Small Groups

Resources

If you are thinking of leading a small group study in your church and/or Circuit during the Great 50 Days, here you will find the resources to help you plan.

You can download the core resource which includes all the ideas that are available.
G50Ds_Small-Groups-Resources

Otherwise you can download them separately below:

There are resources solely based on the daily reflections and other Bible passages, which includes questions for discussion and reflection with your group.
G50Ds_Small-Groups_Bible-Passages

Alternatively there are resources based on the weekly testimonies/stories again with questions to be used as the base for discussion and reflection.
G50Ds_Small-Groups_Testimonies

The resources include additional ideas, with videos, poems and articles that may support you further.

If you have opportunity to meet with a friend or small group as you read through Mark’s Gospel with The Great 50 Days we encourage you to share what you have noticed in the daily readings and to explore some of the following questions together:

  • What did you learn?
  • What stood out for you?
  • What questions remain?
  • What do you take away?
  • What do you think God might be saying?

If there is a particular verse or passage which has captured the attention of the group don’t be afraid to spend time with that section of the text.  Why does it arrest our attention today? What can we learn from our responses?  Good questions to ask when examining a particular section of text are:

  • What was the context?
  • Think of the broad context in which the Gospel was written.  A country occupied by Roman forces, a people battling to maintain their identity. 
  • Think of the immediate context of the passage.  Where is it set?  Who is present?  What is happening?  How do events unfold?  What is said?
  • What was the culture?
  • A culture in which honour / shame were key narratives.
  • What was the accepted position of children, women, slaves, outsiders?
  • Who was excluded?
  • How do these things impact the passage?  What is cultural / counter-cultural for that time?  For today?
  • What does the text say?
  • In the light of this examination of the text what is it saying to me/us today?

      You may like to finish by sharing the prayer of thanks which follows Day 50 in the book.

      If at any time you or a member of the group senses a call to a deeper response to God you may like to look at the prayer on Day 49.