Midweek Bible Studies

Anne Clouse  

Staff Writer 

Mishawaka - As Bethel starts a new semester, a variety of new Midweek Small Groups are available for students to attend. Students are required to attend for five weeks, but each group runs for eight weeks, with new content each time. According to Tom Carpenter, Director for Community Life, the purpose of small groups is to provide students with a spiritual experience smaller and more personal than traditional chapel services. These groups are meant to be intentional about meeting the needs of students and helping them get to know each other better. The hope is that students will want to keep coming even after getting all their required credits.  

Additionally, these are supposed to provide a spiritual discipleship hour. Even though each group has a unique purpose, they all focus on one aspect of being a disciple, which are either to know Jesus, be like Jesus, or be on mission with Jesus. There are also three different levels of engagement to choose from: come and see, come and engage, and come and practice. There are benefits to each option, and students can pick the one that best fits them. 

This is the first semester students have been required to sign up for a small group ahead of time, and that is supposed to encourage students to think ahead of time about what they are going to do, and it should help them keep attending the same group every week. Also, this will help the leaders of each group know how to plan. However, students do have the freedom to attend studies they did not sign up for, and they can attend a study hosted by a residence hall even if they do not live there. Ideas for future small group studies can be sent to Student Life. 

Studies available this semester are: 

Encountering the Love of Jesus by Oakwood-Slater Hall 

Colossians Campus Study by various teachers and groups 

Attributes of God by Egle Hall 

Parables in John by Founder’s Men 

Hearing God’s Voice by Michaele LaVigne 

Vespers by Spiritual Life Team 

Leading Like Jesus Led by Jason Freeman 

Simple... But Not Easy by Manges Hall 

James Bible Study by Tuckey Hall 

Common Ground by Susan Titus 

Five Love Languages by Sue Matteson 

Fruit of the Spirit by Jennifer Ochstein and Tyler Grant 

Spiritual Practices by Shupe Hall 

God’s Heart for the World by Sheri Campeau 

How to Disciple Others by Jeremy Tice