Developed by Christopher Myers
The goal of the group “You Believe What?!” is to provide knowledge and wisdom about Christianity (including its history, beliefs, themes, and traditions) to those that desire it (including those that would not consider themselves Christians).
Some of the topics covered in this small group are not ‘primary’ Christian beliefs, but rather are considered secondary or tertiary. Topics discussed in this group may stump new believers, and may be used by non-believers to challenge the faith, as these concepts are often misunderstood. Through discussion and research, we believe (and research has shown1) that believers have a stronger grasp on Christianity and become more solid in their faith.
For clarification, the primary (or credal) Christian beliefs are:
- There is one God, maker of heaven and earth
- That Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, fully human and fully divine
- That Jesus died for humanity, that God raised him from the dead, and that Jesus will return again to create a new heaven and new earth
- The eternal existence Trinity, aka the three parts of God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
- That sins are forgiven through belief in Jesus Christ, confession of those sins, and repentance of them
- That there is a resurrection of the dead
It is suggested that the majority of the following topics be presented in as neutral of a stance as possible, with the weekly moderator offering his or her opinion on the matter being discussed, while also clarifying that it is simply an opinion, and that the listeners are not expected to take that view as law (i.e., if the moderator holds a premillennial viewpoint, they should explain their view to the group, but also explain the historical facts surrounding the amillennial and postmillennial viewpoints). The moderator is expected to provide citations and sources for listeners to review outside of the weekly meetings and should use each session primarily as a discussion opportunity, with less than 30% of each week dedicated to actual presentation.
If a view is discussed that is blatantly incorrect (e.g., that all Protestants believe that Jesus is not equal to God), then the moderator is expected to provide the correct (historically factual) view and verbally refute the obvious error. Moderators should be aware that discussion may become abrasive at times, and that it is the moderator’s responsibility to minimize offenses committed during the group sessions. Setting a correct tone and halting any inappropriate conversation should help to maximize learning and minimize the chance that a participant feels insulted.
Some of these topics may offend individuals participating in discussion, and may even offend the moderator. That’s to be expected, as there are a variety of subjects in this curriculum, some of which are antibiblical and others of which are associated just with a single Christian denomination. Participants aren’t expected to walk away from each session with a shift in their paradigms. They’re expected to simply grow in their understanding of historic Christianity, and the beliefs of their fellow Christians.
Weekly topics are as follows:
- The Bible (what it is and how to read it)
- Sermons (and how to understand them)
- The Trinity
- Sin and Forgiveness
- Money
- Weird Bible
- Today’s Non-Christian Spiritual Practices
- Christianity and Today’s World Culture
- Challenges within Today’s Church
- Uncharted Territory
Introduction References
1. Pew Research Center. (2019). What Americans Know About Religion. Retrieved from https://www.pewforum.org/2019/07/23/factors-linked-with-religious-knowledge/.