I’d probably held a Bible in my hands, but never read it

Ever wondered how other churches bring in non-believers to study the Bible? Here’s what a church in Derby, England has done for many years. The church hosts “Just Looking” groups for those who are open to learning more about the Bible. In 2012, our first blog post was a story about these groups. The church had been running them for a number of years and it continues to do so.

The participants of the “Just Looking” groups gather in a non-threatening location (i.e., not a church), for a relaxing and informal time of learning. The leaders have been using The Stranger for several years to guide the course. Those who attend come from a wide variety of backgrounds, but all have one thing in common: they do not possess a clear understanding of the Bible’s message.

Laura* shared that, before she had been invited to the group, “I hadn’t had any thoughts about the Bible. I’d heard of the Bible. I’d probably held one in my hands, but never read it. I didn’t know what it was. Didn’t really have any thoughts at all about the Bible.“

Amir was a young Muslim who attended the group: “I thought [Christianity] was a religion similar to Islam. I thought they all led to God.”

William wasn’t even interested in attending. Now an elderly man, he’d lived his whole life apart from God’s Word. It was his wife who nagged him to come till he finally conceded. “I told her, ‘I’ll go along, see what it’s like. If I don’t like it, I’ll leave.’”

The three, along with many others, sat through a 16-week creation-to-the-cross explanation of the gospel. At the beginning, they were told that the Bible was like a jigsaw puzzle. Each week, they gathered together to study the Bible, adding another piece to their jigsaw puzzle of biblical understanding. The casual atmosphere of the groups, led by leaders who were friendly and willing to answer questions, helped the participants feel at ease.

Amir found the study helped make it easy for him to understand the Bible’s message. He’d had questions and now, as they studied each week, he found those questions being answered, even before he voiced them.

William felt both joy and regret upon completion of the study. “When we were done, I realized how much I’d missed out on not reading the Bible earlier in my life.”

Laura’s trademark smile widens as she relates her perspective. “The course has changed my life, really. If I hadn’t been in the course, I wouldn’t have heard what I heard and wouldn’t have understood why Jesus came.”

How wonderful to see how God has blessed the faithful efforts of this church. These three testimonies are just a handful of the many who have come to put their trust in Jesus for salvation.

Watch Laura, Amir and William as they share their testimonies. (Note: The audio quality is as received.)

(*Names changed as per GoodSeed policy.)