classes and study groups

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
CatHerder

CatHerder

Senior Member
Mar 20, 2013
3,551
79
48
Classes, Life Groups, Bible study groups - whatever you or your respective churches call them...

they seem to be set up so it's "if you are a single, go here....if you are a newlywed, go here.....if you've been married a while, go here......if you're a woman, go here....if you're old, go here...." The many Bible study classes seem to be set up for people who are in the same demographic in terms of age and marital status.

Am I the only one bothered by this? Even with the home study groups, the leaders want "married couples in their 30's., etc." Sometimes I truly wonder if this is really fellowship or narcissism, with people wanting only to deal with people like themselves. Is it weird that even when I was married, I wanted to get to know that older couple better? I could learn a lot from them. I could even learn a thing or two from that young college kid. Yes, I like people my own age, too, but I don't want to be pigeonholed into ONLY having fellowship with them.

Do your respective churches do the same thing? What do they do to encourage people from different stages of life to fellowship together? Or is this just some stupid utopian "people-from-different-walks-of-life-treating-each-other-with-the-love-of-Christ-and-unity fantasy that I have?

Steve
 
I agree. I feel a little out of place because I'm 32, but not married with kids, therefore I can't go to the 30's small group offerings. I can't go to college age small groups because I'm not in my 20's. And if I go to the women's groups, I'm too young and I get "Who are you dating?" or "Oh you poor thing, you're not married?!" etc. It's sad. Can't I just hang out with people of all ages?
 
narcissism is a fancy word for conceded yet very manipulative

A narcissistic bible group would have one class with one presenter focused on that one guy/girl. Then manipulate others into giving the person thanks for 'everything' even manipulating people into thanking him before God.

But about your topic, It is to categorize people making it easier for you to grow in certain area's. Such as, teens are just now starting to look into things literally and figuratively. And children are only looking at Jesus Is Good Satan Is Bad. So it wouldn't be beneficial for the teens to be paired with the children and learn the same knowledge for years or vice versa. Children getting thrown into lesson's that sound like another language would only confuse them. When you get older you get split up into groups due to what God want's you to do. Men's roles are different from women. So men learn how to be a better husband and women a better wife. (Just easy examples). Yes to a certain extent it could benefit the women by sitting in the same class when men learn how to become better husbands. But then again it would go by faster if they did it separate and didn't have to take another day for the women to learn how to be better wife's. So if both take their classes topic into practice it would benefit both quicker and both got a more in depth lesson.

Young couples need to learn how to be start a family and such. It wouldn't help some couples in their 60's to listen for a full year about starting a family. And vice versa....

And the topics that suit everyone well that's what the sermon on Sunday is for.

That's the way I see it but please tell me if I'm incorrect :D.
 
As far as Bible Study groups go, I rather be in a group of singles my own age. More in common, and our struggles are similar, and there is potential for male and female mingling.
 
DuchessAimee said:
I agree. I feel a little out of place because I'm 32, but not married with kids, therefore I can't go to the 30's small group offerings. I can't go to college age small groups because I'm not in my 20's. And if I go to the women's groups, I'm too young and I get "Who are you dating?" or "Oh you poor thing, you're not married?!" etc. It's sad. Can't I just hang out with people of all ages?
Click to expand...

You can come to my Bible study group...it's made up of 3 cats, a toddler, a baby, and sometimes chocolate chip cookies.

Oh, and I guess I'm there, too.
 
MissCris said:
You can come to my Bible study group...it's made up of 3 cats, a toddler, a baby, and sometimes chocolate chip cookies.

Oh, and I guess I'm there, too.
Click to expand...

Can I come too? I want some chocolate chip cookies. :p
 
While it's true that many churches follow that mold, there are variants. One of major churches in my city has four simple categories: children, teens, adult men, and adult women. The two adult groups are split ONLY by gender, and not by age or marital status, with the idea that each group will be less inhibited about frank discussion amongst their sex.

My church makes it even simpler. If you want the simple stuff, stay with the pastor and study Leviticus. If you want the crazy, break things down to their original Greek translation and read each verse in historical context brain exploding detail, go in the other room and study Romans with a Chuck Missler DVD.
 
Its probably less about 'narcissism' (which is best defined as self love, so not sure how that applies) and more about being able to gear the messages to a specified group. Regular church services are more of a 'everyone come' time, to meet and interact with a broader range of ages and types.
 
Its probably less about 'narcissism' (which is best defined as self love, so not sure how that applies)
Click to expand...
OK - wrong choice of words. But ONLY associating with those who are just like ME and going through the same things that I am can make me a bit self centered and doesn't really challenge me with different perspectives.

Yes, the congregation meets as a whole in the church service, but the church service allows less social interaction than in a Bible Study or class. I'm also seeing the "traditional" and "contemporary" services (translation: "old people service" and "young people service") causing further segregation.

And I get that people want to be with those who are experiencing similar challenges. There's also something to be said for having a relationship with someone who has already gone through the same set of challenges years before. Being involved in various ministries with a cross section of the church body has led to the occasional informal mentor/being mentored relationship - and it's truly been a blessing. It seems that many are missing out on this.
 
arwen83 said:
As far as Bible Study groups go, I rather be in a group of singles my own age. More in common, and our struggles are similar, and there is potential for male and female mingling.
Click to expand...

Yeah totally agree with this, but I really do appreciate the older married couples (older as in 25-32) in our group as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back