Faith Alive Offers New Bible Study

0 — The biblical books of Jonah, about a wayward prophet who ended up in the belly of a whale, and Esther, the Persian queen who saved the Jews from being massacred, are the first ones to be included in a new Bible Study series published by Faith Alive Christian Resources, the publishing agency of the Christian Reformed Church.

Called "Infuse," the new line of Bible studies complements Faith Alive's "Discover Your Bible Series," which has been used for many years, especially in Coffee Break, a widely popular, outreach-oriented, small-group Bible study for women. Coffee Break is 40 years old next month.

"Those who participate in Coffee Break are our anchor audience," says Sam Huizenga, small group ministry coordinator for Christian Reformed Home Missions. "At their request, we've put extra material in the books in the new series. But the goal hasn't changed. It is still about what the Bible says to you, and how you can discover that together."

Making use of graphics, photos and information boxes, Infuse has also been created with younger people in mind. Emphasis is placed on the lessons learned through God’s work in the drama, the actual twists and turns of human life, and of human interaction with God and God's interaction with us.

This series allows for a fair amount of personal exploration while providing historical and biblical background to the texts being studied.

For instance in "Jonah: Fish, Flaws and Forgiveness," the text provides a detailed description of the ancient city of Nineveh to which God sent Jonah to urge the people to repent. It also offers follow-up study ideas and material that can be used outside of the Bible study for personal reading and devotions.

In "Esther: Courage in a Complicated World," there is a map of the Persia of Esther's day, some background on the ancient Persian civilization, biographical information on Esther, and an explanation of why her story inspired the Jewish holiday called Purim. Purism is still celebrated today in many Jewish households.

"We have tried to include an emphasis in this series on 'What does the text mean to me? How does it apply to my life today'?" says Paul Faber, a Faith Alive editor for the series. "We want Infuse to help people discover where faith and life meet."

Like Coffee Break's "Discover Your Bible Series," Infuse has in mind an audience made up of those familiar with Bible studies and those who aren't. Its method is inductive, meaning the reader discovers what the Bible has to say by asking questions and seeking answers from the passages studied.

"You can come to this series at any experience level," says Faber. "This is not written or presented in an in-depth, academic style… We want to encourage making room in the group for the Holy Spirit to work."

The next Infuse Bible study, due out inSeptember, is on the gospel of Matthew. Following that will be studies on the books of Colossians, Acts, and Psalms.

While the Infuse Bible study leader is important, that person is asked to serve more as a guide than a traditional teacher. Notes and tips for leading Infuse lessons are downloadable free from the Faith Alive website: www.faithaliveresources.org.

"We want to help provide a method of group learning that is trustworthy and true," says Huizenga. "We want to help people to still study the Bible, getting into the text itself as they grow to know God better together."