Workshop on Biblical Exposition

The most important aspect of a Workshop is the time in Small Groups. As such, it is essential that each person arrives prepared for these sessions.

You will be assigned to a Small Group in advance of the Workshop. Each person will be assigned two passages to present and you will have 5 minutes to present on each (in two different Small Group sessions). The assignments are generally sent out a few weeks in advance in order to give you time to prepare. Ideally, more than one person will have been assigned to present on each passage, so you won’t be the only person presenting.

The Small Group Leader will generally guide the group through the process. Someone will be assigned to read the passage and pray. Then, the two presenters will make their 5-minute presentations. For each presenter, a responder will be assigned. The responder is meant to listen carefully to the presentation and 1) say what they found helpful, and 2) ask the first question to get the discussion going. After both presenters have presented, and after the first of the responders have asked their question, the discussion will be opened up to the whole group. In due course, the second of the responders will be brought in and the discussion reoriented to the second presentation by the Small Group Leader.

This is probably the most important question you can ask before arriving at the Workshop. As a participant, you have two assignments:

• Prepare both of your two passages. In your workshop small groups, you will walk your group through the Small Group Worksheet on each of your two passages, explaining how you have thought through each of the questions (see the Small Group Preparation Guide). Please also bring copies of your worksheet for everyone in your group.
• You should prepare or, at least, be familiar with all of the passages (even those you have not been specifically assigned). You can find all of the other passages on the Workshop schedule, which will be emailed to you. Try to read each passage. Try to formulate a sense of the main idea in the passage. You might be asked serve as a responder (see above). The better each person is prepared on each text, the easier it is to respond and the better the feedback and discussion will be for the whole group.

More instructions will be given when you register for the workshop.