Thursday Night Bible Study

Thursday night Bible Study at St Andrews Church / Peterhead 

There is currently no Bible Study at St Fergus Parish Church, the congregation where I am pastor. I ask around to enquire if there would be any interest in a Bible Study here in the village. There just is not any interest in studying the Scriptures together in a small group. Several people have shared with me that there was a 'Bible Study' twelve or thirteen years ago, but it was not well attended. It was more of a lecture by the minister rather than an interactive study of the Bible. One of my goals for St Fergus is to have a group Bible Study in two or three years. Meanwhile I make every effort to encourage the people of the congregation to study and ponder Scripture. 

I have valued meeting with other people in small groups of 8-12 persons several times a month to study the Bible together. Studies of individual books of the Bible or biblical themes have enriched my spiritual growth over many years, even decades, of my life as a believer in Jesus Christ. I can't say enough about the support I have received from being a member of a group. I have long term friends from my time in these Bible Studies. While I was at the University of St Andrews, I was supported and nurtured by a group from a Scottish Episcopal Church in the town. When I spent over a year in my hometown in the USA awaiting my visa to re-enter Scotland, I was invited to be part of a Life Group of another church in town. The group encouraged me and sustained me in what was a difficult time in my life. Small Group Bible Studies and other types of small groups have been an important part of my life, nurturing me more deeply in the Christian faith and providing support for my walk with Christ. 

For close to two years here in North-East Scotland, I did not have contact with any small group of Christians. That changed when I heard about the Small Group Bible Study at St Andrews Church in Peterhead, the big town just down the road from St Fergus. My good friend and colleague Abi, who recently assumed the ministry at another Church of Scotland congregation in the south of Scotland, attended a Bible Study in the church. He didn't go there to direct it, but handed over leadership to two elders. It meant a lot to him to attend and he encouraged me to attend as well. There had always been some sort of Bible Study Group since the 1980s at St Andrews Church, but it really took its current shape and direction in the last ten years. Two elders, Kath and Joseph take turns leading the Bible Study on various topics in Scripture. We are currently studying prayer in the lives of biblical characters. Last week the group studied Hannah's story in I Samuel 1 as a model of prayer. Each Thursday there are fifteen minutes of visiting and singing, forty-five minutes for Bible Study, and half an hour for prayer. There is always plenty of discussion and reflection based on our study of the Bible. I always leave feeling satisfied and refreshed. 

I am always impressed by the attentiveness of the people in the group to God's Word. I would say that each week twelve to eighteen people show up. The group has faithful members. They read the Bible seriously and are not afraid to speak up to make comments or ask questions. Nor are attendees shy about speaking up. Discussion is always lively. They are hungry to study Scripture. It is so good to see this because I haven't witnessed too many fellow Christians here in the North-East having such an interest in God's Word. I am always touched by seeing the careful way they handle tScripture. This is truly a work of the Spirit. But people who attend the Bible Study are saddened that there are so many other members of St Andrews Church who have no desire to study Scripture. They pray for the time when there will be many people involved in Small Group Bible Studies. They wonder why the majority of the congregation finds no benefit in studying the Scripture together. 

I find that I really need the fellowship and spiritual care that a Small Group Bible Study provides. I don't know how I would cope if the St Andrew's Bible Study were not there. I am heavy hearted that there is no such Small Group Bible Study at St Fergus. Some day I trust there will be. I constantly pray that the Holy Spirit would be at work in the hearts of the dear people of St Fergus Parish Church so they would have a hunger for the study of Scripture, a thirst to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, and a desire to fellowship with one another. Our small congregation will continue to slowly fade away unless the Spirit of Christ Jesus is at work in our lives. If you are so inclined, I ask that you pray for us at St Fergus Parish Church. 

Many blessings to you and yours,