Post by Vira Redclaw on Nov 13, 2006 11:26:21 GMT -5
For a long time God has been impressing upon me to suggest an online Bible Study Session and finally I've listened. However, I want to know if anyone is interested in joining an online Bible Study Session? I've outlined some questions you might have ahead of time so you can understand more of what I'm planning to do.
1. Wait...online Bible Study Session?! What about time zones?!
Well, once I've got people who say they're interested, I'll ask people to tell me what times (in their time zones, not mine. Meaning if you can best get on at 9:00 pm on Sunday your time and you live in New York, don't tell me that you can best get on at 6:00 pm. Because I will be doing the calculations myself so that everyone else doesn't have to. If you calculate the time zones in your time, things might get messed up and you could miss a bible study Session) are best for them to get on as well as on what days. Also, inform me what time zone you're from (for example: I'm on Pacific Standard Time in the U.S. I live in the Far Western states on the Pacific Coast of the USA Continent. If you can give at least that much info, I should be able to calculate a near correct time. If you want, you could tell me exactly which country/state/etc. you live in so it will make it easier for me to calculate.).
Once I have all of the information from everyone who wants to join, I will calculate the time zones. There will probably be at least two Bible Studies per day (or perhaps on different days) if people from different time zones can't make it to one of them. Possibly more if there are many different times.
2. How will we study?
Each week a lesson plan will be given to those who have joined the Bible Study Group (it will be sent to you through e-mail so you don't lose it). It won't be huge and everyone can study it over the week until our next meeting. Then each of us will discuss what we think it means and think on how we can apply it to our lives.
3. Can I suggest a Bible Study lesson?
Of Course. Just E-mail me a suggestion for what section of the Bible you would like everyone to study next. After our next meeting, I will e-mail everyone the section we will be studying that week.
4. How often can I suggest a Bible Study lesson?
Well, that depends. If a lot of people join and all of them are suggesting Bible Study Lessons, then I will need to be able to get to all of their requests.
Since we will be meeting only 4 times each month, I will say that you can suggest 1 Bible Lesson per month. If a lot of people join and all want to make suggestions, then I will ask you to make a suggestion only once every two months.
5. What will we be doing in Bible Study?
We will be discussing the lesson we read over the past week. Each person can discuss (or silently listen if they don't want to speak) what the lesson they read means to them and how they interpret the text.
We will also be discussing 1, What we think the true Christian Character should be like. 2, How we should act towards others. 3, Man-Made Spiritual rules vs. God-Made Spiritual Rules. 4, Many other things related to Spirituality.
6. Where will we meet?
In a Chatroom on a Message Board. I am going to be setting up a bulletin board as soon as I post this at jconserv.net. From there I will place a link to some form of chatroom (once I find a suitable one) for us to discuss things.
7. How do we contact you to let you know we’re interested? What should we include?
You can contact me at: vira@cityofmists.com or reply to this. I will need the following information:
1. Your time zone
2. What day(s) is(are) best for you to get on
3. What hours are best for you to get on during the day(s) you listed
All you have to say is that you're interested in joining the Bible Study Session and send me the above information. Then I will work out what times we can meet in the chatroom.
8. How many people have to say they want to join the bible study before you’ll be willing to open bible study?
None. Not a single person from here has to say they want to join the bible study for me to be willing to open it. I'm going to open it anyway to give others online, who may happen by, a chance to study.
God has been Impressing me for a long time to open one of these. And has done so again recently. That means that He will provide the people once I have finished setting it up (possibly even before I finish setting it up) for this reason alone. However, I get the feeling He wants me to offer it here first. Why? I don’t know. Possibly because I know some of you here. Whatever God’s reasons, they’re His alone.
9. Will you post the link here anyway, if no one replies or e-mails you? Just in case I might want to join later?
Yep! I will be editing this post to add the link to it once I have the site set up.
10. You said there might be two bible studies inside a given day or week, possibly more. Can we come to all of them if we want?
You sure can! You're free to come and discuss at any and all of the Bible Studies that you want. Especially if you feel you missed saying something the first time. Or you have a sudden idea/question about the lesson that you want to discuss.
11. How Will We Know When to Come?
I Will send everyone, who signs up for this, e-mails with a link to the location as well as the hour of all the time zones we will be meeting in so everyone from every time zone will be able to join. There will also be information up at the bulletin board so if you lose your e-mail/accidentally delete it/are just deciding to join so you don't yet receive e-mails, you will be able to know when to come.
12. How Long Will Each Session Be?
I am going to try and keep each session to one hour. But I have seen all over the place where some people get so into their discussions about God and Christianity that time flies and the time is up before they want it to be up. Then the want to keep on discussing. If that happens to us, I will extend the time for another half hour (if I had two phone lines then I would stay on far longer to try and help quench everyone’s thirst). Unfortunately I can’t tie up the phone lines too long. So a max of 1.5 hours is all I will be able to do.
13. What if I miss a meeting? How will I be able to find out what others thought and give my own ideas?
I will be copying and pasting the chats into a Microsoft Word Document as we go along and then putting the entire session into a special location made just for the sessions on the bulletin board. There, people will be able to discuss it further if they wish or just catch up. Or for people who happen by the site and want to read the discussions.
14. So these sessions will be recorded? And put up on the site?
Yes. Simply because it may be comforting from time to time to look back on some of these sessions. Also because others may find help through what we discuss.
1. Wait...online Bible Study Session?! What about time zones?!
Well, once I've got people who say they're interested, I'll ask people to tell me what times (in their time zones, not mine. Meaning if you can best get on at 9:00 pm on Sunday your time and you live in New York, don't tell me that you can best get on at 6:00 pm. Because I will be doing the calculations myself so that everyone else doesn't have to. If you calculate the time zones in your time, things might get messed up and you could miss a bible study Session) are best for them to get on as well as on what days. Also, inform me what time zone you're from (for example: I'm on Pacific Standard Time in the U.S. I live in the Far Western states on the Pacific Coast of the USA Continent. If you can give at least that much info, I should be able to calculate a near correct time. If you want, you could tell me exactly which country/state/etc. you live in so it will make it easier for me to calculate.).
Once I have all of the information from everyone who wants to join, I will calculate the time zones. There will probably be at least two Bible Studies per day (or perhaps on different days) if people from different time zones can't make it to one of them. Possibly more if there are many different times.
2. How will we study?
Each week a lesson plan will be given to those who have joined the Bible Study Group (it will be sent to you through e-mail so you don't lose it). It won't be huge and everyone can study it over the week until our next meeting. Then each of us will discuss what we think it means and think on how we can apply it to our lives.
3. Can I suggest a Bible Study lesson?
Of Course. Just E-mail me a suggestion for what section of the Bible you would like everyone to study next. After our next meeting, I will e-mail everyone the section we will be studying that week.
4. How often can I suggest a Bible Study lesson?
Well, that depends. If a lot of people join and all of them are suggesting Bible Study Lessons, then I will need to be able to get to all of their requests.
Since we will be meeting only 4 times each month, I will say that you can suggest 1 Bible Lesson per month. If a lot of people join and all want to make suggestions, then I will ask you to make a suggestion only once every two months.
5. What will we be doing in Bible Study?
We will be discussing the lesson we read over the past week. Each person can discuss (or silently listen if they don't want to speak) what the lesson they read means to them and how they interpret the text.
We will also be discussing 1, What we think the true Christian Character should be like. 2, How we should act towards others. 3, Man-Made Spiritual rules vs. God-Made Spiritual Rules. 4, Many other things related to Spirituality.
6. Where will we meet?
In a Chatroom on a Message Board. I am going to be setting up a bulletin board as soon as I post this at jconserv.net. From there I will place a link to some form of chatroom (once I find a suitable one) for us to discuss things.
7. How do we contact you to let you know we’re interested? What should we include?
You can contact me at: vira@cityofmists.com or reply to this. I will need the following information:
1. Your time zone
2. What day(s) is(are) best for you to get on
3. What hours are best for you to get on during the day(s) you listed
All you have to say is that you're interested in joining the Bible Study Session and send me the above information. Then I will work out what times we can meet in the chatroom.
8. How many people have to say they want to join the bible study before you’ll be willing to open bible study?
None. Not a single person from here has to say they want to join the bible study for me to be willing to open it. I'm going to open it anyway to give others online, who may happen by, a chance to study.
God has been Impressing me for a long time to open one of these. And has done so again recently. That means that He will provide the people once I have finished setting it up (possibly even before I finish setting it up) for this reason alone. However, I get the feeling He wants me to offer it here first. Why? I don’t know. Possibly because I know some of you here. Whatever God’s reasons, they’re His alone.
9. Will you post the link here anyway, if no one replies or e-mails you? Just in case I might want to join later?
Yep! I will be editing this post to add the link to it once I have the site set up.
10. You said there might be two bible studies inside a given day or week, possibly more. Can we come to all of them if we want?
You sure can! You're free to come and discuss at any and all of the Bible Studies that you want. Especially if you feel you missed saying something the first time. Or you have a sudden idea/question about the lesson that you want to discuss.
11. How Will We Know When to Come?
I Will send everyone, who signs up for this, e-mails with a link to the location as well as the hour of all the time zones we will be meeting in so everyone from every time zone will be able to join. There will also be information up at the bulletin board so if you lose your e-mail/accidentally delete it/are just deciding to join so you don't yet receive e-mails, you will be able to know when to come.
12. How Long Will Each Session Be?
I am going to try and keep each session to one hour. But I have seen all over the place where some people get so into their discussions about God and Christianity that time flies and the time is up before they want it to be up. Then the want to keep on discussing. If that happens to us, I will extend the time for another half hour (if I had two phone lines then I would stay on far longer to try and help quench everyone’s thirst). Unfortunately I can’t tie up the phone lines too long. So a max of 1.5 hours is all I will be able to do.
13. What if I miss a meeting? How will I be able to find out what others thought and give my own ideas?
I will be copying and pasting the chats into a Microsoft Word Document as we go along and then putting the entire session into a special location made just for the sessions on the bulletin board. There, people will be able to discuss it further if they wish or just catch up. Or for people who happen by the site and want to read the discussions.
14. So these sessions will be recorded? And put up on the site?
Yes. Simply because it may be comforting from time to time to look back on some of these sessions. Also because others may find help through what we discuss.