The word to the world in your lounge room: A step-by-step guide

This guide follows on from an article by Anne in Briefing #329 (February 2006), on the importance of studying the Bible with those who speak a different language to us.

We've talked about the why and why not of running an international Bible study group; what about the practicalities? Here are some issues to consider when setting up a group:

1. Think about what sort of Bible study to do
2. Think about the structure of your group
3. Think about which version of the Bible to use
4. Think about reading the Bible
5. Think about your communication
6. Think about prayer
7. Finally, what if ...
8. Stories from our corner of the world

1. Think about what sort of Bible study to do

Will it be evangelistic or teaching for Christians? Will you be looking at a book or a topic? Will you start with Genesis or Jesus? Will you look at the ‘big picture’ or go verse by verse? What you decide to do will depend on your answers to the following questions:

• How long are your participants around for? Are they mainly temporary visitors (e.g. summer language school students)? In this case, it's best to offer a repeat program of short courses introducing Christianity. Are they likely to be around for years (e.g. families of ex-pat workers or asylum seekers)? Hopefully you can get them participating in an ongoing Bible study.)
• What is the level of English in your group? A Bible overview, topical study or ‘big picture’ approach, involving large amounts of Bible text or lots of cross-references, will be difficult for those with a basic level of English. It's better to stick to stories or one chunk of the Bible in ‘bite-sized’ pieces.
• Do your participants mostly come from a Christian background, where they have some knowledge of Bible stories and concepts, or is everything completely new to them? For the latter, the first chapters of Genesis, the life of Jesus or an evangelistic course for complete beginners are the most suitable options. Careful attention will need to be paid to how you explain concepts, such as God or sin.
• What life stage are your participants in? Are they mainly married women with children? (If so, how about looking at what the Bible says about marriage or the role of women?) Are they young single people? (If so, how about a Bible study on the purpose of life [Ecclesiastes] or the future [Revelation]?)

“Wait a minute,” you say, “Are these sorts of studies relevant for people who are not yet Christians? Shouldn't an evangelistic Bible study focus on the need for and means of salvation?”

I would like to make a number of points in response:

• We firmly believe that every part of the Bible can be used to teach the message of our need for God's grace and his provision in Christ (Luke 24:27; 2 Tim 3:15-17).
• Every person who has become a Christian has been drawn to the gospel of grace by a different route. For some, it is because of their guilt; for others, it is the meaninglessness of their lives. Others are attracted by the person of Jesus. Others, by something else, and so on.
• We have noticed that a significant number of people who complete an evangelistic Bible study course want to do more. Eventually a weekly Bible study becomes an important part of their life. They see that the Bible has something to say on many issues that trouble or intrigue them. They become curious to know how the Old Testament fits in with the New, or what the Bible says about a particular issue. But all the time that they study various topics or parts of the Bible, they are constantly exposed to their need for salvation, God's abundant provision in Christ and the choice they need to make.

Our experience

In our ongoing term-time Bible study in Chessington, we aim to offer an evangelistic course every year (usually in September). In the following two terms, we usually like to include part of a gospel, focusing on the life of Jesus. One year we systematically went through the whole of Mark. Other studies have included famous Old Testament stories and characters, the Sermon on the Mount, story of the early church in Acts, a very popular course on what the Bible says about marriage, and a look at Revelation. Most of the participants on these courses have been non-Christians.

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2. Think about the structure of your group

Your participants may have different levels of English which will make it difficult to teach everyone together. Don't forget that language-learners are often nervous about speaking in a second language to start with, and this becomes all the more difficult if the group is large. Men and women together in one group may not be a problem if the participants are young and from European countries, but it is our experience that, with older people and people from Asian countries, there will more response from participants if the groups are smaller and, perhaps, single-sex.

Our experience

In Chessington, we run our international Bible studies with several British helpers (who have become Bible study leaders in training!). We may start and finish with the whole group together, but most of the time we break into small groups of one Brit to about three or four internationals. We try to put those with a lower level of English into a separate group, and those who have no prior knowledge of the Bible who come from non-Christian cultures in a separate group. In the mixed Bible study where most of the participants have kids, we also divide the groups according to gender as we find that both men and women (especially men) speak more freely in single-sex groups.

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3. Think about which version of the Bible to use

Our preferred version is the New Century Version (NCV), an adult version from the same ‘stable’ as the popular International Children's Bible. The attraction of this version is its limited range of vocabulary, resulting in far fewer words needing to be explained than if we used a version like the New International Version (NIV). This is important since language specialists have shown that the maximum number of new words that a foreign language-learner can absorb effectively in one day is only ten. If you have to plough through endless vocabulary items before you can talk about the meaning of a Bible passage, it can be very demoralizing for some language-learners, and it will take away valuable time from opening up the Bible's message. Language-learners also find it difficult to hang onto the ‘thread’ of meaning in long, complex sentences (think of parts of Paul's letters!), so another helpful feature of the NCV is the way in which such sentences are broken up. Occasionally, of course, you may come across a simplified phrase that grates (I was never very keen on the term ‘Holy Box’, used to refer to the ‘Ark of the Covenant’), but on these odd occasions you can take the opportunity to teach the term that is familiar to English-speaking Christians.

The great thing about the NCV is that it has been published in adult ‘packaging’. But you may also like to consider the children's version of the NIV, the New Light Children's Bible, which has an affinity with the NIV and may be useful in churches where that particular version is used. The Good News Bible is widely available, although some will find it theologically weak. The NIV could probably be used with students who have reached an advanced level of English (roughly corresponding with the standard required of international students enrolling in British universities).

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4. Think about reading the Bible

If possible, it's good to provide each participant with a copy of the passage that they can write on and take home. (Computer software has made this a quick and easy task.) In fact, it's best to give this out the week before. That way they can familiarize themselves with the text and look up any vocabulary that they are unsure of. Even British people who are unfamiliar with the Bible may need to look at a passage a number of times before they can get the gist or locate the answers to questions

When it comes to reading the passage during the study itself, that favoured (and rather unhelpful) old method of ‘reading round’ verse by verse is probably not appropriate. Some language-learners find reading English aloud incredibly stressful (as do plenty of native English speakers!). Even confident participants will be focussing on pronunciation rather than meaning. On the other hand, English speakers should be advised to read the passage out much more slowly and clearly than normal, otherwise the participants will get lost. One method that works well is to get everyone to read slowly aloud together. This removes the stress of ‘performing’ in front of the rest of the group but allows everyone to take an active part in the study.

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5. Think about your communication

Cultural differences mean that extra thought needs to be given to questions, illustrations and applications. After seven years of cross-cultural Bible study in Chessington, we are still learning from our mistakes when questions or comments have been misunderstood. For example, the phrases ‘born again’ and ‘eternal life’ can be easily misunderstood by someone from a religious background where the concept of reincarnation is important. Occasionally we have even offended people because of cultural differences.

Our experience

In Chessington, we were once studying the Sermon on the Mount. At the point where Jesus tells his followers not to store up for themselves treasures on earth but rather to seek God's kingdom first, some participants—mainly from Asian countries—clearly felt that the Bible was encouraging a lack of responsibility towards the family (a very important priority in most non-Western cultures). On another occasion, we were discussing how the Bible describes God as having emotions of anger, jealousy, grief or delight. This bewildered some people whose Buddhist background had taught them to believe that all emotion was undesirable human weakness. In their thinking, therefore, how could emotions be attributed to God?

a. Think about vocabulary and background information

When preparing the Bible study, look carefully at words or concepts in the text which may not be correctly understood by the participants. Make sure you include a dictionary or glossary section in your study. Obvious examples would be the names of characters from elsewhere in the Bible (even major ones like Abraham and Moses) or the names of places and nationalities. As well as these, there are all sorts of special Bible words, such as:

• law
• grace
• covenant
• Spirit
• sin
• righteousness
• temple
• priest
• sacrifice
• blessing
• curse
• judgement
• redemption
• atonement
• worship
• repentance
• Son of Man
• Messiah
• Christ
• Lord
• glory
• preach
• persecution, etc.

The meaning of these words may be obvious if you have been a Christian for some years, but people who are new to the Bible will need them to be repeatedly explained.

Finally, there are also everyday items of vocabulary that people probably will not have come across, such as ‘threshing floor’ or ‘wounds’.

b. Think about your questions

The first requirement of the Bible study is that the participants actually understand what the passage says. This has to happen before you can discuss whether they think it is true or what it means for us. So early on in the study, questions should work systematically through the passage (or part of it), asking, for instance, things like, “What happened?”, “Why?”, “Who was involved?”, “What responses were there?” etc.

Skim-reading is a skill that requires quite an advanced level of English, so remember it will take much longer for your participants to locate answers to questions in the text you are studying. Why not include with the question the verse number where the answer will be found? What feels like childish ‘spoon-feeding’ for native English-speakers is often vital for language-learners.

For a starter activity, one thing you can do is to relate the topic of the passage to your participants' varied experiences. For example, with the gospel story of the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years, you could ask how her condition would be handled in their respective cultures. This helps you to get to know your participants better, it helps them to feel that you are interested in them, and it may highlight areas of potential misunderstanding.

After reading the passage, it's good to find out what they really think about the content. A useful question to ask is, “Do you find anything surprising in this story/passage? ”

Keep questions short and simple. If necessary, break one question into several steps. For instance, instead of asking, “What is Paul's understanding of God from Acts 17 and how does it differ from that of the Athenians?”, try phrasing your questions like this:

• What did the Athenians believe about God (verse 23)?
• Did Paul agree?
• What did Paul say about God in the following verses:
  • Verse 24 (2 things)?
  • Verse 25?

When it comes to application, avoid terms like ‘implication’, ‘significance’ or ‘relevance’. Ask them, “If this is true, how do you need to change?” Don't be afraid to ask how a particular application might be received in their culture—it gives you the opportunity to understand the influences and pressures that affect their response to God's word, and it gives them an opportunity to see how some aspects of their culture might be at odds with God's word.

Some other points to remember when formulating questions:

• Stick to the passage if possible. Occasional cross-references will be necessary but try not to jump around the Bible too much.
• Having said that, people need to see how the New Testament fits with the Old, and how Christ is found throughout all scripture. One of our aims is to demonstrate how to read and interpret the Bible correctly—we often use the time for recap or summary (see below) to fit the passage we have been looking at into the ‘big picture’ of the whole Bible.
• Don't try to cover the whole gospel in one Bible study—you won't succeed anyway. It's better that they understand one point clearly and want to know more, so that they will keep coming back.
• Recap at the beginning and summarize at the end. This may seem unduly repetitive but it's much more difficult to remember what you have learned when you are doing it in a second language and you are unfamiliar with the Bible's message.

Unfortunately (and it should be obvious by now) most published Bible study material is not going to be appropriate for internationals unless they have a high level of English and come from a Christian background. International Bible study involves considerable preparation in order to tailor the material to the needs and abilities of your group, but the hard work can be of great benefit to you as well as your participants.

c. Think about your illustrations

Be careful about using illustrations. Ask yourself if this would be easily understood by someone from outside of your culture. An illustration that requires a lot of explanation loses its effectiveness and becomes, at best, a distraction and, at worst, a cause of confusion. In general, avoid anything that involves Western politicians, sports stars or celebrities, unless they are hugely well-known. (In fact, you shouldn't assume that people like Tony Blair, David Beckham or Madonna are familiar to your participants, especially if they are older people, women with only a basic level of English, or people from non-Western societies.) In addition, most language-learners don't get into television soaps and serials; they don't go to the cinema; and they don't read English papers, magazines or books, because it's not relaxing to do these things in a second language. Don't forget also that internationals are unlikely to be conversant with British history. A church service based on the recent commemoration of the D-Day landings during World War II proved to be quite incomprehensible to the internationals present because they repeatedly heard the word ‘D-Day’ but had no idea what it meant!

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6. Think about prayer

True Christian prayer—the idea that you can address God as your Father; praying in the name of Jesus Christ; the fact that you have no set pattern of words, but can converse with God, much as you would with each other; the lack of need for a particular holy place, posture or accompanying rituals; the emphasis on seeking God's glory, offering thanksgiving, confessing sins and repenting, rather than simply presenting a shopping list of requests—will be like a revelation to internationals from a non-Christian background. This means that leading in prayer is a great thing to do at some point in an international Bible study. You may want to briefly explain what you are about to do—especially if there are newcomers present—and reassure people that they don't have to participate if they don't want to but can simply observe. In our experience, however, even Muslims present during Christian prayer have not shown any obvious discomfort or offence.

While we're on the subject of prayer, don't forget to gather together to pray for the unsaved with other Christians in the group—including international Christians, who may not have an adequate level of English to help in leading the Bible study, but will appreciate being included in this ministry.

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Finally, what if ...

1. ... hardly anyone comes?

Don't worry. Be faithful and see what happens. The group in Chessington started seven years ago with one woman from the Philippines!

2. ... there are people of other religions in the group?

Hopefully there will be! Don't panic. Some will be nominal. Some will know very little about their own religion. Some will be devout and may better appreciate your passion for the word of God. All of them are condemned sinners, without hope, peace, forgiveness or assurance, trying, in varying degrees, to win God's approval. All of them need the gospel of grace.

If you don't know much about a particular religion, this will be an opportunity for you to learn. Ask them about their beliefs on particular topics as they arise during the Bible study. Having listened to them, you then have an opportunity to respond with something like, “That's interesting. Actually, the Bible/Jesus teaches something quite different ...”. Try to talk about the Bible or Jesus, rather than “What I think” or “What Christians believe”. You don't need to instantly try and demolish their beliefs; it's far better to let them learn clearly what Christianity is and allow the word of God start to challenge their worldview.

3. ... no-one speaks?

This could be because of language or culture or personality. If their level of English is basic, do they understand the passage or the questions? If you have checked that the level of English is simple enough, it could be that they are too embarrassed to display their inadequate grasp of English by speaking out. You could try getting them to work out answers or discuss something in pairs first, and then have a feedback session. If their level of English is advanced, perhaps your questions are too simple. As with Brits, they may be embarrassed to respond when the answer to a question is blindingly obvious.

If you have participants from Asian or African countries, you need to bear in mind that their experiences in education will affect their behaviour in the Bible study. Typically, in these countries, teachers are seen as high status authority figures and their pronouncements are not to be questioned. The student's role is to receive information and expertise from the teacher. It's not their role to discuss it and it's certainly not their role to criticize or argue against it. For this reason, participants from these countries will be unwilling to ask questions or reveal their true feelings about what they have heard, which can certainly limit discussion! This will be more the case the older they are.

We often point out to the group that asking questions is a good thing to do because we can learn very effectively that way. We also stress that we understand that people will sometimes disagree with what they hear, but that this does not offend us. Those who are more ‘Westernised’ (because they come from Europe, perhaps, or have lived in Britain for longer) wil lead the others by example. Gradually, as newcomers watch discussions and question sessions, they should see that all queries are taken seriously and that all disagreements are treated with gentleness and respect. As you get to know your participants, and as they learn to trust you, they should become more confident to speak out.

4. ... I can't understand what someone is saying?

It happens to all of us—even after two decades of teaching English as a foreign language! Apologise for failing to catch what is being said and ask the participant to repeat it. Have a notepad and pen handy so that it can be written down. Often a third person—usually someone of the same nationality—will understand and be able to communicate what was said more clearly. In the end, if nothing works, make a joke of your inability to understand (rather than their inability to communicate clearly) and express your admiration and sympathy for them in the difficult task of learning a foreign language.

5. ... someone can't understand what I am saying?

Depending on the level of English in your group, make sure you speak more slowly and clearly than normal. But remember, just because they're language-learners it doesn't mean they're deaf. Nor are they children, so be careful not to speak with an exaggerated volume or intonation. It's helpful to keep your head turned towards them and not to hide your mouth behind your hands, so they can lip-read as well.

If you are new to international work, it may be worthwhile planning (even writing out) everything you are going to say during the Bible study. You might not read everything out (that would make the Bible study very stilted and unnatural) but it's useful for the purposes of seeing what kinds of words and phrases you use, and whether these would be easily understood by your participants. If you know someone who has had plenty of experience in talking with internationals or teaching English as a foreign language, it would be good to enlist their help in looking over what you plan to say; they would be able to point out idioms and vocabulary that your participants may not know.

Have a flip-chart or whiteboard handy on which you can write unfamiliar words and phrases that come up during the study. Give plenty of opportunity for people to ask about the language used, but don't ask them if they understand because the answer is invariably “Yes” since language-learners are reluctant to admit in front of others that their comprehension skills are deficient. It's far better to ask, “Are there any words or phrases that you would like me to explain?” Allow plenty of time to repeat information in summaries and recaps. Nobody will understand everything you say, but generally language-learners are happy if a significant percentage of the Bible study is comprehensible, and they will enjoy the opportunity to interact with a native English-speaker.

6. ... I offend someone?

It's important to distinguish between two types of offence. Has the participant been offended by something that you have said or done (or not done), or by something they have learned in the Bible study?

In the first case, cross-cultural relationships are ripe with opportunities for misunderstanding. Try to find out what has caused the offence. Perhaps a third person, especially someone from the same culture, can enlighten you. Approach the person in attitude of humility, ready to apologize for any insensitivity you have shown. Don't try to criticize their culture or defend your way of doing things, but simply explain how most people do something or understand something in your culture. It may take time to restore the relationship, but all cultures are capable of understanding, and respond well to apologies, kindness and continued interest.

Our experience

Sometimes misunderstandings arise through language problems. We organized a restaurant lunch for members of the international group, giving everyone instructions to meet at a given address at “ten to twelve”. Unfortunately one member of the group interpreted this as “between ten and twelve”. She turned up two hours early but of course, no one was around. She tried to contact people without success and so eventually gave up waiting, completely bewildered by our non-appearance.

On another occasion, cultural differences gave rise to another and more serious misunderstanding with this same woman. As part of our international program, we occasionally organize pot-luck meals after the Sunday morning service. In the midst of rushing about trying to organize tables and chairs, one of the leaders spotted this woman and welcomed her with the words, “Hello. Lovely to see you. Have you brought something for the lunch?” For a couple of weeks, we didn't see her because she didn't come back. It was only after making enquiries to other internationals that we discovered the reason; she had been extremely offended by the welcome at the lunch which indicated that we were not interested in her as a person but only in the food she was bringing! Our mistake had been to not spend time asking her about herself and her family first, as would be customary in her own south-east Asian country.

A visit with flowers and apologies helped to heal the hurt on both occasions.

But what if the offence comes from something learned in the Bible study, for example, that Jesus is the only way to God and therefore all other religions are wrong? In this case, you need to check that they have correctly understood the teaching point or application of the study. Having taken that into account, don't forget the words of 2 Corinthians 2:15-16: effective communication of the gospel can result in both attraction and disgust. It's sad when people are offended by the gospel, but perhaps it means that the message has got through. This should encourage us to look out for and keep praying for those who will be saved.

7. ... someone becomes a Christian?

Praise God—it does happen! But sometimes we're not ready for it. In some ways, nothing needs to change. The Bible teaching that first opened this new Christian's eyes to God's grace and salvation is the same Bible teaching that will thoroughly equip them for every good work, now that they have become a child of God. So don't move them out of your international Bible study. But, like a baby, this new Christian will need extra intensive nurturing, training and help. Here are some things to consider:

• There may be problems with non-Christian family who may react with suspicion or outright hostility. If possible, someone should try to keep in touch with the whole family, particularly disaffected spouses.
• It may not be possible, especially for women, to attend church on Sunday. (This could be the only time in the week when all the family are at home, and that is where she will be expected to be.) Alternatives will have to be considered.
• Baptism will be a very difficult issue for some, especially for those from a Muslim background (practising and non-practising). This may need to be done differently and perhaps more covertly.
• For temporary residents, due to return to their home country at some stage, finding out about faithful churches or Bible study groups that they can join when they go back, or linking them up with a Christian of their own nationality to take care of them, will be a priority.
• A copy of the Bible in their own language is ideal, but getting hold of one may be easier said than done. Even where a translation of the whole Bible is available, the language may be very archaic or formal, and distant from everyday use. We have known internationals to prefer reading the Bible in English because the version in their mother tongue is so difficult to understand. No Frontiers is an organization which provides a catalogue of Scriptures in many different languages, often with the date of translation or a description of the version.
• New Christians need to grow in ministry as well—in serving God's people and witnessing to non-Christians around them, which they are generally very eager to do. A good way to start is by getting them involved in the ministry of the international work, such as prayer or hospitality to others in the group. You will also need to think about how they can be integrated into the wider church, and how you or the church can help them to witness to their family and friends.

A new Christian from another country means a lot of work—praying for and with them; discipling them one-to-one; developing relationships with their family; helping them find Scriptures in their own language or Christians of their own nationality; and thinking about the way your church helps new Christians and perhaps changing some things to accommodate their particular needs. But this is the work that God has called us to and it's the only work that will last forever. Our prayer is that many churches and Christians across the world will know the joy of bringing the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to all the nations, right here on our own doorstep.

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Stories from our corner of the world

(All names have been changed.)

Daniel

Daniel, from mainland China, had never heard anything about the Bible or Jesus before he came to the UK as a medical student. When a friend first invited him to church, Daniel's impression was that the Bible would be difficult to understand, just like his experience of Buddhist writings. He didn't believe the Bible stories he heard at church, but he became interested and was curious to find out more about the history of the Jews, so he started doing regular Bible studies with an assistant pastor.

In subsequent years, Daniel and his wife have remained in Britain to work as doctors and both have become Christians. Daniel told me that he now believes that Jesus is his saviour