victory shared

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GET INTO THE STUDY 5 minutes

SESSION 6

VICTORY SHARED

DISCUSS: Draw attention to the picture (PSG, p. 66) as you introduce Question #1: What are some marketing campaigns you will always remember?

The Point

GUIDE: Direct attention to

The victory we have in Jesus is too

The Bible Meets Life (PSG,

big to keep to ourselves.

p. 67). Highlight the author’s

The Bible Meets Life

illustrations of some of the successful marketing slogans

Businesses love viral marketing.

and ads of the past. Emphasize

They may initiate an ad, but

that an ad campaign aims

through social networking

to share a message and get

individuals grab on to it and pass

viewers to act on it.

it along. When you like something,

SAY: “Today we look at why

you share it with your circle of friends, and those friends pass it along.

the good news of our victory

Followers of Christ have something far greater than a marketing message;

must be shared.”

they have a message of victory and hope in Christ. The message of Christ—the gospel—is life-changing and worth passing along.

Reinforce the importance of sharing the victory we have in

The Passage

Christ by reading The Point

Luke 24:44-49

(PSG, p. 67): The victory we have in Jesus is too big to keep to ourselves.

The Setting Jesus is risen! A group of women discovered the empty tomb. Angels shared the good news with them (Luke 24:1‑8). Peter and John ran to the tomb to

PRAY: Begin the Bible study

investigate (v. 12; John 20:3‑4). Jesus appeared to two disciples on their walk

with prayer. Ask for God’s

to the village of Emmaus (Luke 24:13‑35). On Easter evening, Jesus appeared

wisdom in understanding His

among His disciples (vv. 36‑43). Then, Jesus told His disciples the words of our

Word and the boldness to

focal passage (vv. 44‑49).

share it with others.

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S e ss i o n 6

STUDY THE BIBLE

Luke 24:44-45 44 He told them, “These are my words that I spoke to you

while I was still with you — that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

Luke 24:44-45 . 10 minutes SUMMARIZE: Before reading the passage, set the context by

45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

The whole of Scripture points to the truth of Jesus. Verse 44. He, of course, is Jesus, and them refers to His disciples. Jesus reminded His disciples of the words He had spoken to them while He was with them prior to His crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Since Jesus had not just spoken words of explanation to them, “these are my words” means “this is the meaning of my words.” With this introduction, Jesus reminded them of what He had told them before His death in such passages as Luke 9:22,44; 17:25; 18:31‑33; and 22:37. Thus this was not a new teaching but a continuation of His previous instruction. With the words “while I was still with you” Jesus also indicated that His appearance to them now was exceptional and unusual. He would no longer be with them as He had been “during his earthly life” (Heb. 5:7). The definitive events of redemption had now taken place and His dwelling would no longer be among them on earth as before (John 1:14; 14:2). His presence with them from this point on would be of a different nature (Matt. 28:20). 1 For the only time in the New Testament, Jesus called attention to the three divisions of the Old Testament: the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. The Law of Moses refers to the Pentateuch (Genesis–Deuteronomy; see Luke 2:22). The Prophets means the books of the prophets and includes both the “former prophets”—what we often call the “historical books”—and the “latter prophets”—what we refer to as the “major and minor prophets.” His words show that Jesus viewed the Old Testament as a unitary whole. Bible students debate whether the Psalms refers to just the Old Testament book by that name or if it was meant to stand for the third major division of the Old Testament Scriptures that began with the Book of Psalms. On the one hand, there were enough prophetic passages in just the Psalms to attest to the suffering, victorious, and reigning Messiah. In fact, throughout the Book of Acts the apostles regularly quoted the Psalms as prophesying Jesus’ suffering, resurrection, and exaltation

summarizing the information in The Setting on page 72.

READ: Read or ask a volunteer to read Luke 24:44-45.

SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 1 on this page and page 74, and information on PSG page 69 to explain the divisions of the Old Testament as Jesus referred to them. • The law of Moses. These are the first five books of the Old Testament, also called the Pentateuch. • The prophets. This includes the “former prophets”—Joshua through 2 Kings—and the “latter prophets”—Isaiah through Malachi. • The psalms. This section is also called the “writings,” which is comprised of all the remaining Old Testament books. This section is also referred to by the first—and largest—book in it: the Psalms.

SUGGESTED USE | WEEK OF APRIL 9

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THE POINT

The victory we have in Jesus is too big to keep to ourselves.

SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 2 on this page and page 75 to explain Jesus’ words “everything written about me” and “must be fulfilled.”

DISCUSS: Question #2 (PSG, p. 69): Why is it important to understand the Old Testament Scriptures that point to Jesus? (Alternate: How would you summarize the grand story of Scripture for an unbeliever?)

TRANSITION: “In the next verses Jesus explained another truth from Scripture: His resurrection would mean the forgiveness of our sin.”

(Acts 1:16,20; 2:25,30‑35; 4:25‑26; 13:33). Further, Luke’s quotation of Jesus’ words in Luke 20:42-43 may point to this interpretation. On the other hand, the threefold division Jesus mentioned here corresponds to the later traditional Jewish divisions of the Hebrew Bible: Torah (The Law), Nevi’im (The Prophets), and Kethuvim (The Writings). 2 Jesus’ words “everything written about me” and “must be fulfilled” emphasize that Jesus is the focus of both the content of the Scriptures and the fulfillment of the Scriptures. “Everything written … in” means “everything found in.” Must points to a divine necessity. The Greek participle translated everything written is in the perfect tense and stresses that what was written in the past still stands. While Jesus did not here cite specific passages, this is the second time in this chapter that Luke stressed these truths. Luke recorded Jesus’ words to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus in verse 27 where Jesus apparently did cite specific passages. No proof-texting was necessary, however, for the whole of the Scriptures points to Him. The emphasis here is on the totality of the Old Testament witness to Jesus the Messiah and His ministry. Interestingly, Luke began his Gospel record of Jesus’ ministry with Jesus reading from the Book of Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth. At that time, just a few years earlier, Jesus concluded the reading of the scroll by saying, “Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled” (Luke 4:21; see vv. 16-30 for the whole account). Now, at the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus stated that everything written about Him in the Scriptures “must be fulfilled.” The two narratives stand like bookends to Jesus’ earthly ministry and stress that the fulfillment of the Scriptures is found in Jesus from beginning to end. Indeed, the whole of the Scriptures points to the truth of Jesus! Verse 45. Just as the eyes of the two disciples going to Emmaus were opened (24:31), so here too Jesus opened their minds to understand the Scriptures (contrast 9:45; 18:34). The Scriptures refers back and clarifies the character of the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms in verse 44: they are Holy Scripture (see 2 Tim. 3:15). The mind (nous) in ancient thought was the seat of intellectual capacities. The Greek term for to understand indicates continuous and lasting understanding. Now the disciples had a real and clear understanding not only of what the Scriptures prophesied but of what they had witnessed

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during their time with Jesus. These words remind us that the Scriptures need to be understood. The Ethiopian eunuch testified to this (Acts 8:31). The unregenerate person cannot understand God’s truth; it takes the illumination of the Holy Spirit to understand God’s Word (1 Cor. 2:14). The risen Lord is not only the content and fulfillment of Scripture; He, the Living Word, is the interpreter of the written Word. Interestingly, what Jesus did here for His disciples is strikingly similar to an incident Luke described early in his Gospel. When Jesus was 12 years old, He had astonished the teachers in the Jerusalem temple complex. At that time, “all those who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers” (Luke 2:47).

STUDY THE BIBLE Luke 24:46-47 10 minutes READ: Read or ask a volunteer to read Luke 24:46-47.

SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 3 on this page and page 76 to explain

Luke 24:46-47

the importance of what Jesus

46 He also said to them, “This is what is written: The Messiah

and resurrection. The cross and

would suffer and rise from the dead the third day,

shared regarding His “Passion” the resurrection are central to the gospel of Jesus

47 and repentance for forgiveness of sins would be

proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. The cross and empty tomb are central to the gospel of Jesus.

GUIDE: For more information on the phrase rise from the dead the third day, refer group members to “Digging Deeper” on PSG page 70:

Verses 46-47. In helping the disciples understand the Scriptures, Jesus referred to what is written. In the Greek, the term is a perfect verb. The Greek perfect tense refers to what was written in the past but has on-going validity. This is how Luke usually referred to the Scriptures in his writings (Luke 4:17; 18:31; 21:22; 22:37; 24:44; Acts 13:29; 24:14). It reminds us how we should view God’s revelation. What is written in the Scriptures is what stands written—forever. Jesus Himself stated, “Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished” (Matt. 5:18). He also said, “the Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). Luke used three infinitives in Greek, to summarize what had been written in the Old Testament Scriptures concerning the Messiah, which are translated: suffer … rise … would be proclaimed. The first two were now past; they were accomplished. The third item, the proclaiming, was about to begin. The first two—the cross and the resurrection—are the central elements in the proclamation. 3

“How Long Was Jesus Buried?”

DISCUSS: Question #3 (PSG, p. 71): What are the basics of the gospel every Christian can share?

75

THE POINT

The victory we have in Jesus is too big to keep to ourselves.

GUIDE: Refer group members to PSG page 71 and ask a volunteer to read the two Old Testament passages: “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his faithful love toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Ps. 103:11-12). “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and one who relents from sending disaster” (Jonah 4:2). Remind group members that the Old Testament gives ample testimony of a God of grace, love, and forgiveness.

SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 4 to explain how important it was that “repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations.”

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Suffer refers to Christ’s crucifixion, His “Passion.” For the third time in this chapter, the work of the Messiah was summarized in terms of His crucifixion and resurrection. The first time was the announcement of the angels to the women at the tomb (v. 7). The second time was by Jesus to the two disciples on the Emmaus road (v. 26). And now here, the third time, Jesus explained to His gathered disciples how the Scriptures foretold His death and resurrection (v. 46). In each case, the words recall Jesus’ pre-crucifixion predictions (9:22,44; 17:25; 18:31‑34). However, there is one significant change between these earlier predictions (as well as the words of the angels in 24:7) and Jesus’ words in this passage. In His pre-crucifixion predictions, Jesus had used His favorite title for Himself—Son of Man. On several occasions during His ministry Jesus either shied away from the title Messiah (the Christ) or seemed to have wished to conceal the fact He was the Messiah (see the classic passage in Mark 8:29-30; see also 1:43‑45). Here, however, Jesus clearly identified all those predictions concerning the Son of Man with the Messiah (“the Christ”). Now that His messianic role had been clarified by His death and resurrection, the title became a common reference to Him in the early church’s proclamation. That Jesus did not in any of these places refer to His birth, teachings, healing ministry, or other aspects of His life on earth reminds us that, while these were important, it was His redemptive work on the cross that is the saving act (Rom. 5:15-19). 4 It is on the basis of Jesus’ atoning death and glorious resurrection that “repentance for forgiveness of sins” can be “proclaimed in his name to all the nations.” Verse 47 adds for the first time the element of proclamation to the work of the Messiah (would be proclaimed is the third infinitive following “suffer” and “rise”). The words point to the following mission of the church, starting in the Book of Acts and continuing to today. The Greek verb translated would be proclaimed was used of a herald making a proclamation in public. It became the standard word for preaching in the early church. A herald did not create his own message. He received the message from the one who sent him. He was not to change the message—only to announce it. The herald was not to be concerned with what hearers thought of the announcement. His responsibility was to deliver the message clearly and boldly.

What is to be proclaimed? “Repentance for forgiveness of sins.” The act of repentance involves turning, a turning away from sin and turning to God. It involves a total reorientation of one’s life. Indeed, repentance is a key feature of the preaching in the Book of Acts (see, for example, Acts 2:38; 3:19; 5:31; 8:22). Luke began his narrative with the hope of “the forgiveness of … sins” (Luke 1:77). It was the content of John the Baptist’s preaching (3:3). It was at the heart of Jesus’ message (5:32; Mark 1:14‑15). Forgiveness is also a key emphasis in Acts (see, for example, Acts 2:38; 5:31; 8:22; 10:43; 13:38; 26:18). What is the basis for this forgiveness? It is “in his name.” The name represents the person of Jesus and all He stands for (see Luke 9:48). Jesus’ name is also prominent in the Book of Acts. Salvation is available to all who call on His name (Acts 2:21,36); believers are baptized in His name (2:38; 8:16; 10:48; 19:5); healing is done in His name (3:6,16; 4:10,30); the good news is preached in His name (4:12; 5:28,40); believers suffer for His name (5:41; 9:16; 21:13); indeed, believers are known as those who call on the name of Jesus (9:14,21; 22:16). The recipients of the proclamation of the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ are “all the nations” (Isa. 42:6; 49:6; Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47). Jesus used these words in Matthew 28:19. The message of Jesus is a universal message. It is for everyone (though many choose to reject it). It knows no racial, ethnic, or national boundaries. Jesus’ words anticipate the commission in Acts 1:8 and the proclamation that began on the day of Pentecost beginning in Jerusalem (Acts 2) but that was also intended to reach to the ends of the earth (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8). Where Jesus’ earthly mission ended, in Jerusalem, the mission of the church began. “Beginning at Jerusalem” could go with the words preceding them (as in most English translations) or with those that follow. It makes little difference. That Jesus’ disciples would proclaim the good news beginning in Jerusalem fulfilled Old Testament prophecy as well. As recorded in Ezekiel 5:5 the Lord said, “I have set this Jerusalem in the center of the nations,” and in both Isaiah 2:3 and Micah 4:2 the Lord added, “For instruction will go out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

DISCUSS: Question #4 (PSG, p. 72): Why is the message of repentance and forgiveness of sins always relevant? (Alternate: In what ways was Jesus’ resurrection a moment of victory?)

OPTION: Share with the group the familiar adages: • “God is never late but He is seldom early.” • “The teacher is always silent during the test.” Lead the group to share things they are waiting on God to do.

TRANSITION: ”Having shared the core message His disciples were to preach, Jesus then let them know they would not be doing this important task alone.”

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THE POINT

The victory we have in Jesus is too big to keep to ourselves.

STUDY THE BIBLE Luke 24:48-49 15 minutes READ: Read or ask a volunteer to read Luke 24:48-49.

Luke 24:48-49 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. As

for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.” KEY WORD: Empowered from on high (v. 49)—That the empowerment

SUMMARIZE: Use Bible

would come “from on high” points to the true source that enables disciples to

Commentary 5 to explain

be bold witnesses for Jesus—the Holy Spirit.

the meaning of witnesses.

We are to share the message about Jesus.

SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 6 to explain the importance of ”the promise” of God—the Holy Spirit, the Comforter—in our gospel witness.

DISCUSS: Question #5 (PSG, p. 74): How have you experienced the power of the Holy Spirit when sharing the gospel? (Alternate: Where has God called this group to represent

5 Verse 48. Jesus told His disciples that they were witnesses to the events concerning Himself. Witnesses is the word from which we get our English word martyrs. The disciples were witnesses to the fulfillment of the Scriptures, and they could testify to what had occurred because they had seen those events happen (1 John 1:1‑3). These things refers to the content of verse 46. This theme is repeated in Acts 1:8 and then throughout the Book of Acts (1:22; 2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39,41; 13:31; 22:15,20; 26:16). Up to this point in time, the disciples had been observers, fulfilling a primarily passive role as they accompanied Jesus in His travels and witnessed events as they had transpired. Now they were to actively champion the message of repentance and forgiveness of sins. Luke began his Gospel by relating how he went about compiling his narrative. In 1:2 he referred to “the original eyewitnesses” but then called them “servants of the word” who had “handed … down to us” what they had seen and heard. So it was at this point in Luke 24:46‑48 that the original disciples moved from being observers to witnesses and ministers of the Word.

Him?)

Verse 49. The disciples could be effective witnesses because Jesus was “sending [them] what my Father promised” and because they would be “empowered from on high.” The “I” is emphatic. Jesus was the one doing the sending of what the Father promised. By calling God “my Father” Jesus stressed His intimacy with the Father. Perhaps the words recalled to the disciples’ minds Jesus’ seemingly shocking words in Luke 2:49 and 10:22. What the 6

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Father promised Jesus did not specify here, but it clearly was the Holy Spirit (John 14:16‑17,26; Acts 1:4‑5,8). The Holy Spirit would make them effective and bold witnesses. This was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4,32-33). To be empowered literally is to be “clothed with power.” The Greek verb refers to putting on a garment, a metaphor Paul often used in his letters (see, for example, Rom. 13:12; Gal. 3:27). That the disciples would be empowered from on high at the end of Luke’s Gospel recalls the beginning of Luke’s Gospel when Mary was told, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35). The two statements provide bookends to Luke’s gospel. From on high keeps before us where the real power for evangelism and witnessing comes from. The words may be a way of referring to God or merely a reference to heaven. In either case, these words remind us that Jesus’ disciples do not witness in their own power. Until Jesus sent them this gift (“I am sending you”), the disciples were to “stay in the city,” that is, in Jerusalem (v. 52; Acts 1:4). Their staying and waiting was intended to be done together, not in isolation (See Acts 1:12‑14 for how they were obedient). The reference to Jerusalem (Luke 24:47) and “the city” (v. 49) indicated that the place where Jesus’ ministry and atoning work ended was to be the same place where the church’s mission would begin. From there, the good news would go forth to “the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). In Luke’s second volume, the apostles remained in Jerusalem through chapter 7 of Acts. Then Peter and John, upon hearing the people of Samaria “had received the word of God” through the preaching of Philip, went to Samaria and witnessed to the Samaritans (Acts 8:14‑17). Peter next went to Caesarea after he experienced a heavenly vision and witnessed to the Roman centurion Cornelius (10:1–11:18). Paul took the gospel to the Gentiles but often returned to Jerusalem (11:29-30; 15:2; 19:21; 20:16,22; 21:13). In Romans 15:18-19, Paul summarized his ministry up to that point: “I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum” (Rom. 15:19). The gospel was well on its way to all nations (Matt. 28:19) and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8). Just as these first followers of Jesus were to be “witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:48), so too we who have received and believed their transforming message are to share it with others. The victory we have in Jesus is too important to keep to ourselves. We are to share that same good news with others so they also can experience life and victory in Jesus, the Messiah (the Christ)!

LEADER PACK: Point to Item 6: Sharing the Gospel. Using your own testimony, model for the group how to use this format to give a gospel witness.

OPTION: IN ADVANCE, share the format of giving a gospel witness with one or two group members and ask them to share their testimonies. Try to ensure at least one of the testimonies is from someone whose story might be less dramatic and closer to “the norm” for most church members, particularly those who grew up in the church.

DO: Encourage group members to take a few minutes to complete the activity “SHARE” on PSG page 74.

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THE POINT

The victory we have in Jesus is too big to keep to ourselves.

LIVE IT OUT 5 minutes GUIDE: Emphasize The Point: The victory we have in Jesus is too big to keep to ourselves.

REVIEW: Review Live It Out (PSG, p. 75; see text to the right). Encourage each group member to follow through this week with at least one of the applications.

WRAP IT UP GUIDE: Emphasize that the victory Jesus has given us is a message so important that it must be shared with others.

PRAY: ”Father, help us to be confident enough in what You have done in our lives that we boldly share this message of victory with others.”

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S e ss i o n 6

LIVE IT OUT How will you live out the truth of this passage?

>> Invite. If you’ve never told someone of the victory you

have in Jesus, pray for the opportunity to do so with a friend or two. Begin with a simple invitation to join you in next week’s Bible study group or worship service as you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.

>> Study. Plan to read through the Old Testament over the next several months. As you read, look for those signs, events, and teachings that point to the coming Christ who came with grace and forgiveness.

>> Share. As a group, plan an event—a party or a

cookout—where every group member can bring another person. Be strategic in planning this event to include time for one or more of the group members to share about their faith in Christ.

ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/ GB HOWELL/ NORTH CAROLINA MUSEUM OF ART/ RALEIGH (68/0556)

As respect for the law increased, respect for the prophets and poetic writings proportionately decreased. The other Old Testament writings were viewed as extensions of the Torah. The Jews believed nothing in these other divisions truly was

SHARING THE GOOD NEWS When we repent of sin and place our faith in Christ, we gain victory over sin, death, and the Devil. This is a victory too good to keep to ourselves; it should be shared with others.

unique; everything in them was

Each week, make yourself

present at least germinally in the

available either before or after

Torah. Many of the rabbis thought

the session to speak privately

A silver Torah pointer, called a yad (Hebrew for “hand”) helps the reader follow the text without risking damage to the scroll.

all prophecy ended with Malachi.

with anyone in your group

Unlike many rabbis of His

who wants to know more

day, Jesus did not ascribe more

about becoming a Christian.

First-century Judaism was divided

authority to the Old Testament

See the article, “Leading

over whether the three major

law than to the prophets

Someone to the Greatest

divisions of the Old Testament

and Psalms (Luke 24:44). The

Decision of All,“ on page 2 for

were inspired equally. The

scribes often criticized Jesus for

guidance in leading a person

Pharisees believed in the divine

disregarding the teachings of

to Christ.

inspiration of all three divisions of

tradition concerning such issues

the Old Testament, as well as the

as ceremonial cleansing (vv. 1-5),

oral tradition (Mishnah) based on

fellowship with sinners (2:15-17),

these Scriptures. The Sadducees

fasting (vv. 18-22), and observing

emphasized the divine inspiration

the Sabbath (vv. 23-28).

of the Torah alone. They held that the authority of the other two divisions and the rabbinical tradition was derived directly from

The excerpt above is from the article “The Law and the Prophets” (Winter 2013-14), which relates to this session. More Biblical Illustrator articles are available that relate to this session. See page 7 about Biblical Illustrator.

Remind group members that page 2 in the PSG offers guidance in how to become a Christian. Encourage believers to consider using this article as they have opportunities to lead others to Christ.

the law.

Get expert insights on weekly studies through the Ministry Grid. MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesForLife 81

CARE FOR EVERY PERSON BY DAVID FR ANCIS

One of the things that sets apart a healthy Sunday School from a struggling one is a commitment to care for every person. Nothing says “we care” like a Sunday School with a vital and functioning system of care groups. Ideally, this means that every person is assigned to a care group and that every care group has a leader. The mission of the care group and the job description of the care group leader are the same: Contact Every Member Every Week Do you mean every absent member every week? Nope. I mean every member every week. The contact can be face-to-face, by phone, or by e-mail. Or on a really special occasion, like a birthday or an anniversary, the care group leader might make the special effort of mailing a card. The responsibility of the care-group leader is not to get people to 82

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

come to class. The role of the care-group leader is to help members connect in community. In fact, care group leaders should seldom mention class attendance. Rather, their role is: • “Just keeping in touch.” • “Just checking in to see how you’re doing.” • “Anything going on you’d like the class to pray about?” The contacts need not be long. Just a quick phone call during a daily commute will do. The goal is simply to stay connected with every person in the group and to report news and needs to the teacher and, in urgent cases, to the pastor so that the appropriate person can make a timely ministry response. Many people, properly enlisted, will be ready to accept this entry-level leadership position— one that’s very important yet not overwhelming. 5-7 Men or Women Best practice suggests that each adult care group leader will assume responsibility for five to seven men or women. Men should contact men and women should contact women. Why not have couples’ care groups? Because usually the women will contact the women but the men won’t. Besides you don’t want to place people in potential positions that could lead to a compromise. Not surprisingly, this sets up a perfect organization to communicate information related to women’s or men’s ministries, too, without creating a separate organization! Every Person Assigned Each member should be assigned to a care group. Some classes call these ministry groups. You might even call them connect groups. I have also heard the groups called CPR groups to signify the three purposes of the group: care, prayer, and reaching. It matters less what you call them than that you do them! Groups should start with about five members, with a maximum of seven. Starting with fewer allows you to add new members. Seven is a good maximum because there are seven days in a week, which means a group leader could contact one member each day. Once several group leaders have seven members, enlist new group leaders so you can get group numbers back down to five.

Care Groups on Steroids The previous paragraph describes a relatively passive care group. Nobody except the care group leader might even know who is in the group. That’s OK. It’s a start. And it’s certainly preferable to not having care groups at all. But care groups can be and do more, especially if your class is intentional about becoming a community. One step forward is to reserve 10 to 15 minutes at the beginning or end of every class session for the class to gather into care groups. Some classes even check attendance in these groups. During this time the group has two primary objectives: • Calling the names of all absent group members to identify ministry needs • Sharing and praying with one another This is one of the primary reasons for having single-gender care groups. Women and men often have different kinds of prayer needs and are usually more likely to share them if the group includes only their gender. This article is an excerpt from David Francis’ book One Hundred: Charting a Course Past 100 in Sunday School, a 64-page booklet filled with practical ideas for creating, sustaining, and growing Bible study groups in your church. You can download the book for free at lifeway. com/davidfrancis.

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

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