Instructional Bible Study - Final Exam

What is the task of the leader?

Create an environment for us to connect to God through the whole Bible story

What is the purpose of a group Bible study?

For people to encounter God, explore understandings, and commit to a faithful response through a study of his word in the context of supportive Christian fellowship

What are the components of group sessions?

• Discussing the Bible study

• Sharing experiences

What does an effective discussion group do?

• Enables people to go beyond the limits of their own personal findings

• Creates an atmosphere which is conducive to honest sharing

• Fosters positive Christian fellowship

• Allows for constructive group tension

Values of Group Study

• Service

• Deeper understanding

• Increased application

• Leadership training

• Better assessment

• Potential learning by leader

What should be center-stage in a Bible study?

Truth

What does discussion place focus on?

The passage

Qualities of Good Leaders

• Positive Christian faith

• Love of Scripture

• People-oriented

• Spirit of servanthood

• Holds Scripture as arbiter of truth

Learning Styles

• Visual

• Auditory

• Physical/Kinesthetic

Visual Learners

• Process information by watching

• Identify images to relate to an experience

• Respond well to images, graphics, symbols, diagrams, key words, and demonstrations

Auditory Learners

• Process information by hearing

• Identify sounds to relate to an experience

• Respond well to spoken words, discussions, music, and poems

Physical/Kinesthetic Learners

• Process information by touch and movement

• Identify feelings to relate to an experience

• Responds well to written assignments, object lessons, field trips, and participation

Thinking Styles

• Reflective/Analytic

• Practical/Pragmatic

• Creative/Active

• Conceptual/Theorist

Reflective/Analytic Thinkers

Main Question: Why?

• Analytical and careful

• Prefer to keep a low profile

• View new information subjectively

• Take time to ponder and make observations

• Relate new information to past experiences

• Examine their feelings about what they’re learning

• Don’t like to be rushed to make quick decisions

Conceptual/Theorist Thinkers

Main Question: What?

• Value rationality and logic above all

• Prefer to analyze and synthesize

• Want to know how things work and learn related concepts

• Can be detached from their emotions

• Uncomfortable with subjectivity and ambiguity

• Like to be intellectually stretched

Practical/Pragmatic Thinkers

Main Question: How?

• Seek the simplest, most efficient way

• Prefer to act quickly and get impatient with process

• Desire immediate relevance

• Not satisfied without specific applications and directions

• Want factual information

• Accept new information only after seeing big picture

Creative/Active Thinkers

Main Question: What if?

• Imaginative, enthusiastic, and open-ended

• Prefer activity and attention

• Make excellent troubleshooters

• Create their own solutions and shortcuts

• Tend to get bored easily, dislike repetition

• Learn well from reading and synthesizing information

Steps of Bible Study

• Review and Connect (Reflective)

• Consider (Conceptual)

• Wonder (Practical)

• Transform (Creative)

Review for Leaners

• Visual: connects to their mental “timeline”

• Auditory: contributing/processing thoughts out loud

• Physical: artistic mediums and participation

Review for Thinkers

• Reflective: like to relate information to past experiences

• Creative: like creative and imaginative dynamics

• Practical: get to replay facts of previous stories

• Conceptual: see how stories interrelate

Connect with Learners

• Visual: vivid descriptions spark mental imagery

• Auditory: vivid audible descriptions

• Physical: take notes to follow along

Connect with Thinkers

• Reflective: connect with emotion of story, good listeners

• Creative: like creative and imaginative dynamics

• Practical: emphasis on big picture and details

• Conceptual: emphasis on big picture and ideas

Consider with Learners

• Visual: reenactments and artistic mediums

• Auditory: processing thoughts out loud

• Physical: artistic mediums and participation

Consider with Thinkers

• Reflective: will focus on the details and the emotion of the story

• Creative: like creative and imaginative dynamics

• Practical: get to replay facts of stories

• Conceptual: connect with the linear events of the story

Wonder with Learners

• Visual: the imaginative questions

• Auditory: processing thoughts out loud

• Physical: participation in a discussion

Wonder with Thinkers

• Reflective: create a safe place to process information

• Creative: enjoy interaction and participation, imaginative questions

• Practical: make connections to details and themes in stories

• Conceptual: can share theories and synthesis

Transform with Learners

• Visual: make connections between the stories, artistic expression

• Auditory: processing thoughts out loud

• Physical: participation in a discussion, writing, prayer

Transform with Thinkers

• Reflective: creates a safe place to process, connects with feelings

• Creative: enjoy interaction and participation, problem solving

• Practical: desire application and relevance

• Conceptual: like closure and will challenge group to dream big

Theoretical Extremes of Christianity

• Great content

• Great involvement

• Bible as a club (weapon)

  • Danger of eisegesis

• Chair of Theology

  • Tend to preach the homework

Teachable Teacher Benefits

• Students and teacher equally under the authority of Scripture: avoids authoritarianism

• Enables students to learn process of inductive study: creates proficiency

• Student develops healthy self-image in understanding the word: strengthens confidence

• More perspectives brought to bear in the study

• Recognizes value of interaction: builds community

Teachable Teacher Downsides

• Not very efficient (though it may be more effective)

• Some people are uncomfortable with dialogical format

Teacher Role

• Not expert, but guide

• Not transmitter of truth, but facilitator of learning

• Not only content, but also process

• “To teach is to create a space where obedience to the truth is practiced.”

Guiding Bible Studies

• Be participant centered

• Stick to the chapter or passage

• Develop the art of asking good questions

• Allow the Bible to speak for itself

• Learn to handle difficulties

Being Participant Centered

• Be aware of student frustrations, issues

• Start and stop on time

• Listen attentively to responses

• Avoid dominance behaviors

• Affirm/encourage participation

Affirming/Encouraging Participation

• Praise

• Asking questions

• Encouraging elaboration

• Accepting answers

• Repeating answers

• Using names

• Correcting wrong answers

• Calling on volunteers

• Showing approval and interest

• Giving time to answer

• Asking analytical questions

• Calling on non-volunteers

Develop the Art of Asking Good Questions

• Be grateful for every answer

• Encourage students to verbalize their thoughts no matter how unorthodox they may be

• Allow time for response

• Don’t be afraid of silence

• Let the group self-correct the tangents

Ask Different Types of Questions

• Information/observation questions

• Analysis/wondering question

• Implication/application questions

Asking Follow Up Questions

• Extend

• Clarify

• Justify

• Re-direct

Incorrect of Misguided Questions

• Consider the type of question

• Use follow-up questions

• Give corrective feedback

What Not To Do

• Inflexible

• Too talkative

• Unprepared

• Insecure

• Walked on

Caring

• Affirmation

• History giving

• Koinoia

• Goal-setting

Types of Self

• Open Self: known to others and self

• Blind Self: known to others; unknown to self

• Hidden Self: unknown to others; known to self

• Unknown Self: unknown to others; unknown to self

Consensus

group solidarity in sentiment and belief; general agreement

Why is building consensus important?

Recognizes truth emerges from more than one perspective and that learners learn better if they are active

Facilitator

• Facilitator is neutral

• Keeps the group focused and moving forward

• Helps everyone have equal access to the conversation

Facilitating Consensus

• Listen!

• Try to bring out underlying assumptions about the situation, topic, or passage

• Avoid competition and arguments. Focus on what is right, not who is right

• Encourage everyone, particularly quiet individuals

• Honestly listen to alternative ideas and thoughts, and be flexible enough to change personal views and positions

• Don’t get locked into limited alternatives. Is there another way?

• Sometimes its helpful to list out ideas or comments where people can see them

Consensus is reached when participants…

• Agree to support decision, though it may not be their first choice

• Agree to support decision as if it were their first choice

• Feels as though they have had sufficient opportunity to influence the decision

Leader Tasks

• Pray

• Prepare

• Guide

• Care

What should the teacher pray for?

• For the participants

• For understanding

• For the study session

• For themselves

Types of Objectives

• Cognitive

• Affective

• Behavioral

Cognitive Domain

• Knowledge

• Comprehension

• Application (Transfer)

• Analysis

• Synthesis

• Evaluation

Affective Domain

• Receiving

• Responding

• Valuing

• Organization

• Characterization by a value

Behavioral Domain

• Skills

• Actions

• Habits

Stating Objectives

• Consistent with truth in the passage, working out of the key idea

• Stated in terms of student outcome, how students are expected to respond to the key idea

• Appropriate to development of students

• Short and clear

• Specific

Learning Activities for Review

• “What did we talk about last time?”

• Symbols help

• Allow for any reporting

• Follow up on challenge

• Icebreaker

Learning Activities for Connect

• Prepare for imaginative listening

• Narrate the new story/passage

Preparing for Imaginative Listening

• Set different tone

• Remind them of the process

• Share your hopes

• Silence

• Prayer

Narrate the New Story/Passage

• Prepare

  • Inductive Bible Study

• Essentials

  • Stick to the passage

  • Go all the way through

  • Speak clearly and simply

  • Be animated and enthusiastic

  • Watch distractors

  • Be aware of your pacing

  • Relax and be yourself

Learning Activities for Consider

• Retelling

• Bible storyboards

• Read around

• Illustrate/art

• Act it out

• News report

• Charades

• Lectio Divina

How to Consider the Story

• Use different methods to engage different learning styles

• Set boundaries

• Have fun and laugh

• Learn from your listeners

• Keep it simple

• Dialogue about the story/passage

• Remembering questions (facts)

Learning Activities for Transform

• Connection groups

• Scripture cards

• Response stations

• Storyboard or presentation of “my story”

• Hands-on experience

How to Transform

• Using symbols can help

• Don’t be afraid to point out how you see the story connecting to other people’s lives

• Mix up your methods

• Pray