Saturday, November 24, 2012

Update...

Things are developing slowly in completing our 'Thinking through the Bible' notes for Acts through Revelation... but after thirty-three years in Africa, we've learned that living by the event rather than being pressured by the clock or calendar allows us to be more involved in people's lives in more meaningful ways than being consumed by a project...

We can tell you that  the Old Testament 'Reading God's Story' notes by Alyson DaCosta are complete and are available through us, as well as the New Testament notes through the Gospel Accounts. We have discovered that these notes are not only suitable for ages 6 through 16, but are also beneficial for those with little or no previous exposure to reading the Bible as One Book.

Much of our attention is focused on relating to those we are in mentoring partnerships with in various parts of the world, as they develop their ministries from the Lord after becoming equipped with God's Word. As we have time, we will continue to edit the remaining New Testament notes so that there will be an entire set of notes for those who desire to use them as a guide in reading through the Bible, and think about it as it unfolds book by book. Until then, we pray that you will continue reading the Bible from beginning to end, discovering how God's Story fits into your life.



Sunday, September 2, 2012

Moved on...

Our mentoring partnership approach is:
I do it... you watch
I do it... you help
You do it... I help
You do it... I watch
You do it
We fulfilled this approach in June, 2011 on Bainbridge Island, WA, so we knew it was time to move on in order for those equipped to develop their ministries. We had taken a group through the Old Testament in our approach to 'Thinking through the Bible'. There was a young family capable of leading the chapel through the remaining Old Testament books of Prophecy, and continue with the New Testament. We continued posting blogs of the Sunday morning sessions to complete the Old Testament. We provided notes for the Gospel accounts in the New Testament, but no blogs were posted for those sessions. If anyone desires copies of the New Testament notes through John's Gospel account, contact us.
We are now settled into our new home in southern California, and have been editing the notes for 'Reading God's Story', which is the children's version (designed for those around the ages of 6 to 16) being produced by Alyson DaCosta of Massachusetts. We personally think that her notes are very suitable for almost any age group! She now has her draft version available through the Inter Testament Period, which you may request through us.
What we see developing is that our notes are more suitable for those who are leading a group in 'reading and thinking' through the Bible according to our approach, and Alyson's notes provide guidelines for those reading and thinking together under a leader.
We are now able to continue with our 'Thinking through the Bible' notes in order to complete the New Testament - Acts through Revelation. As they are developed, we will make then available to those requesting them.
Our desire, as time permits, is to eventually develop a website that promotes reading and thinking through the Bible in a way that helps people realize that they need not be restricted in understanding it in order to help them see how their own story fits into God's Story. We continually come across people who have never read through the greatest Story ever written from beginning to end, as you would an ordinary book. Some have read it through, but are left with questions that overwhelm them. They are looking for someone to explain certain parts to them, and in the meantime, they read verses and chapters at random, hoping they are fitting them correctly into the entire Story. Bible teachers are needed, as you know if you've read through God's Story, but we continue to discover that people need to truly 'read and think' for themselves. So our saga continues...
Stay posted and enjoy 'reading and thinking' through God's Story for yourself.