People are exploring faith more online but how can we reduce the barriers for people coming to faith and disciple them well?

In this Q&A episode, Siân and Andrew tackle some big questions that church leaders face today, from the gap between online curiosity about faith and in-person church engagement, to helping people trust that the Bible is reliable.

We cover:

• How podcast culture has led to more people exploring faith online before stepping into a church
• How to disciple new believers who have preconceived ideas from their online exploration
• How churches can bridge the gap between online exploration and in-person attendance
• The most common questions people have about the Bible
• How to navigate questions about the Bible's accuracy and reliability
• Practical tips for both small group discipleship and personal devotion, with a framework for how to approach Bible reading

If you're a leader looking for ways to help people come to faith, we hope this discussion will enable you to explain how the Bible is trustworthy and give you some ideas as to how you can disciple and lead others.

This episode will encourage you to build confidence in the reliability of the Bible in your congregation or small group, and to equip your community to share that confidence and point people to Jesus.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
The Bible Course
The Romans Course
God's Book: An Honest Look at the Bible's 7 Toughest Topics
Rooted devotional journal

Timestamps:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (02:10) - What are the barriers to people coming to faith in this season?
• (04:45) - Do people have someone to come to church with?
• (06:05) - Do people feel welcome to come to church?
• (07:22) - The importance of discipleship
• (09:15) - How can we build confidence and trust in the Bible?
• (10:04) - How footnotes in the Bible prove the Bible's reliability
• (11:10) - Did the early church put together the Bible?
• (13:00) - Younger generation asking question about the Bible and faith
• (18:15) - How to lead effective small groups
• (21:10) - Why an overview of the Bible is helpful
• (23:20) - How to encourage individual Bible reading

Bible Society socials:

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Instagram
X (formerly Twitter)

Disclaimer:

This is a Bible Society podcast, but it’s also a conversation between people exploring the Bible and culture together. We won’t get everything right – and we won’t always agree. Please be patient with us and join us on the journey. Bible Society is very proud of its generous orthodoxy.

How can church leaders help people encounter God through creation?

Revd Peter Lewis shares his experience on the Gower of helping people explore faith, encounter Scripture and connect with Christian community in the great outdoors.

Through Wild Church, reflective pilgrimage walks, pop-up art galleries and prayerful outdoor gatherings, Peter is creating spaces in the great outdoors where locals and visitors can slow down, reconnect and explore faith creatively.

Peter explains that many people come to the Gower ‘looking to get away from something and find something’, and the church has an opportunity to gently help them discover where God is in that search.

If you’re wondering how to respond to spiritual curiosity today, listen as Peter explains what can happen when we’re willing to slow down and connect with God and his word in nature.

Find out more about The Wonder of Wellbeing

Timestamps:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (02:00) - Creative ways to engage people with faith
• (03:40) - Pilgrimage routes as an encounter with God
• (05:50) - Encountering God through creation
• (07:00) - Creative experiences to encounter God
• (09:30) - Building community with Wild Church
• (10:55) - Integrating new people into church
• (13:10) - Mission beyond church services
• (15:40) - Encouraging creative church mission
• (17:00) - Creation inspired prayers
• (18:40) - Helping people encounter God
• (22:50) - How God speaks through creation – Psalm 19
• (25:30) - How creation and scripture go together
• (27:25) - How creation points to Christ

Everyday Faith Bible

Let Scripture transform every part of your life with the Everyday Faith Bible.
Created in partnership with the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity (LICC), the Everyday Faith Bible will help you to:

• Understand Scripture’s real-world context
• Relate to experiences and emotions in the passage
• Respond to what you read with practical action

Key features:

• Up to 1,000 margin annotations throughout the Bible, to encourage ‘head, heart and hands’ confidence in applying Scripture to everyday life
• Real-life stories and quotes from Christian expert practitioners across the UK
• Whole-page introductions to each genre of biblical writing
• Whole-page features on important biblical themes

Bible Society socials:

Facebook
Instagram
X (formerly Twitter)

Disclaimer:

This is a Bible Society podcast, but it’s also a conversation between people exploring the Bible and culture together. We won’t get everything right – and we won’t always agree. Please be patient with us and join us on the journey. Bible Society is very proud of its generous orthodoxy.

Passionate about helping people grow in their faith, Ministers Benjamin and Shermara Hoyte have chosen to be relational, not transactional.

The couple provide a safe space for people to voice questions and doubt and even open up about past trauma.

Shermara and Benjamin believe in discipleship across differences, whether intergenerational or interdenominational. Unity is not uniformity.

Despite their vast experience in the field, they recognise the importance of being discipled while discipling others. It’s not a one-way street.

‘Newcomers teach us to be authentic,’ says Benjamin. ‘Discipleship is messy,’ Shermara adds. It takes time and patience. ‘Leaders,’ Benjamin concludes, need to ‘get dirty with the sheep.’

Hear all about Discipleship through relationships …

Timestamps:

• (00:00) - Introducing Benjamin and Shermara Hoyte
• (02:08) - Walking alongside people – effective discipleship
• (03:40) - Are we leading from wounds or scars?
• (05:10) - Availability is key for discipleship
• (07:15) - A New Thing - church for creatives in Shoreditch
• (09:00) - How to disciple across generations
• (12:35) - The Exchange – an space for questions
• (16:25) - Whole-church discipleship and unity
• (18:20) - Discipleship across denominations
• (20:20) - Knowledge being outworked in discipleship and fellowship
• (24:40) - Devotion and revelation
• (27:55) - Final advice and encouragement for leaders

Rooted:
Rooted is our devotional journal that helps make the Bible available to everyone, everywhere. Every other month, you’ll receive a new 80-page journal filled with insightful devotionals, thought-provoking prompts, and lots of opportunities to reflect, journal and be creative. Sign up today to receive your first journal for free.

Bible Society socials:

Facebook
Instagram
X (formerly Twitter)

Disclaimer:

This is a Bible Society podcast, but it’s also a conversation between people exploring the Bible and culture together. We won’t get everything right – and we won’t always agree. Please be patient with us and join us on the journey. Bible Society is very proud of its generous orthodoxy.