Bible Study Provides Opportunities to Grow in Faith and Understanding of Scripture: “You Always Learn Something New”
It’s common for children and youth to go through Faith Formation and Sacramental Prep classes. But all too often, people stop attending formation opportunities after receiving their sacraments. Our Catholic faith is so deep that we should embrace every opportunity we have to grow in that faith.
Hin and Sally Cheung have been leading different Bible study courses here at the parish since 2016, with the exception of the COVID restrictions.
They’ve studied many of Jeff Cavins’ Bible video series with a devoted group. Hin quotes St. Jerome as one of the many reasons they lead this study — “Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ.”
The group has studied The Bible in a Year, their favorite, as well as the books of Matthew, Revelation, and Acts, as well as Ephesians. They’ve also done studies on Mary and the Mass. The Bible in a Year helped them better understand the Bible and certain parts of Mass.
“When you don’t have the context, then you can be at a loss for why they are doing this or what they are talking about in the Bible,” Sally says.
The group meets on Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Grace Parish Center. Currently, on Thursdays, they study the “Epic” course of the timeless history of the Church (from 33 AD to the end of Pope St. John Paul II’s reign in 2005 AD). On Saturdays, they study “Salvation History – the Bible from Genesis to Revelation”.
“We don’t lead this — we are more facilitators,” Hin says. “We enjoy the discussions and the people who come, so we love facilitating this.”
Attendees purchase their own workbooks. During class, they watch a video and discuss.
“It’s so easy to get off topic,” Hin says. “One of our tasks is to help people stay on topic.”
Before they started these Bible studies, Hin and Sally were talking to their neighbor about doing this on their own. This led to a prompting to start this as a group at St. Michael’s. They approached Fr. Lio, and he was all for it. After facilitating these studies over the years, Sally says she is still learning.
“It’s fun — you always learn something new,” she says. “The discussions are very interesting. We all talk about it and get a better understanding of the material. It’s a good way to learn more about the faith.”
Each time a session ends, the group decides what they want to study for the next session. Hin and Sally invite others to get involved in a Bible study.
“Just because you go to Mass every Sunday, you might not be growing in the faith,” Sally says.
“I believe you have to know Jesus to have a relationship with him,” Hin says. “One of the best ways to learn about Him is through the Bible.”
To be part of a Bible Study now or in the future, contact Hin and Sally Cheung at [email protected] or 714-308-5493.
-Courtesy of Catholic Stewardship Consultants
