St Michael's House Groups

“Knowing Christ better ……………”

Getting to know and understand God’s Word helps us to do this. A sociable and relaxing way of studying the Bible during the week is to come along to a Housegroup. St Michael’s has five housegroups which are all informal and allow time for Bible study and socialising. Some of those who come along say a lot, some a little, and some just listen. If you would like to know more, there are contact names and numbers below:-

Kenyan Christians tell the story of a tribal elder who was converted to the Christian faith and thereafter he always carried around with him a rather bulky Bible. Never would he be parted from it. He refused to go any journey without his Bible and was not disturbed by his friends' teasing when they said, "Why always the Bible? There are so many other books you could read." Holding the Bible high above his head, he replied with a big smile, "Yes, of course there are, but there is only one book that can read me!"

This, in a nutshell, is the whole secret of Bible study. We may start out by reading what may seem ancient literature coming from a people who were often colonised by one or other of the great empires, yet as we read, a mysterious change of roles occurs. Out of the biblical stories a person comes to life, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the book which was the object of our study becomes a subject which not only reads us as individuals but also our entire society. It can be "sharper than a two-edged sword".

While there is great value in our private reading of the Scriptures, a new dimension is added when we study them in the company of others. In the Acts of the Apostles we read how the early Christians gathered together to study the teachings of the Apostles. These informal gatherings for study, prayer and fellowship were the powerhouses of the young church.

We have, in St Michael's, four groups that meet regularly as well as provision for Lenten Study Groups which meet only for five or six evenings.

Groups are held in the homes of Moyra Mitchell, Derek and Margaret Henderson, Peter and Anita France and Barbara Thomson. They are held on different days and times of day, so there is probably one that would be convenient for you.

Often people hesitate coming along in case they are asked questions or invited to lead at the first meeting. That does not happen. We only speak when we feel we want to but soon we will find that there are questions we want to ask or points we want to make. The strengthening bonds of friendship become a valuable aspect of study groups as we gather to read the Bible - and be read by it.

If you would like to consider participating in a Bible Study Group, please contact the Church Office who will put an appropriate one in touch with you.