What happens

At St John's we believe that God speaks to us through the Bible.  Understanding exactly what the Bible says,  then, is of critical importance.  There are several advantages to looking at the Bible in a small group which is why we encourage all those who attend St John's to be involved in a Prayer and Bible study group.

In a small group, more time can be given to understanding how to interpret the Bible - looking at things like context, and how the New and Old Testament relate to one another.  People also get a chance to ask their questions about a passage as well as having to 'work out for themselves' what a part of the Bible means.  People tend to get to know one another better in small groups and so the Bible can be applied more specifically to each person individually.  On top of this, small groups also provide opportunities for praying about the things that have been learnt about a particular passage of the Bible.

With these things in mind, in our prayer and Bible study groups, we aim to understand God's word, to apply it to our lives, to encourage one another one another in the Word of God and to pray about all these things.

Another advantage of Prayer and Bible study groups is that they give more opportunities for people to use their gifts serving one another.  Our Prayer and Bible study group leaders are carefully chosen and equipped to teach the Bible and look after those entrusted to their care.  As people get to know one another in small groups,  they are also better equipped to be able to care for one another as they learn each other's needs and concerns.  So other aims of our prayer and Bible study groups are to train people in Christian ministry, to provide people with opportunities of service and to care better for people who come to St John's.

What we study

In 2000 the gospel of John was studied over the course of the year.  In 2001,  Paul's letter to the Galatians and his first letter to the Thessalonians were studied,  as well as his letter to Philemon,  Peter's second letter and the Old Testament.  The Books of Zephaniah and Obadiah have also been studied.  Also different study Bible study groups have at times covered different materials covering things like Prayer,  Basic Christianity and The Psalms. In 2002 we looked at Colossains and Matthew.

The Groups

We are constantly trying to form new groups to be able to have groups that are most suitable for as many people as possible.

We encourage everyone who regularly attends St John's to be involved in a Prayer and Bible study group.  For children and youth up until the end of school years, we provide opportunities for involvement in different ways (see section on youth and children's work).

For everybody else, we have a range of different groups which aim to provide as many different opportunities for as many people as possible to attend Prayer and Bible study groups.

We currently run:

  • Women on Wednesday (morning with a creche)

  • Ladies evening group

  • Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night groups that meet in different parts of Christchurch

  • A group that meets at Christchurch Polytechnic on Tuesday and Thursday lunchtimes.

  • groups for young adults

  • group for men on Saturday morning

  • A group for teenagers of youth group age

  • A group for university students

  • groups for people in their '20's

When they happen

Most Prayer and Bible study groups follow the school terms.

How to join

The easiest way to join a group is to contact Peter Collier and he will be able to chat to you about which group would be most suitable for you to be in.