Six o’clock Friday evening my friends begin to arrive, carrying snacks, drinks, or entrees for our potluck supper. Casseroles go in the oven to warm, snacks are set out, and drinks are poured. By six-thirty our meal is well under way.
The current members of TBS (Teen Bible Study), or KBS (Kid’s Bible Study) as it was called in the beginning, have been coming every week for five years, ever since it first started. Every week is the same—supper and then the Bible Study. “I enjoy it; it’s fun,” says Mateja Plantak, one of my friends and a consistent TBS member.
We open the Sabbath with a prayer, sometimes a song, and then we dive in. Bibles are pulled out or distributed among the forgetful and the study begins. In the past, we’ve used study guides to aid our discussion, but recently we’ve decided to venture out on our own, studying mainly the book of Revelation. By comparing and contrasting Revelation with other books of the Bible and looking at the historical background, we have seen the deeper meaning behind the books of the Bible. “It’s easier to learn things when you are with your friends and you’re all learning together,” says Ellen Mbungu, another friend.
Five years ago, the idea came to my friends and me to start a Bible study for kids. There were vesper services and meetings held on Friday nights where we could listen to adults give information, but we preferred to find it for ourselves. During Summer 2001 we began KBS—for kids and by kids. It started with three or four of us, and then grew to eight, and then twelve, and then twenty. By 2002 we had as many as thirty guys and girls each week. We are now back to six to ten members a week.
One of the fun things we like to do as a group is participate in Operation Christmas Child, the Christmas present drive Billy Graham started some years ago. It has become tradition to fill at least fifteen shoe boxes every Christmas with goodies for children less fortunate. Everyone seems to get a lot of joy out of making a little child happy.
Bible study has really helped us stick together. Our Sabbath school class has a lot of the TBS members in it, and it makes all the difference! My friends love learning about God through the Bible, and it affects everyone around them! Friday is looked forward to by all, not just because we have a break from school, but also because Friday night is a really fun time for us! Sabbath kind of takes on a new meaning when you’re having fun!
Now, in 2006, TBS is flourishing. Every week that we can, we gather in my room to study God’s Word and discuss ways we can share it with others, applying Bible truths to our lives as we live them. We think of the opening of the Sabbath as a fun time as we learn about God!
Sarah Gane is a member of the Pioneer Memorial Church.
