • Listening to the Bible being read on their iPod
  • Hearing the Scriptures explained in weekly worship, in housegroup talks or on podcasts
  • Discussing how to live out the Bible in a small group setting
  • Lectio divina or other forms of Bible meditation (e.g. the Jesuit website)
  • Scripture memory programmes
  • Calling to mind and/or speaking out scripture in daily life circumstances
  • Including appropriate quotes from the Bible in conversation
  • Creative arts or crafts that use or reflect on scripture
  • Reading commentaries or other books that explain parts of the Bible
  • Watching movies like Jesus/MiracleMaker/The Passion and dozens of others that tell the narrative of the Bible
  • Attending Bible school lectures, conferences or courses

How does it come about?

 

The way we see that becoming habitual and deeply rooted in people's lives includes
  • Role models talking about their personal discoveries from the scripture and disclosing their personal practices, in housegroup, Vineyard Kids, Sunday talks, and one-to-one
  • Housegroup leaders asking people what they have discovered in the Bible on a regular basis
  • Running partners spurring one another on to engage more fully with the Bible - challenging each other to explore new ways of engaging
  • Receiving prophetic quotation of Scripture and reading it afterwards
  • Observing the approach other people take in trying to understand and apply the Bible and hear God's voice through Scripture in a small group setting
  • Experiencing Lectio divina or other Bible meditation in a small group setting, then trying it yourself
  • Having the challenge of studying for a module credit/certificate/memory goal/all in one year goal etc
  • Hearing or seeing a steady stream of resources being recommended one at a time
  • Resources easily available via free websites or our website
    • How to get started with the Bible
    • Overview of the Bible
    • Bible search tools
    • Podcasts
    • etc to cover the practices mentioned above
  • Resources available to buy on the resources table and via web shopping links
    • Getting started/easy reading resources
    • Overview of the Bible type resources
    • Resources to help leaders lead these kind of activities
    • VBI courses on Bible overview/hermeneutics and so on (for those who can cope with that)
 

Resources

 

 

Website resources

 

 

Books

 

 

Serendipity Bible Studies

 

  • Serendipity Bible - with icebreakers and application discussion questions in the margins.  Almost everything can be used.  A few in particular might be:
    • Confirmation - What do I believe (Serendipity Felt-need course 33, page M35)
    • Key Events in the Old Testament (Topical Study Course, p.21)
    • The Life of Christ (Topical Study Course, p.23)

Videos

 

  • Nooma 15: You - 15 mins - understanding the historical context of the earliest Christians in order to understand the New Testament better
  • The story of everything - 4 minute hand-drawing animation from start to finish. 

Visual activities

 

 

VBI modules

 

These are excellent video+discussion resources available for use in small groups - just ask Erik Peeters if you want to get hold of them or have them taught live in your group. The modules are:

1. The Nature of the Kingdom -
The material in this course explores the biblical basis for the Vineyard understanding of the Kingdom of God, from the first mention of God as King in Exodus, via the golden age of David's and Solomon's kingdoms, through the prophetic visions of the age to come when Yahweh will establish his Kingdom on earth, to the breakthrough of that future Kingdom into the present in the life, works, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus, and the pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost, which enables the body of Christ to continue that breakthrough. This material is brilliant at putting together in one place the Bible texts and ideas that we otherwise only allude to or hint at on a Sunday morning, and to allow people to grasp hold of the grand narrative of God's rescue of his world in a very powerful way.

2. The Ministry of the Kingdom -
The companion piece to the "Nature of the Kingdom", this material uses the gospel accounts of what Jesus did together with Paul's teaching on the gifts of the Spirit to explore how we become participants in Jesus' mission of rescue. It offers both lots of practical wisdom and deep reflection on key Bible passages to help us to start to wrestle with and get to grips with how this whole thing of ministering to people works in the tension of the present and future kingdom.

3. The Implications of the Kingdom -
This material takes as read the material of the first two courses, and delves deeper into some of the thornier questions raised by the Kingdom. It explores the biblical basis for how the church relates to Israel, for example, and deals with ideas about the end times (such as the idea of the rapture) and tests how these ideas stack up against the Kingdom paradigm. This course will most likely be too involved for most people to go through as a whole, but the material it contains will help people to understand how Kingdom theology differs from other kinds of understanding of the same Bible material. The material will enable people to explain their own beliefs better, while also giving them an insight into how other Christians think and believe, which should improve our ability to honour other Christians.

4. Biblical Overview -
This material provides exactly what it says on the tin, an overview of the Bible to allow people to understand the overarching story of God with his creation.

 
 Recent Media Uploads 
The Big Story of God part 4: Living between the trees (download)
In the final talk in this series, Ben looks at the times we live in now, a time of tension where we already see some fulfilment of God's promises, but still wait for the final transformation and restoration of the world to come.
Ben Newman, 09/05/2010
The Big Story of God part 3: Who do you think you are (download)
Maggie looks at the family tree of Jesus, finding a collection of ordinary people, whose lives contain brokenness, failure, courage and faith. We too are part of that same family of Jesus - not one of us is outside of God's love or mercy. All are welcome!
Maggie Gee, 02/05/2010
The Big Story of God part 2: Where are you? (download)
In the second talk on the big story of God, Ben looks at the Bible's description of how things began to go wrong. Yet, in the middle of human rebellion against their creator, there remains hope. God will not give up looking for his people.
Ben Newman, 25/04/2010
The Big Story of God part 1: Creation (download)
David begins a new series on the big story of God that we find ourselves a part of by looking at what God did in the beginning.
David Wallace, 18/04/2010

More

 

Much more extensive lists of Bible resources are available from other good websites, we won't make our list long or comprehensive. We want to see a steady stream of one-at-a-time personal recommendations from a range of different people in the church building up over time. Please get in touch with Kate Newman or David Wallace or Erik Peeters if you want to make a recommendation, or else add a comment below. We'd love to hear from you.
Kate Newman and David Wallace, 07/05/2011