The Importance of Adult Bible Fellowships -ABFs

The Importance of Adult Bible Fellowships Download

 Adult Bible Fellowships:  Groups of people committed to know and apply the Word together in a caring fellowship, with clear organization to provide care, discipleship, and outreach.

A community within the church . . . to serve and love each other . . . to reach out.

A Sunday adult class geared for true congregational life, where “one another’s” are planned.

Why people need community (and worship services do not give it)

1.  God wants us to     love     and     serve     each other, and to show care, and we have to     organize      to do that.  (Phil 2:1-4; I John 4; Eph 2)

1. Leaders can lead about     90      people.  We must form smaller groups for other to help.

(Ex 18; Eph 4:11-14)

1. People need to be     loved     .  “High tech, high touch.”

1. We grow best in    community    .

1. Medium-size communities provide all types of people, not just your     favorites    .

1. Each age group has similar     interests      and desires.

1. Larger gatherings are for different purposes.  The up-to-90 rule.

         Gathering                                                       Related to the Word

Celebration or Worship  (80+)                                           Motivation

Congregation or “Community” (10 – 80)                         Application

Cell or Small Group (3 – 7)

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The ABF Book is available through CE National by calling 574.267.6622. The cost is $5 plus shipping.

We have all heard the phrase, “a church within a church” and know that even in small churches there are smaller groups of people that care for each other and hold each other accountable. These are often randomly formed groups and often grow out of similar circumstances in life.

The idea of an Adult Bible Fellowship (ABF) is born from the concept that there needs to be smaller groups within a church that do the “one another” things that Scripture talks about. The groups where more intimate conversations happen and more in-depth prayer requests are shared. It is where the heart of the church lies when it comes to building up each other, bearing one another’s burdens, and rejoicing together.Pastor Knute Larson has addressed the “whys” and the “hows” of Adult Bible Fellowships in his book, The ABF Book, Effective Adult Sunday School Classes for Growing Churches. In this book Knute gives a structure that allows members to take ownership of the class. This structure builds leadership and gives opportunities for people to use their spiritual and natural gifts. He provides descriptions for the “jobs” in each class.

Having been involved in a church for a long time (pastor for over 25 years in Akron, Ohio), Knute knows the value of this type of structure within a church. He has also heard many of the questions that come from the establishment of this type of class and has given attention to those frequently asked questions in the book.

If you are looking for a way to stir up the “one anothering” in your church, you might want to look at this easy-read book and get an idea of how ABFs might help.