Newsgroups: bit.listserv.christia
Date:         Thu, 30 Jul 1992 10:13:41 EST
From:         Kerry Stephenson <KSTE@PURCCVM.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: Bible study deadline
              30 Jul 1992 08:02:08 -0700 from <jstahley@QUALCOMM.COM>

Hi Jstahley:  (If it's not too personal, could you provide me with a first

    Thanks for your interest in the Bible Study, and welcome.  To help me
in "administrating" the group, I am asking everyone to answer the
following questions.  Again, thanks.  "See" you later!   BTW, the
response deadline for these questions is being extended to the end
of next week.


   QUESTIONS:

     I have set August 1 as the deadline for people to let me know that
they would like to be in our Bible study.  As of now, there are 14
people who have expressed interest.

Before the August 1 deadline, please reply to me concerning the following
questions:

1.  Is there a particular day that you think would be best for the initial
    posting of the week's analysis?

2.  Would you prefer that the "leader" (though I don't intend to do much
    beyond the structural stuff) assign passages to people on a weekly
    basis, that the group rotate the assignments on a rotation schedule
    agreed to at the outset, or that some other arrangement be made?

3.  Do you have a preference for which book we start with?

4.  Would you be willing to post analyses, or would you rather just
    participate in the general discussion during the following week?

5.  Would you prefer that the group share prayer requests at the outset
    of the week, or not?

6.  Would you prefer that the group form prayer-partners that pray for
    each other during the week, or leave it to the group to pray for
    everyone?

7.  Would you prefer that the group share "spiritual pilgrimages"
    (conversion stories, personal faith journeys, whatever you want
    to call it) before we begin the actual Bible study, or not?

8.  Do you think it is a good idea to share a summary of the week's
    discussion with other member of the network?  If so, whose
    responsibility do you think it should be to post the summary?
    (the "leader," the analyst of the week, or another group member,
    on a rotating basis?)

9.  Are there particular times during the year when you think it would
    be difficult for you to keep up with the group?  If so, when are they,
    and would you want the group to continue with fewer members, or
    agree to suspend activities when a particular number of people
    will be unable to participate?  (If the latter, what do you think
    is the minimum number of people that should continue with the discussion?)

10. What do you think would be an appropriate section of the book to
    analyze at one time?  (a chapter, or a certain number of verses,
    or something else?)

11. Since, as of this writing, there are 15 interested parties, do you
    think this is appropriate for one group, or should we create more than
    one, and if so, how many?  If we create more than one, would you be willing
    to act as a group "leader"?

12. Do you think the group should accept new members after the deadline?  If
    so, should the group be asked first?  Should an invitation (pun intended)
    be made at particular intervals during the year, and if so, what do you
    think those intervals should be?  If we are to accept new members on a
    continuing basis, is there a particular number of participants at which
    we should consider dividing into smaller groups?  If so, what?

13. Would you object to the analyst opening his/her analysis with a prayer
    offered for the group?

14. Have I forgotten anything important?

  If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to add
them here.

  I will take all responses into consideration, and try to come up with
some kind of format we can all accept, along with a few rules of conduct,
unless people object to that.

    Thanks.
           Love INC,
                    --Kerry
                      (KSTE@PURCCVM.BITNET)
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