BINJU BIBLE STUDY GROUP

We are the Bible Study Group in Binju. Our membership is about 24 today. We meet at the Don Bosco Centre on Tuesday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. Today the Bible study Group is made up mainly of youth from the Vocations Group and Mass Servers. But when Father Robert Tanto started the group in 2002, there were many adult members. Some of the adults have been transferred out of the parish, but some have simply grown tired and stopped coming.
For our study Guide, we use "The Daily Study Bible" by William Barclay. The pioneers of the group studied the Gospel of Luke. Since almost one year now, we have been studying the Gospel of Matthew. One of us prepares a unit and presents to the group. Then we discuss the context, the people involved, the meaning for the people at the time, and the meaning for us today. Father Tanto comes often to the Bible Study with us. He explains difficult passages to us.
When we have analysed the passage, we then try to apply it to ourselves, deciding an action to take, based on the challenge we have received from the passage.
We sometimes have difficulties with some parents who think that their children are going somewhere else and claiming to be going to the Bible Study on Tuesday evening. Some members have actually used the Bible Study time as a cover up to go somewhere else. So we have difficulties both from inside the group and from those who are not our members.
Father Tanto has talked to us about a prayer book written by the Diocesan Youth Chaplain of Hexham and Newcastle. We are looking forward to borrowing his copy to use for prayer during our study sessions. We hope that during this holiday time more young people will join us. And we are grateful for the chance given us to write about our Bible Study Group in the parish weblog.
Afor Maurice.