7Anne 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
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