YLV Bible Study
Beginning a Gathering
Complete preparation is not a precondition. The first gathering is established by the following three steps.
Three steps
The sequence for a first gathering
- First
Fix the day and the hour
One time in the week is selected. Friday evening is most suitable, though a Tuesday morning or a Wednesday evening serves equally well. The decision should be made at once; an indefinite “someday” does not arrive. Whatever the day, the gathering is held at the same hour each week. Only what recurs regularly finds a lasting place in a life.
- Second
Invite one person
It is not necessary to assemble several people; one is sufficient — a spouse, a child, a neighbour, or a friend with whom contact has lapsed. The model wording below may be sent as written.
- Third
Read John 1 aloud
Reading precedes explanation. Participants read five verses each aloud, in turn. After the reading, each shares what he or she observed. For a first gathering, this is sufficient.
The app
Installation of the app by each participant
This is the first task at the opening of the gathering. Once each participant has the app installed on his or her own phone, no further preparation is required.
- Passages are located immediately. When “John 3:16” is announced, all participants arrive at the verse together.
- The original language is accessible within the text. An unfamiliar word may be selected and examined without interrupting the course of the evening.
- All participants read the same text. Differing translations tend to divert the discussion.
- Reading continues at home. Unlike a printed volume, the app is always at hand.
The ebooks are also available, but they are intended for extended private reading. For discussion among several people at one table, the app is considerably better suited. Information on obtaining the app should accompany the invitation.
Model invitation
A lengthy explanation places a burden on the recipient. Brevity is preferable.
It is not a class — we simply read together and talk about it.
There is nothing to prepare. Would you be able to come?
For a Bible, please download this app → ylvbible.org/en/
The final line is significant. Many people decline in the belief that they cannot attend without a Bible. Informing them that it is free of charge removes that obstacle.
The first gathering
Not required at the first gathering
To begin is to answer
The second week as the true beginning
The first gathering generally proceeds well; the second week is the more difficult. It may be that no one attends, or that the person who came the first week does not return. The Bible is opened on that day as well, even if the host reads alone. A gathering is established not by the number who assemble but by the faithful keeping of the appointed time and place.
Let us hold fast the confession of our elpis(hope) without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.Hebrews 10:23 · Yeshua Literal Version