International Bible studies: Leading well

In order to lead Bible studies well, you’ll need to give extra thought to how you ask questions, give illustrations, make applications and use words.

Think about...

1. How you speak

Speak slowly and clearly, but remember they’re language-learners—not deaf, nor children—so be careful not to speak with an exaggerated volume or intonation. Keep your face turned towards them and don’t hide your mouth behind your hands so they can lip-read as well.

2. Difficult words

When preparing, look carefully at the words and concepts that appear in the text which may not be understood (or correctly understood) by people whose first language is not English. Think about…

• Names of Bible characters—even major ones like Abraham or Moses—or places or nationalities.
• Special “Bible words”—for example, the phrases “born again” or “eternal life’’ would easily be misunderstood by someone from a religious background that teaches reincarnation. There are heaps of examples. Their meaning may seem obvious but people who are new to the Bible will need them to be repeatedly explained.
• Everyday words that they probably won’t have come across, eg: “threshing floor” or “wounds”.

3. Your questions

• First, people need to understand what the passage says before they can discuss if it’s true or what it means. So don’t skip the questions that ask what happened, why, who was involved, what responses there were etc.
• Keep questions short and simple. If necessary, break one question into several. Eg: 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 people in Athens believe about God (verse 23)? - Did Paul agree? - What did Paul say about God in the following verses? - v24 (2 things) - v25 (2 things)
• With the question include the verse number where the answer is found. That’s because skim reading is a skill that requires quite an advanced level of English. This may feel like “spoon-feeding” but it’s a vital help for language-learners.
• For a starter activity, you could relate the passage to people’s experiences. Eg: with the story of the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years, ask them how her condition would be handled in their culture. This helps you get to know people better, helps them feel that you’re interested in them, and perhaps highlights possible misunderstandings.
• After reading the passage, find out what they really think: Does anything surprise you in this passage?
• Stick to the passage if possible. Occasional cross-references are ok but not too many.
• 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, and so keep coming back.
• Recap at the beginning; summarise at the end. Why? Because it’s much more difficult to remember what you’ve learned when you are doing it in a second language, and you’re also unfamiliar with the Bible.

Next time… illustrations, applications and prayer.