South County women are invited to an exciting
educational/inspirational experience beginning Jan. 6.
Gilroy’s New Hope Community Church, 7411 Hannah St., is hosting
an 11-week Bible study written by Beth Moore, a Bible teacher at
First Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, and author of four previous
successful, in-depth Bible studies enjoyed by women across the
nation.
South County women are invited to an exciting educational/inspirational experience beginning Jan. 6.
Gilroy’s New Hope Community Church, 7411 Hannah St., is hosting an 11-week Bible study written by Beth Moore, a Bible teacher at First Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, and author of four previous successful, in-depth Bible studies enjoyed by women across the nation.
“Breaking Free: Making Liberty in Christ a Reality in Life” is based on the Old Testament Book of Isaiah. But the class will not study Isaiah in its entirety; rather, each theme will follow a topical journey through other books of the Bible and introduce several biblical characters.
According to Kathy MacPhail, facilitator of the course and wife of New Hope’s senior pastor, unlike Beth Moore’s previous studies which focused on Biblical figures like David or Paul, the real subject is the women taking the class: “The journey is theirs.”
The class will be interactive, informative and enjoyable. Meeting at 7 p.m. in the church sanctuary, each session will begin with 15 to 20 minutes of fellowship and refreshments, a 50-minute videotape produced by Moore, and a follow-up discussion, ending at 8:30 p.m. Students are requested to do an additional daily 30 minutes of preparation each week in the course workbook.
The curriculum draws parallels between the captive Israelites of Old Testament history and today’s believers. Moore uses Scripture to point out the benefits of a relationship with God and shows how to remove obstacles that hinder this relationship.
Learning activities help group members personally apply the material by relating the events to their own lives, but no one will be expected to share personal experiences with the group. Sharing is strictly voluntary, and “the hope is that no one will share anything causing herself or others discomfort.”
Women of all Christian denominations are encouraged to attend the introductory session January 6. MacPhail says her experiences with previous materials written by Moore have been very positive. Participants have been grateful to “find answers to their struggles and have grown greatly in their personal relationship with God.” She assures everyone that the course is appropriate for women with any level of Bible knowledge – no one should be intimidated because of the lack of experience in studying the Bible.
The only cost to participate in Breaking Free is $20 for the workbook. Although Moore relies on the New International Version of the Bible in her text, any translation will be satisfactory for answering the study/discussion questions. Free babysitting will be provided each evening.
