One on One Bible Reading: Weaving into Church Culture (Model #2)
“The best thing you can do to prepare for ministry is get a doctorate in theology. ”
This is the advice I received from one of my professors when I was in seminary. My first thought was to dismiss this advice as overzealous and impractical. While preparing for the work of ministry is serious business, surely a top-level academic degree was a bit extreme. However, one year later, as I stood before my church for the first time, I came to appreciate the point my professor was trying to make.
The task of shepherding eternal souls is weighty, therefore those involved in ministry must take their preparation seriously.
But pastors aren’t the only ones who need to be prepared for the work of ministry. All Christians, whether young believers or seasoned saints, should consider what it means to be equipped for the work the Lord has called them to. Yet, the primary context for ministry equipping is not the seminary, but the church. It’s to pastors and elders that God has given the primary responsibility to "equip the saints for the work of ministry (Eph 4:12).” What does it look like for the church to equip its members to make and mature disciples of Jesus Christ?
One simple, relational, and powerful way to equip our people for the work of ministry is by teaching them how to read the Bible one-to-one with another person (see previous article here). This is the second article in a five-part series, in which we are considering how we might weave one-to-one Bible reading into the culture of a church. Our first step in doing so is to model it for our community, next, we must equip them to implement this simple, relational, and powerful tool. Here are three ways to equip the people in our churches for one-to-one Bible reading.
Personal One-to-One Training
In the spring of 2021, I began reading the Bible one-to-one with several men in my church. While I often spend my mornings bending over scripture with a brother, my goal with these men wasn’t only to see their growth, but to equip them to turn around and read with another in the church. Over the course of 5 weeks, we read slowly through 1st Thessalonians, sitting in the text, soaking it in, and delighting in the Lord together. We also spent intentional time discussing the tool we were practicing and prayerfully considering whom they might invite at the end.
By individually equipping these men, they first experienced the profound sweetness and power of sitting and soaking in God’s word together. Furthermore, they were given the reigns to lead the discussion several times with me before doing so with someone else. The process was slow, but since disciples grow slowly and culture changes slowly, that’s ok. In fact, over the years, I’ve found this slow, patient method of equipping others to make and mature disciples to be the most effective way of passing one-to-one Bible reading along to the people of my church. Invite intentionally, equip personally, then send them out to disciple confidently.
One-to-One Classes or Seminars
While personal equipping seems to be most effective in passing this tool to others, it's also beneficial to offer formal large-group training on one-to-one Bible reading. Over the years, these training have taken several forms, from Saturday seminars and Sunday school classes to multi-week gatherings. These contexts allow a larger group of people to be equipped with this simple tool and allow the teacher to cast a vision for the role it can play both inside and outside of the community of Christ. They also give attendees the chance to practice the tool in a secure environment and debrief the experience together. Furthermore, by simply announcing that your church will be offering a one-to-one Bible reading training, it helps get one-to-one in the air, communicates that this is a normal thing people in your community do, and therefore helps pave the way for future one-to-one reading relationships.
A Book and a Nudge
While personal equipping will engage those who are uncertain about one-to-one and larger group training will draw those who are curious, some people in our churches will already be motivated and eager to get rolling. Perhaps they come to you because a friend at work is curious about Jesus and they don’t know where to start, or perhaps they want to pour intentionally into a young believer in the church community but don’t know how. For those who are self-motivated and chomping at the bit, it may be that all they need is a book and a nudge. By giving them One-to-One Bible Reading by David Helm and a little encouragement you will have given them everything they need to go back to their unbelieving friend or their brother who is young in the faith and help them take the next step toward Christ. Keep your eyes open for those who are self-motivated, give them a book, and give them a nudge.
Equip the Flock
Pastors and elders, it’s your job to “equip the saints for the work of ministry.” Faithfully disciple people in your flock, expose them to the simple joys of one-on-one Bible reading and pass along the tool. Offer teachings and training in large group settings on how to read the Bible one-to-one with another person, and share copies of Helm's book with your leaders.
Lay-people, what’s stopping you from doing the same? Why not consider pulling a few friends together to sit and soak in the Word together before intentionally splintering out to read with others? Why not consider learning and practicing one-to-one with your home group before taking three weeks off to pair up and read through Titus? Why not read the Helm book and then pass it along to a friend who’s already motivated to make disciples?
We all have the duty to make and mature disciples. Let’s prepare ourselves, and one another, accordingly.
BEN RUHL - ONE ON ONE DISCIPLESHIP, PASTORAL MINISTRY, AND PREACHING
Ben grew up in Houston, TX and started following Christ at a young age. After graduating from high school, Ben studied the Bible at Torchbearers Bible Schools in England and Austria, Moody Bible Institute (BA) in Chicago, IL, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div) in South Hamilton, MA. Ben met his wife Olivia while studying at Moody. They married in 2015 and have two kids: 5-year-old Davie Henrietta and 1-year-old Cal McCheyne.
After graduating from Gordon-Conwell in 2017, Ben and Olivia moved to Alton, NH where Ben pastors BeFree Community Church Alton (EFCA) and is the Executive Director of Small Town Summits, a ministry that seeks to provide encouragement, connection, and equipping for small-town pastors, laypeople, and churches. When not parenting, pastoring, or spending time with Olivia, Ben likes to carve wood.