Wait! What? Not a Bible Study?
When I studied in London, one of my first shocks was discovering that the student Christian Union met regularly in a pub. I confess I do not have much experience in the American equivalent, the neighborhood bar, other than I have seen most of the Cheers reruns—the place “where everyone knows your name.”
The British pub is a public space where people gather. Though customers may order a pint of ale or lager, many people come for the pub food and to meet with friends. The pub is a social organizing mechanism. So are Bible studies—though I may have slightly strained the analogy. You meet someone new who follows Jesus. Sooner or later you may hear, “Hi! Nice to meet you. Would you like to come to my Bible study?”
In Words Upon the Word: An Ethnography of Evangelical Group Bible Study, James S. Bielo describes Bible studies as “social organizing mechanisms.”* He argues that these groups function as spaces where evangelicals construct and reinforce their religious identities, negotiate interpretations of Scripture, and cultivate community belonging. Bible studies serve as structured yet flexible settings where participants engage in collective meaning-making, shaping both their theological understandings and social relationships.
Of course, a Bible study is a group that meets to read and learn the Bible. But is studying the Bible the primary purpose of the group? Interestingly, during the COVID shutdowns in 2020, one study noted that when the groups did not meet, many stopped reading the Bible alone.
Think about that for a second. If studying the Bible were the primary reason for gathering, wouldn’t people continue to read even if the group ceased to meet in person? Perhaps studying the Bible is only one reason why Bible studies meet. Another possibility is that Bible studies are social interaction mechanisms for people, especially among Evangelicals.
In short, Bible studies are as much about the people as studying the Bible.
Another possibility is that Bible studies are social interaction mechanisms for people, especially among Evangelicals.
Even when we call them “Bible Clusters,” they focus on the people. They create an environment for deeper relationships and disciple-making. But their primary purpose is encountering God together through His Word and Spirit in an environment of love and grace.
In short, Clusters are groups of people encountering God together through His Word, His Spirit, and through one another in the Body.
Disciples grow as the Body of Christ builds itself up in love as each person participates (Ephesians 4:15-16). Disciples do not grow by teaching content alone. Disciples need other disciples to grow. They need Clusters, not just studies.
Disciples grow as the Body of Christ builds itself up in love as each person participates.
What is wrong with Bible studies?
Nothing is wrong with Bible studies. They are good and often necessary for believers to grow deeper in the Word, not just in knowledge, but in practice. Our ministry holds many Bible studies, some in person and some online (through Discord or Zoom).
However, Clusters are different from Bible studies. Although their purpose parallels Bible studies because Scripture is at their core, Clusters differ from Bible studies. While Bible studies can be rich in knowledge and teaching, Clusters are rich in discovery—growing relationships and encountering God together through His Word.
Clusters focus on Scripture engagement, not simply learning. “Scripture engagement” is an encounter with God through His Word that leaves no one unchanged. Scripture engagement is a relational encounter with God, not simply the pathway to a better or more Christlike life. It’s an encounter with God through His Word.
Scripture Engagement
It is difficult to find a concise and theologically accurate definition of “Scripture engagement” that accounts for its unique inspiration—breathed out by the Holy Spirit but written by human authors. Scripture is the only book with an inerrant, divine Author who communicated through frail and faulty people.
That the Holy Spirit inspired Scripture is why it is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). That means you can read the text over and over throughout your lifetime and the Holy Spirit will use the same text to bring to life numerous applications in different ways at different times. You cannot do that with Moby Dick or War and Peace!
“Scripture engagement” is an encounter with God through His Word that leaves no one unchanged.
Scripture engagement is an encounter with God because the Holy Spirit makes the text living and active. The text itself is the Word of God, not the stories it tells. What the text says about the stories and what the text teaches is God's communication. We often talk about the text but fail to engage it. We talk about the stories or characters but fail to discover what the text says about the events and people.
We want to know what God is saying in the text. Clusters allow groups to discover God’s message together as they interact with His Word.
An interactive group discussion and encounter in no way minimize the role of trained and gifted teachers. You will find teachers in our Bible studies, but in our Clusters, you will find people engaging with the text.
The power is in the text. That is also why our Clusters do not discuss other Christian books or sermons. There are times for that. However, it is vital to remain focused on the Word itself and Clusters to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to individuals and to the group.
When people encounter God, they change—always! Believers grow or sometimes receive correction. Nonbelievers may be drawn to Jesus. Sadly, some will become hardened as they continue to reject Him. But everyone who encounters God through His Word changes. That is the power of the Word at the heart of Clusters.
Clusters are environments for growth.
The Cluster group provides the loving and grace-filled environment for the Body of Christ to build itself up. Some call this approach “life on life,” as people become deeply involved with one another, living out the “one anothers” of the New Testament.
Yet many of us live at a frenetic pace, separated by time and place, making meaningful relationships challenging.
We connect with others increasingly online, through streaming platforms like Zoom or Discord or by time-shifted texts, emails, or video messages. How can Clusters build intimacy in this globalized world when we rarely see one another in person?
That is the topic of our next Bible Clusters post.
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*Words Upon the Word: An Ethnography of Evangelical Group Bible Study by James S. Bielo. In this book, Bielo examines how evangelical Christians in the United States use group Bible studies for spiritual growth and as a means to build community and navigate social relationships. Bielo is a socio-cultural anthropologist who specializes in the anthropology of religion, focusing on American evangelicalism.