A Conversational English Program Bible Course

1993 and 2000

(a personal record, account and review)

Ted and Bev Russell

CONTENTS

1. A Conversational English Program Bible Course, 1993

(held at Shaftsbury Road Christadelphian Meeting Hall, Sydney)

2. A Conversational English Program Bible Course, 2000

(held at Hurstville District Christadelphian Meeting Hall, Sydney)

3. GENERAL INFORMATION about Program 2

PROGRAM

INFORMATION - for Visitors to fill out

THE CO-ORDINATOR - Job Description

TUTOR - Job Description

VISITORS INTRODUCTION to the Conversational English Course

EXPENSES

REPORT FOR ECCLESIAL NEWSLETTER

4. ADVERTISING

BUSINESS CARD

BOOKMARKS

TALK/LOCAL COMMUNITY CENTRE

Report to COMMUNITY CENTRE

Newspaper ADVERTISEMENTS, Letter Box, Shop Display, Invitations, Outings.

5. BASIC GENERAL RULES

FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE

INFORMATION or PUNCTUATION MARKS - reference chart

Basic ­PARTS OF SPEECH or GRAMMER

RULES FOR A SENTENCE

SPELLING RULES

PLURALS

BASE WORDS, PREFIXES and SUFFIXES

WORD ENDINGS

IRREGULAR VERBS

GRAMMAR - song

6. THE BIBLE - what it says

A. OLD TESTAMENT - the story of a promise

B. NEW TESTAMENT - the coming of the promise

OT/NT - Simple information on some selected Books

BIBLE BOOKS- Approximate Authorship Dates

BASIC TIME CHART

SAMPLE LESSONS

ADVANCED SAMPLE LESSONS

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1. A Conversational English Program Bible Course, 1993

(held at Shaftsbury Road Christadelphian Meeting Hall, Sydney)

Background

Late in 1992 a Chinese gentleman, who had visited our Sydney Christadelphian Ecclesial hall several times, said , “I am sorry , but I cannot come to your hall any more (on Sunday night). I do not understand your lectures. They are too hard for me, and too long”. He is a Christian gentleman, attending a Bible School in Sydney’s inner west. He had a feeling that we had something wonderful to offer, yet he could not fathom it out. He liked our friendly ways, but obviously wanted something different. Out of this need, at a meeting of our preaching committee, we began to think of new ways of preaching the gospel.

The Plan

1991 Australian Government Census Analysis Report identified high proportions of non English Speaking Background (NESB) neighbours around our hall and so we began to think of linking the learning of English with preaching the gospel.

We have a great resource of Christadelphian English Second Language (ESL) teachers in Sydney so we called some together to discuss the method and means of presenting the gospel in an ESL setting.

It was decided to devote the first half of the session to an informal group lesson delivered in a very informal manner) and then to use the rest of the session for a one-to-one tutor situation. It was decided to provide a light supper where there could be time for social chat - “no charge“, course free, as usual. 6-8 pm on a Sunday night was considered a good timeslot, not only for our visitors but for our own members as well.

The twelve points of the Apostles Creed have long been recognised by the Brotherhood

as embracing Bible Truths, and so that provided the basis for discussion (see Bro Norris’ “ I Believe “ series, Christadelphian Magazine, October 1963 - October 1964). So notes needed to be prepared on the twelve points, providing a twelve week course. Each statement needed a personal relevance point, and a set of questions.

Preparation

After the idea was accepted by the ecclesia, a three month course was set in place (on the speaking list). A meeting of preparation was held for the ecclesial members with some competent ESL teachers ( from various meetings). They gave ideas, explanations, things to avoid and helpful suggestions, so that the ecclesial members felt more confident in explaining their beliefs, conversing and socialising with these new arrivals in Australia. It was stressed that the intelligence of these people was not different to ours, and that if they were learning English they were certainly more competent at language learning than most of us, for they were learning a second language.

Advertising

The advertising was of the usual kind - newspapers advertisements, leaflets given out in the nearby shopping centre and railway station, but of all the methods used, none was as successful as the three notices outside our corner block hall. (Check whether you need council permission). In fact every visitor we ask - “How did you hear about our course?”, has the same answer - “We saw the notice outside”. Certainly all our visitors come from near our hall, some need a car lift home, but mostly they walk.

FREE CONVERSATIONAL ENGLISH

EVERY SUNDAY 6-8 PM

BIBLE COURSE - CHAT - SUPPER

ALL WELCOME APPLY WITHIN

The technical colleges were not willing to help in our advertising because we wished to teach “doctrine”, (well, Bible stories) and were running the course in our own hall. Soon after we began we saw another nearby church advertising in in a local bookshop advising of a similar course. Their leaflet copied our format and words. So other groups could see the value of the suggestion as well! We were able to offer Sunday night which was a difference in time to their classes. Other churches are offering Sunday services in overseas languages but this does not help the desire to learn English.

Notes

The twelve weeks course (with a statement and personal relevance point and a set of questions was prepared under these headings.

I BELIEVE IN:

The Holy Scriptures

One God, the Father

Jesus Christ the Only Begotten Son of God

I BELIEVE THAT:

Jesus Christ was crucified dead and buried

Jesus Christ rose in bodily form from the dead

Jesus Christ ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven.

Jesus Christ will return to the earth

Jesus Christ will gather before him all who have known their duty before God

I BELIEVE IN:

The Kingdom of God

The Baptism of Repentance and the Remission of Sins

The Holy Spirit

The Fellowship of the Saints

A different coloured card was produced for each week, with a statement and personal relevance point and questions on the back. When the twelve weeks course was drawing to a close it was obvious that another course needed preparation. Notes on “what Jesus said about …” times twelve (on the same subject) and then another course on “What Paul said about …” times twelve, were prepared, all with the personal relevant point and questions. It would have been possible to continue this theme - “What Peter said about…”, “What John said about…”, etc. So now there were 36 lessons prepared.

Between each course a break of a couple of Sundays was made for such nights as - “Who are the Christadelphians”, “How we manage our churches/meetings”, etc.

We have published these statements and relevant points and questions for your interest, as the enquiries for copies has been overwhelming. There is no copyright and the statements and questions may be reproduced. It would be of interest to know though, where and how they are being used.

The notes are already being used in some meetings for ordinary Sunday nights, for Sunday School classes, and for English speaking interested friends. This booklet only preserves the historical record, for each can refine the use for their own needs.

Bible Version

The NIV Bible seems the best version to use (in 1993), but whatever version it is good to give each student a copy on their second night of their attendance. It is good to give out copies of the same publication so that page numbers can be used.

PRESENTED TO ________________________________

ON BEHALF OF

THE CHRISTADELPHIAN LEARN CONVERSTIONAL ENGLISH COURSE

DATE _________________ TUTOR_________________

CHRISTADELPHIAN HALL

ADDRESS_____________________________________________________

If visitors forget to bring their Bibles then another idea is to have a box of same version and same publication Bibles available at the front of the class, that is, same page numbers. Buy enough multiple copies, when the specials come on the market. A folder and a pen were useful gifts for any who had a need. After the six Bible courses had been completed the ecclesia looked out for other courses. The Bible Mission Courses with the AV, were of limited value to ESL students, with its absence of appropriate questions. “Good News for New Readers” , (of English) available in the Bible Society, produced using the advice of the Australian Council of Adult Literacy. This series is limited to unconnected Bible stories only.

For visitors with very basic English, a tutor can begin talking with pictures, and then proceed to, say six basic lessons to start the language learning, giving the visitor necessary English language to use in everyday life for the coming week, shopping, buying a stamp, paying a bill, and so on, until the visitors can become integrated into the Bible course. We found these cases are mostly the parents of the Bible Course students. A weekly lesson in their home (with the usual precautions following the advice from Mission Australia) was offered to these lonely folk to supplement the Sunday night program. The group class will have a variety of English language skills, so it is helpful if the tutors can sit beside the visitors to help with understanding and to coax confidence..

Homework

In the beginning series of twelve homework sheets were provided which fleshed out the subjects and intensified the English usage. Multiple lessons on structure, written expression and vocabulary by each weekly facilitator, (answers next week and marked by tutors) proved useful for the students who were serious about 1. Bible Study and 2. Learning advanced English.

Week Day Schools

It may be that this work could be used with a more academic approach if indeed we did bow to the pressure from some of the students, especially those who are unemployed for one reason or another, and are lonely, existing in small flats, etc. Some of them have approached us saying they feel we approach the course in an honest and sympathetic way and wish us to form a five day weekly school - fee paying. The enormous responsibility of setting up a business , acquiring the required government accreditation to do so with qualified and adequately paid staff, with suitable premises and the blessing of the brotherhood, with the considerable finance required, proves at this moment too daunting. The students assure us that the market both here and overseas is enormous, especially considering the Australian government requirement for resident status- that our migrants learn English. In fact a migrant officer to whom we had access on another matter, suggested that our methods and compassion for our fellow man and our expertise would combine to make a successful five-day-a-week school when so many schools were operating on other values, and needed constant government surveillance.

Roll

We kept a roll of tutors (unbaptised and baptised) and their children, and visitors and their children as well. Each visitor provided name, address, phone number, nationality and first language. From this roll (50, now escalating quickly after a slow beginning), it is easy to send out “missed you” cards or notices of changes to appointments. Some people need help in their domestic situations, others need help in their relations with the government. We obviously do not want involvement in these issues, but we can help compose letters, and so on. Some need medical advice, keeping in mind that if they do not have permanent visas, medical costs are not covered by Medicare. Some people need transport help, others need some community help. Some are very lonely, and some find us not what they were looking for at all. If we did get to know people who left us, say after six weeks, a farewell letter after three absences is appropriate, e.g. “Thankyou for coming to our English classes, and thank you for being our friend. You know where to find us if you would like our company again. We wish you well in Australia, or where ever you might be.” For every visitor who comes contributes something to our ecclesia, even if it is only a hope that visitors do find us agreeable. Cards can be sent for all sorts of reasons - illness, loneliness, to a spouse back home, even New Year cards - in response to the many cards and gifts we received from our visitors. It is something concrete to treasure from us to them, and something to show to their friends emphasising that we care.

Needs for the Group

There are often more than 10, and often no fewer than 8, all with different levels of English. It is easy to see the pattern from the roll, so that the ecclesia can decide on needs and act accordingly. When a young Australian girl of Greek parentage joined the group we immediately formed a young people’s group of baptised and unbaptised, and they have a ten minute talk and then discussion in another part of the hall, with emphasis on simple English. The group has studied our Statement of Faith and has now begun to illustrate themselves - that is each member - the Book of Revelation. They were provided with plastic folders, white paper, a bucket of pencils, rubbers and coloured felt pens to illustrate the portion they set up for each Sunday evening. The group is able to “ read” the chapters from their own illustrations. This helps the good English speaking visitor to understand the metaphoric and symbolic pictures of the Bible. Interpretation is yet to come!

Name Tags

Permanent name tags are used every week. The plastic clip-on/pin ones are suitable because the side-out label can then be changed as people drop away from the course. We all wear name labels.

Involvement

There will often be a group in the ecclesia - those who attend on Sunday night - who do not wish to be involved in the “face-to-face” teaching. There is plenty for this group to be involved in e.g. preparation of supper, collecting/driving home, chat and chat and chat.

Supper

Supper time is such a social time and each visitor is trying so hard to use his/her English skills. It’s OK to say “please say that again” or “please say that again in a different way” or “draw that on the board” and to help with their words, pronunciation and sentence structure when we read, and correct the cards together. Use anything for conversation - the money in your pocket, his usual watch, recipes for cakes, sandwich fillings, the world news, the regional news - ANYTHING. There are thousands of questions you can ask. “What did you do this week?”, “Have you got work?”, “Are you allowed to work (by their temporary or residential status)?”, “Did you write/phone home this week?”, “Who is left at home?”, “Are they well?”, “Are they worried about you?”, “What do they do each day?”, “Did they want you to come to Australia?”, “Why did you come to Australia?”, “How did you come?” The stories they tell are sad/ bad/ thrilling/ amusing/ unbelievable and always interesting. We feel enriched by knowing these earnest people and privileged to tell them what we believe!

Other Classes

For visitors who cannot (for work reasons) continue to come at the nominated time, a small class may be set up at another time, perhaps in a home. To be able to visit an Australian home is a great privilege to these people and so a regular home class (with a meal?) is a generous provision, greatly appreciated. It is essential to have these home guests/students phone the day before to confirm their visit.

The Non-tutoring Group

This group can use a remote spot in the hall to work with a leader, if one can be spared. It is essential that this group be small. A large group can be intimidating to visitors and too noisy (for each tutor couple needs no distraction). If the group becomes too large it is better to form smaller groups. It can be valuable, of course, to study the topic for the night using the statement and the questions.

The Tutors

The one on one tutors need to be regular (or otherwise state an intended absence). While the opening lesson is being given each week, the organiser can quickly note the tutor groups and be responsive to late-comers. We wonder if the late-comers prefer to miss the group session, finding it not as profitable to them as the tutor session? It is emerging that some visitors wish to have the same tutor each week. Others like a change - it is good to find out when they have become regular visitors. Some husband and wife partners like to be together and can work with a husband/wife tutor team. A male visitor tends to prefer a male tutor and almost invariably a female visitor would prefer to work with a female tutor. A new tutor person may sit in on a tutoring pair (if that’s acceptable) to see how easy it is. If there are, lamentably, fewer tutors than visitors, visitors can go more than one to a tutor. A more preferable way would be to invite another ecclesia or individuals to help. It may be that visiting tutors may not be needed on the particular night they come but it is still an enjoyable night. The tutors are never less than glowing about their experiences. “I feel I preach every Sunday night!” is a common remark.

Member’s Children

The children’s group is easy to manage in daylight saving months when the group can enjoy supervised play outdoors. Otherwise a supervised playroom with equipment can be provided, with attention to the noise. The Sunday School could provide a teacher or parent to work a formal program with books and activities. We followed the subjects of the first series of twelve sessions and the older children have a plastic folder of their lessons. The cards were pasted on to a sheet of white paper, and all the quotes were looked up. The questions were answered simply and each page went home with a willing child to illustrate and decorate for homework, before being placed in the folder. Quite and achievement on first principles.

Visitor’s Children

These children are often shy, or noisy away from their parents! It is easier to offer them quiet toys or books near their parents, or if they cannot play by themselves, to set up a tiny group nearby (one ecclesial member and one child) to lure the child to something interesting and quiet, just a little way from Mum.

Responding

It is lovely to see how a need arises, and an ecclesial member will think up a solution and step into the breach. As each Sunday night is different (with only a regular core student group) the visitors each have separate requirements and need an immediate response. A tutor is often immediately required and needs to stand up with a smile, and a welcome and a self introduction, and a Bible and some notes. The organiser is always grateful for the quick responses, but there is no time for thanks just then. This is the unknown factor or all those who attend the Sunday night program - who will come? This unknown factor may even add to the thrill! At 8pm an excited bunch of Christadelphians are found cleaning up and locking up. Actually it is often after 8 because the tutoring group find it difficult to conclude and need at least two reminders to come back to the assembly point,

And then of course, people linger over supper.

Concluding Activity

If the concluding activity begins without a tutor or two, they soon hurry back because it can be a light hearted group activity and everyone likes to join in. With hymn singing or song book singing, hard words or ideas can be explained before beginning. We have little talks on subjects such as prayer, “amen”, use of the middle English “ye”, “ thee”, “thou”, “thine” for we still have some Christadelphians amongst us who use these forms in prayers. This is noticed by the visitors at the opening and closing prayer times when we “close our eyes”. They need to know our customs. There is a variety of subjects for this short prayer time - geographic charts (for all nationalities). Some visitors may say a word or two about some interesting fact that has helped the discussion, eg. an old Chinese proverb about “sheep and goats”.

Indian and Asian music is different to ours, so music without explanation is not appropriate. Talks about different Bible versions and their relative value is always helpful. Travel - our own members, and the visitor’s travels are interesting. Visitors may prepare and read out their own history. Topical events like Australia Day, or the bushfires and how they affected us, are always a concern to our visitors. There can be a lot of amusement in the less than formal times in our gatherings - in any case smiling and laughing can bridge many language gaps though it does run away with time! An essential activity and interesting for everyone, is to view the baptismal bath. A discussion about baptism and its formalities can focus the teachings of the Bible towards commitment.

Next Week

It is appropriate to give out the card or notes for next week - having had enough printed to supply more to those, next week, who lose them or forget them. During the week the core visitors will use their dictionaries to look up hard words (in their own language/English dictionaries. Most carry these around with them). They are never frightened by long words, hard words or syntax (the functional relationships of words to one another in a phrase, a clause or a sentence). They know the grammar books by heart and are always anxious for more detail. They have studied more than one language and probably use a very formal approach to language. It is the conversational use of the language they lack and they are looking for ways to fill that gap. To use the orbit of preaching to cover that gap is an exciting project. It is noted by others (than Christadelphians) as a community outreach program and they see and appreciate its value.

Our Visitors

Not only are many of our visitors lonely and away from their families, but some of them are very poor and not able to entertain us with dignity - a difficult eastern concept for them to accept. Some with very little or no help from home, are not able to afford the train fare to the city (to see for example the Australia Day celebrations). Yet it is noted that they will bring an Asian dish or Indian dish for us to try or even a lamington cake from the supermarket, in their anxiety to make a contribution to supper. This makes our heart ache when we know of their limited means. There is, for some, long term unemployment, or low wage jobs, or “no work allowed” on their visas, and no government benefits depending on their visas. They may have a tiny trickle of money from a relative at home They will only have a small wardrobe. If they gave all their wealth for a ticket, survived the trip with a small bag of possessions to get here, and with perhaps rape and beatings, they are grateful for our attention, and our conversations.,

If (as is the case of an Iranian visitor) they are married and the wife has decided in her insecurity and our unfamiliar culture, that she will not come to join him, then he needs some emotional support in sympathy and understanding and courage. He teaches us a lesson in patience. His high tech job in one of the universities and the long hours of work there, assembling data, does not take away his loneliness. One of our brothers communicates with him during the week, by email, sending information about, say, the Persian Empire, so electronic mail can support our card in the snail mail.

It is interesting to watch the different Asian nationalities talking to each other with delight comparing circumstances, in a sort of pigeon language common to them, and lapsing into English where they can manage it. And a Korean visitor trying to encourage his shy Japanese girlfriend to come so that he can more easily converse with her in English! With the break up of the Soviet Union, some of our visitors from there, tell us of how they are now stateless, and of their gratitude for this country’s shelter. An Argentinean visitor said he came to Australia, leaving his mother and four sisters, to find a more stable country. As well, he says, there is an invitation pinned up outside our embassy in Buenos Aires, asking people to come and live here! A Lebanese visitor says, “It is not about war”, (the conflict in his country), “it is about a market for arms manufacturers!”. An Indian looking gentleman says, “No, we are from Pakistan. My father crossed over from India.” (in the great exchange of population we saw in the Ghandi film). The Chinese tell us horrifying stories of student revolutions, and the Vietnamese worry about their environmentally damaged country. And so on.

All these national, (and to these visitors personal problems) provide a backdrop for preaching the gospel. If the 20,000 Chinese who were allowed to stay after the Beijing tragedy, and another 16,000 that have come since, are now given refugee status on the condition that they learn English, there is an amazing market for our product to add to the Non English Speaking Background brethren we already have in our midst.

The Organisers

It is essential to have one organising couple and a back up couple. It is essential for the couple to take on the responsibility for every Sunday evening . The couple needs a flair for organising large groups in an informal manner. It is essential to have a married couple to deal with the males and females as they come in the door. It is easy then for both sexes to feel comfortable. While the brother is doing the short presiding duties, organising opening and closing prayers, and announcements etc., the sister can watch the door.

The visitors are always courteous and will wait to be attended to. If the organiser is still talking to a visitor who has just entered, the group will also good naturedly wait- it is that informal. We wear informal clothes. Many Asian ladies have never worn a skirt, and so tutors dressed in pants are welcome. We have no clothes restraint, only decency, of course.

Deficiencies

We understand the feelings of some of the older brothers and sisters with different methods of preaching, but feel we must state the deficiencies in the hope that ecclesias can plan to alleviate these fears and deal with the negative feelings.

We have an emphasis on a learning process - education - a unique opportunity rather than worship. A surprising feature emerged, that years of habit had induced many of our older brothers and sisters to regard our Sunday night lecture as an opportunity for comfort and worship, rather than witness. Some even state that witness has no further place in their lives now, and that they miss the comfort of the old Sunday night program.

Visitors who hold beliefs other than Christianity have to go back to the basics.

It presents a challenge and requires some knowledge and understanding of other world faiths. Some members feel unable to cope with this challenge.

Global issues, with talk of Israel and its people and its history, are sometimes not understood. It is difficult for some people to have an historical or geographical point of view other than for their own country. This perspective can be slowly developed (by using the Atlas and maps - Mc Evedy’s “Penguin Atlas; Ancient and Medieval, Modern and Recent” is recommended). It is necessary to understand that the restrictions might have been deliberate in the childhood education, in a country that wishes to exclude knowledge of other countries and their successes, or it might be because of the very urgent need of keeping “body and soul together” in their day to day existence in their former country.

Objections by our own members - “why do we need to feed them?” Generosity extended to gentiles can be a difficult concept for some to accept, and needs careful handling.

Not enough tutors, or not enough tutors that regularly attend. That is a failure of teachers and preachers. Perhaps those who live nearest will leave their phone number to be called urgently if required.

There is not enough social life in the ecclesia, and even when we invite the visitors, there are some members who feel resentful of the visitors and avoid them, when they do attend ecclesial functions. There are not enough members who will open their homes, for the visitors love to see inside an Australian home. We always need help with the social activities, bushwalks, picnics, scrabble and game nights. Anything to help integrate the visitors. After the course what do we do next?

We can start again, or we can take up with other series, but it then becomes more urgent that our visitors understand our Christadelphian culture. If there is a holding back on the integration, then the visitors can sense that and they may not give themselves wholly to our course, finding another more welcoming church.

“ There is a whole group of people use this church, and we only see a third of it”, the visitor may say, “who are the others, when can I meet them, what will we do together, will they feel comfortable with me?”

Racism is a sad fact amongst our own members, mainly the older ones who have not been taught, nor can understand the anti-discrimination laws, which preclude racial discrimination. Some racial discriminating language has only recently been removed from some of our foundation literature in recent reprints and still much remains to be done. We ourselves have been unaware, or at least unmindful of it in our literature until the last decade, so it is hardly surprising that some older members are having difficulties with the concept.

The question, “how many baptisms have you had?” is a hard one. Without full commitments by the whole ecclesia this will be difficult. In any case do we judge the success by the number of baptisms, or do we judge the success by how many times we preach? Ask the regular tutors - they will give you a glowing reply. SHARING OUR FAITH is not necessarily to gain new recruits, it is not to be driven by the numbers to be won, without any love and compassion, and never just winning arguments. SHARING OUR FAITH is to be a servant of God, telling His message and being a faithful servant of His treasure. We do not know how He will crown our frail efforts. Influencing others for Christ is a long term project and discipleship is not something we can “do” to people but something we can “be” with them. SHARING OUR FAITH is for all - for we all answered his call to be his disciples - to spread the message.

We know not how the seed we plant will grow. Perhaps these visitors will take that seed back to their own countries. And we will never know of the end result!

The Positives

The ease with which the tutors can perform, an adult, any parent or Sunday School teacher can do it. And once done it is easy.

The forming of new friendships - a whole set of new friends to socialise with between Sundays (if only more would!). Friendships here are formed on a Bible basis and all ages can be involved.

The use of sisters who have never (apart from Sunday School) been encouraged to preach

The absolute thrill of a sister saying - “I can do that”, “I did it”, “that lady and I have a good thing going”, is a beautiful experience, truly using all our resources.

Sunday nights, after it is all over - what joy!

There is anxiety at first, especially in the early days, when the numbers are building up and the diverse English skills throw up some difficulties, but the fearful anticipation gives way to joy (at seeing the visitors a second time), and a thrill and excitement amongst our own, even the unbaptised ones, and then plain joy on the drive home.

Other Methods

There are lots of ways to run the program and different series that may be considered. If you already have a successful and varied Sunday night program, with an all age audience, use another night and “feed” the visitors into the Sunday night program.

If you have no NESB group around your hall, you could hire a small room in a nearby shopping centre. You would need to display the advertising for some hours before the course commencement. If you do not have a permanent notice as you would outside your own hall, you would need to make a regular commitment for three months at least, no matter what the response. The big cities centres of greater Sydney are well known for their high density migrant population. Our halls may not be nearby, but we could begin a course there and later “feed” the group into ecclesial activities by a regular pick up from the well known meeting place.

An Indian snake charmer sat playing his pipe but the crowds do not come to watch.

“Well,” says an observer, “It is probably your equipment.”

“What do you suggest,” asks the snake charmer.

“I think you would be better with a smaller basket,” says the observer,

looking at the basket , twice their height and with the lid firmly in place!

In other words there is nothing wrong with the message,

it is the equipment that has failed.

We do not need to have huge efforts, small efforts can often succeed, and grow into big things. Even if the venture ceases it can be a learning experience for the whole ecclesia and God knows that we tried our best. We are known as “people of the book” however we are not as successful in our preaching in the latter half of the twentieth century as we were in the beginning. Do we really love the Bible, do we really want to tell people about it? God gave us this pure message through Christ. We can be his hands and his feet and his lips if we truly want to be his disciples, but we might need to change some of our methods. There are many new methods that some meetings are using to preach - and many other Christadelphian ESL courses, thank you for allowing us to tell you the thrill of using this one.

This is not an official, or authorised report. It is simply a personal, detailing of warm reflections on a recent twelve months program that we were privileged to partake in. We offer the handbook, and the Scriptural questions and notes in the spirit of sharing something of the excitement of this new venture. If you should be moved to use, modify, or alter any, or all of it, for the purpose of witnessing, we would be more than pleased. There is no obligation to contact us, but we would be pleased to hear from you, and if there is any need for further information, materials and so on, we would be pleased to respond.

In His service,

Ted and Bev Russell

12 Booyong Avenue,

LUGARNO NSW 2210

(02) 9153 5779

20th March, 1994

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This is the end of the report of the series held at Shaftesbury Road Meeting Hall, Sydney,

beginning in 1993. That course is still being held successfully at that meeting in 2005.

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