At our annual Village Missions Staff Conference, another pastor gave a presentation on Christianity Explored and his experience running it in his rural church. Christianity Explored is designed for new believers and people who are interested but unsure about the idea of God and salvation through Christ. It consists of seven sessions that focus on Jesus’ life from the Gospel of Mark. The program seemed to be a good fit for our community and church, so my wife and I decided to try it.
Exploring Christianity Together
We promoted it at church and in the community. We also personally invited individuals who we believed would benefit from the course – people I had previously talked with about faith and the Bible. Nine people signed up; some were from our church, and others from the community. A couple from church helped us lead the course.
We hosted the course in our home, which helped to make it a more personal and comfortable setting. We started each evening by sharing a meal. Then we watched the video and studied the Bible. The lessons clearly laid down the foundations of the faith. Everyone enjoyed the fellowship and appreciated all that they learned.
Moreover, through some of the discussion that took place during Christianity Explored, I was able to discern some of the needs in our church and what types of ministry people would find helpful. As a result, we are considering starting an occasional adult Sunday School class to delve deeper into some of the topics covered in the course.
Ready to Explore?
One thing I really like about Christianity Explored is how universal and adaptable it is. You could run it with 100 people in your church building or 10 in your home. You could even run it with just one or two couples!
If you choose to offer Christianity Explored in your community, here are some suggestions:
- Make the effort to personally invite those who might benefit from the course. The majority of our participants were people we personally invited.
- If the group is small enough, host it in a leader’s home.
- Sharing a meal brings people together and deepens relationships more quickly.
- Breaking into small groups for the discussion time is crucial, as people are far more likely to open up and feel comfortable sharing their thoughts. In our context, we watched the video together but then broke into two groups for the discussion time. This helped people be more open to sharing, asking questions, and contributing to the discussion.
Many Still Need to Hear
We hope to run Christianity Explored again at some point in the future. There are still many people who need to hear the gospel clearly and in a welcoming setting.
As believers in Jesus Christ and as God’s church in a broken world, let us all seek ways to grow God’s Kingdom. Let’s make clear the Gospel to those who have yet to hear and understand it and disciple our brothers and sisters in the faith!
Trevor and Renee Elias have served in Binscarth, Manitoba, since March 2023. Trevor enjoys teaching the Bible and connecting with people. They love doing ministry together and spending time as a family. They have 2 boys and twins on the way!
