We invite you to follow along with us as we explore our new theme Complex Characters. You can use this material for group discussion or personal Bible study. Check out each week's section, watch the introductory video to each week's sub theme and read and reflect your way through this month's passages.

The Bible, like a busy pub at closing time, or a heaving post office queue a few days before the Christmas delivery cut off, or a beach on the one day of summer it hasn’t rained, is full of characters. And like the pub, post office, and beach some of these characters are somewhat… complex. The Bible is a rich and fascinating trove of people wrestling with what it is to be human. As we follow the twists and turns of these characters jostling together, it offers sharp insights into what it means to be alive. Dreamers, schemers and screamers!

Once before we looked at the Bible through the lens of ‘complex characters’ surveying a grab bag of striking personalities. This month, off the back of The Simple Life we thought it would be fun to think about complexity again! Our faith is often like that isn’t it? Quiet for a season and then loud. Chaotic and then calm. Simple and then complex.

Download the Discussion Questions as a PDF

These discussion questions adapt our monthly themes for small Connect Groups or personal Bible study (look up the Complex Characters Resource Pack PDF for more information on this month's theme). The questions are divided into 4 parts to correspond with the 4 weeks of the Daily Worship theme. They are offered as a guideline and there is no need to go through all the given questions in a single session, or in the following sequence. Feel free to pick and choose, or adapt to what interests you or your group.

Find out more on this month's theme: Complex Characters

What are Connect Groups? 

‘Connect Groups’ is the name we give to small informal gatherings who decide to meet together to explore the Bible alongside our monthly themes. These groups are independent and folk can simply set up their own Connect Group themselves, meeting together with friends and family on their own basis. In this time of Lockdowns when people can’t get together physically this material can still be used to meet together online.

Each month we produce a range of questions to adapt our themes for group discussion. The material is offered as a starting point and there is no need to go through all the questions.You can pick and choose, tailoring it to suit the needs and interests of your group. Each ‘Part’ could form the basis of a weekly roughly 90 minute meeting but you could break it up differently. Let us know if you would like to find out more about Connect Groups and different ways of linking into the Sanctuary First community.

We all come to the Bible with our own questions, insights and barriers. The guiding principle we have in writing these is to ask questions we don’t already know the answer to! Our hope is to facilitate open-ended discussions. Often the most valuable parts of group chats are the bits that go off on bizarre tangents. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Jesus knows a thing or two about bizarre tangents…

Need some advice on starting your own Connect Group? Get in touch.