2025 Bible Study Leaders Network
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Renewal in Europe will require a fresh commitment to corporate engagement with Scripture. Far too many people assume that the only way to learn God’s Word deeply is to attend Bible college. Far too many believers assume that the only way to lead others into Scripture is to lecture or preach. These assumptions are a bottleneck that limits European believers, seekers, and skeptics from interacting deeply with Scripture.
Gatherings in homes, cafes, universities and churches that encounter the living God through his Word can contribute profoundly to a renewal of the biblical church and the evangelization of Europe. Likewise, believers that have learned how to effectively study Scripture and to train others to do so will create a multiplicative force that has the potential to reach into every neighborhood, workplace, and social circle.
Anchored by the European Leadership Forum, the Bible Study Leaders Network seeks to create space for fresh encounters with God in community around the Word and to provide practical training for Bible study leaders. At its heart is a commitment to demonstrate and train vibrant manuscript study, sound exegetical practices, and excellent interpretive and application questions. The training includes facilitation skills, which are essential for creating environments that keep the text central and are accessible to those with varying levels of familiarity with the Bible.
Prior preparation will be set for all applicants.
What Participants Are Saying About This Inductive Study Method
- "The inductive study process was so helpful - simply engaging the scriptures in observation, interpretation and application. It demystifies the text opening one up to fresh and new insights."
- "This was a great preparation experience for the rest of ELF. I feel I learned Bible study skills that will be used for my life and ministry, but it also helped me get in the Word and get in the right mindset for the rest of the conference. It was experiential."
- "It was a great opportunity to study scripture in-depth with fellow believers. All were given opportunity to actively participate in the sessions and the leader did an excellent job of facilitating."
Applicants should be those who lead or are interested in leading Bible studies and want to develop their skills in facilitating and equipping others to interact deeply with Scripture. This Network seeks to provide essential skills for conducting Bible studies using a highly interactive, inductive method that emphasises discovery and active learning.
Network Leadership
Network Speakers
Sherami Hinders works with Revive Europe as their Director of Spiritual Foundations and Leader of Scripture Engagement. She teaches students and… Read more
Lindsay Olesberg is a Bible teacher and Scripture Engagement leader with more than 35 years of ministry experience. She has provided Scripture Engagement leadership for numerous Urbana Missions Conferences, Cape Town 2010 (Lausanne’s Third Global Congress), and Lausanne’s Younger Leaders… Read more
Tamas Schauermann is a graphic designer, organisation developer, facilitator, and trainer in Hungary. His main interest is helping people find their calling and work and live in healthy communities that are making use of their talents but also provide a meaningful framework for their everyday… Read more
Network Programme
Sunday, 18 May
The network will open with an introduction to Manuscript Bible Study, an inductive approach that is discovery-oriented and highly interactive. Using Mark 1:1-15, we will begin learning to observe closely, to ask probing questions, to interpret using the text and the context, and to be transformed by our encounter with God through his Word and Spirit.
Our continued immersion in the opening chapters of Mark’s Gospel will provide a front-row seat as Jesus calls his first disciples. Along with the fishermen and the people of Capernaum, we will be amazed as Jesus demonstrates his authority and his heart. These familiar scenes will call us afresh into a life of discipleship and mission.
Monday, 19 May
As we deepen our skills in looking closely, asking and answering probing questions, and paying attention to how the Holy Spirit is speaking, we will see the significance and beauty of Jesus’ authority to forgive sins. Studying Mark 2:1-17 will require us to wrestle with the implications of Jesus’ assertion that he came for the sick and sinners, not the healthy and righteous.
As conflict with religious leaders intensifies in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus used parables and history to provide an interpretive key for his impending death. Study Mark 2:18-3:6 together inductively will enable us to discover how the images and stories Jesus tells integrate into a coherent whole.
Tuesday, 20 May
Observing the text well is foundational to faithful interpretation, yet most Christians have not learned how. Using a workshop approach and our study of Mark 1:1-3:6, we will develop the skill of motivating and training others to look closely at Scripture for themselves.
Poorly written questions undermine the quality of a Bible study, curtailing learning and dampening community around the Word. In this session we will build on our observations from Mark 1:1-3:6 to develop the skill of writing interpretation questions that facilitate discovery, understanding, and a dynamic group experience.
Wednesday, 21 May
As a Bible Study leader, partnership with the Holy Spirit requires careful study and prayerful preparation of application questions. Using passages from Mark 1:1-3:6, we will practice the skill of creating multiple response pathways. We will also learn how to follow the Holy Spirit’s lead when choosing which pathway to take.
Our closing session will address how to lay a foundation for good group dynamics and to handle problems as they arise. We will also present tools for planning a Bible study session so that all three phases of inductive study are honored. Finally, we will personalize our commitments to growing as teachers and be invited to give input on how the network can build an ongoing community among Bible Study leaders across Europe.