By Gethin Jones, Tenth City Network Intern.
It’s been a privilege for me to be a part of Tenth these past few years and to witness the beginnings of what I think could be a very exciting period in the life of this church. A couple of years ago, we voted to purchase 1710 Spruce Street, last year we discussed and prayed about how to use it and heard from Liam about his vision for our church. Now, here we are, seeing 1710 Spruce Street become a hub for our outreach efforts and on the verge of a capital campaign to help fund it.
You may remember, from the various parish meetings that were held last year, that Liam pointed out how the culture around us is becoming more and more European and more secular. One key thing we were urged to get involved in was reading the Bible one-to-one with our friends.
This fits with what we see in the book of Acts. There we see the good news of Jesus goes out in three ways —primarily, it is preached to crowds, but we also see people searching the scriptures in smaller groups, as well as reading it one-to-one. At Tenth, we are blessed to have a strong preaching ministry, and numerous small group Bible studies and Sunday School classes. But while some among us read the Bible one-to-one—either as two Christians, or a Christian with a non-believer—this is not yet part of the “culture” of Tenth. And that’s understandable; it’s hard to know where to begin, isn’t it? But if we want to make disciples in Philadelphia, this will be an essential part of our efforts.
I’d like you to join me in Fellowship Hall East at 9 AM, beginning March 5, for a new Sunday School class called “Disciples Together.”
This is why I’d like you to join me in Fellowship Hall East at 9 AM, beginning March 5, for a new Sunday School class called “Disciples Together.” I designed the class initially as an assignment for a seminary class I took, looking at pastoral care in the church. My task was to interview a minister about how pastoral care works at Tenth and make a suggestion for improvement. When I interviewed Carroll, he very helpfully told me what my suggestion should look like—this class is the result. And Carroll was a great help in providing feedback on the curriculum.
I had the pleasure of doing a first run of this class with a wonderful band of officers and small group leaders in the fall, and that hour was often the highlight of my week. Now we’d love to invite the whole church to come along. Whether you’re a seasoned Bible study leader or clueless about where to begin, you are very welcome.
We will look at the full span of a disciple’s growth, and we will learn how we can set about making disciples and helping them grow. We’ll have a particular focus on reading the Bible one-to-one with someone. But we’ll also look at what the Bible teaches about Christian growth, and have practical training on simple tasks like preparing a Bible study, or how to use a worship bulletin to encourage someone in a short conversation after a worship service. We’ll also glean some lessons from the two books listed below.
My experience from teaching this class in the fall taught me that you’d be amazed what can happen, both in your own life and in the lives of others, when you take the simple step of asking someone, “Would you like to read the Bible with me?”