About Recent Sabbaths...
A Note on Chain-Referencing
Also, I've been meaning to fill you in on a new Bible study habit we're modeling in class: chain-referencing. Non-bleeding, non-fading pens are available in Sabbath school for students to do this. We're not requiring that students chain-reference; rather, it is a component of ChristWise that we're encouraging as a good habit for future independent use (and another reason we hope each student is bringing/using a sturdy Bible they won't outgrow in early adulthood :).
ChristWise is not just a personal study guide but also a discipleship training for young people. Chain-referencing is valuable for a Bible student to refresh a Bible topic for themselves as well as to study a topic with a friend without needing additional material on hand.
Chances are you're familiar with the practice of chain-referencing even you don't recognize the term itself. Chain-referencing in Bible study starts with marking a Bible study topic and its 1st verse reference on a blank page in the Bible cover, then heading to that 1st verse, marking the 2nd verse reference in the margin there, heading to the 2nd verse, marking the 3rd verse in the margin there, and so on, until the chain of verses is completed for that study. To refresh the topic or to study it with a friend, one need only flip open their Bible cover and look for the first verse listed with the study topic of interest.
Last Sabbath Specifically
Last Sabbath, we engaged in a great discussion over Lesson 1's interview questions. That actually took most of our time! I said it in last weeks' blog post, and I'll say it again--The interview questions and other reflection activities towards the end of each lesson are great, thoughtful discussion fodder. I hope you're enjoying prepping them at home with your youth as much as we're enjoying the engaging discussion that comes out of it in Sabbath school!
However, with that rich discussion and full class participation last Sabbath, we have yet to venture as a group into Lesson 2. Hence, next Sabbath's prep will look a little familiar ;)
Prep for April 16
Starting Lesson 2. The Trinity
Read the "Opening Story" together.
Read the "Life of Christ" passage together; bonus points if you read it straight from a hardcopy Bible (remember, we're trying to instill a certain comfort level with the real deal, here :).
Venture into the "We Believe" together.
Lesson 2. The Trinity is unpacking 3 fundamental beliefs in 1 lesson. Don't feel like you need to make it through ALL of this lesson for April 16. I doubt we'll be able to unpack it in one Sabbath school session!