Young Adult Bible Study Suggestions?
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I'm in my first month of my position of "Director of Youth Ministries" at my church and have been approached to suggest some Bible Study resources for a resurrected Young Adult group.
They request something that is not video-related, in print (physical or digital), and that each session does not necessarily depend on the one before (meaning that new people can join more easily). I am looking primarily to study a particular book of the Bible but could also work through specific themes or topics as well.
Any books or material that have worked well for you in the past?
Thanks!
Young Adults, Church Renewal
Young Adults, Intergenerational Ministry
Young Adults, Youth Ministry
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Hi Steve: Great question (and one that can be a real struggle)! One possible option (depending on specific age group) is the Sticky Faith Teen Curriculum, though it is a book and DVD study.
Thanks, Staci- I'll look into that.
I recently began leading a college group in my church in Visalia. I began by reading Chuck Bomar's College Ministry from Scratch. It was helpful for providing some framework and ideas for teaching and programming, as well as developing goals, realistic expectations, and a direction/purpose.
In our Bible study, we decided on a book (first James, now Philippians). Everyone read the entire book before our first meeting. We talked about general themes, I brought some info from commentaries. Then we worked through the book in smaller chunks, keeping in mind the overall themes and purposes we saw when we read straight through.
A different idea that's been used by a young adult group here is using NT Wright's For Everyone series. He does each book of the New Testament, and has short devotions/homilies on each section as he works his way through the book. It's (at times) a bit heady, but overall, pretty accessible for people. I'm currently going through Acts for Everyone, and it's been really good.
Thanks for the suggestions, Tim. That NT Wright book looks promising...!
Last summer, I led a study on Keller's "The Meaning of Marriage", and used two electronic study guides for questions, along with questions and summaries from a small support group from my congregation. Oh man, it was SO worthwhile and the group LOVED it. I passed out extra copies of the book to young adults who couldn't make it, for attendees partners and friends, and so on, at the request and referral of the attendees. While most weren't married, I used the second part of the title to draw people in: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God. I'd highly recommend it.
That's an interesting direction to go, one that I hadn't considered! I will add it to the list of suggestions for our discussion. (I also love your enthusiasm for the book- I'm totally intrigued now!)
A couple of things have worked well for us when it comes to offering a study that anyone can just jump into on any given week. We have done article studies using pieces from Christianity Today, The Banner, and blogs. Each week is a different topic but it fits into an overall theme. And we also have done straight up Bible studies - either topical or going through a book. I just picked up a book by Bob Grahmann called Transforming Bible Study that offers some different ways to lead a good Bible study.
We also have started smaller discipleship groups called Huddles that have been working really well. They are groups of 3 or 4 people that can form out of a Bible study and they go a lot deeper. If you want more information on that, just let me know.
Steve, I've been asked to give some direction to a Young Adult group. Can you tell me more about what Huddles are about? How are they formed and how do they go deeper? Do you have specific questions that they ask?
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