Bible Studies Offer Valuable Opportunity to Grow in Faith With Fellow Catholics

Knowledge and faith go handin-hand when cultivating a spiritual life, and participation in a Bible study is an excellent way to dive deeper into the roots of Catholicism. Our parish has offered a variety of Bible studies since 2012, when Brad Kendrick and his wife, Caitlin, were looking for a way to explore their faith on a deeper level.

“My wife and I started the series after she had converted to Catholicism,” Brad says. “We went to one of Jeff Cavins’ offerings in Macomb, and then it kind of went from there. It’s a huge blessing to see the growth in all of the people involved.”

For the past 10 years, Brad has chosen a Bible study series from either Ascension Press or FORMED. Sometimes, there has been one long study spanning August to April with breaks for the holidays. At other times, the year has been broken up into two smaller studies. The Great Adventures series has been a particular favorite, walking the participants through the narrative of Scripture — some studies focus on the big picture, while others delve deeper into specific books of the Bible. Brad has found that the group discussion adds depth and new insight to the studies.

“I constantly tell people that even if we’ve done this one before, next time you go to that book of the Bible it will touch you differently,” Brad says.

The Bible study sessions generally have a discussion component and a video presentation. Brad usually plans on two hours for a meeting, but sometimes the group will finish early. In the past, Bible studies have been offered at two different times, with one group meeting at 1 p.m. and another group meeting at 6:30 p.m., while some parishioners participated online instead. Brad is moving on from his position as the facilitator and is looking Brad and Caitlin Kendrick started the for someone to step up and take his Bible studies after Caitlin entered into place. While it isn’t a big responsithe Catholic faith. bility, it really contributes a lot to the life of the parish. “Essentially you pray and decide what study to go with,” Brad says. “After deciding, make sure the scheduling works, set up the calendar, and make sure it doesn’t conflict with other activities in the parish.” Leading the meetings themselves is simple since much of it is group discussion and the facilitator can make arrangements to have others help lead. Whether as a participant or a leader, a Bible study is a great way to nourish your faith.

“Everybody is called to continually build our knowledge of our faith and a great way to do that is through organized study, in a group setting, in a format laid out for you,” Brad says. “The group discussion is just as beneficial as the study itself.”

If you’re interested in facilitating the next Bible study, please call the parish office at 217-222-2898.

Brad and Caitlin Kendrick started the Bible studies after Caitlin entered into the Catholic faith.