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    Finding Bethlehem in the Midst of Bedlam Leader Guide: An Advent Study
    Finding Bethlehem in the Midst of Bedlam Leader Guide: An Advent Study
    Finding Bethlehem in the Midst of Bedlam Leader Guide: An Advent Study
    Ebook48 pages38 minutes

    Finding Bethlehem in the Midst of Bedlam Leader Guide: An Advent Study

    By James W. Moore and Joseph Crowe

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    About this ebook

    Christmas or confusion, Bethlehem or bedlam . . . Which will you choose this year? The truth is, we don’t have to choose, because Christmas always happens right in the midst of our chaos. God breaks into our noisy disorder and is made known in Jesus Christ. Christmas and confusion—weren’t they intimately related at the first Christmas when Jesus was born? Sometimes we forget that. That’s what this study is about—how Christ breaks into our chaos and confusion and brings Christmas—how Bethlehem always happens in the midst of bedlam.

    The re-introduction of this all-church Advent study, which features a new Leader Guide and DVD, has five sessions—one for each Sunday of Advent and one for Christmas. Each chapter includes questions for reflection and discussion, a brief prayer, a focus for the week, and six daily Bible readings for personal devotional time during the week.

    The Leader Guide is designed to be used alongside the DVD. It will enable a small group leader to facilitate a weekly discussion about Finding Bethlehem in the Midst of Bedlam using the five DVD sessions as its starting point. Questions and activities will guide group participants to discuss and understand each chapter in greater depth. The DVD and Leader Guide are not a substitute for the book, but a guide for discussing the book in small groups.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAbingdon Press
    Release dateSep 15, 2015
    ISBN9781501805004
    Finding Bethlehem in the Midst of Bedlam Leader Guide: An Advent Study
    Author

    James W. Moore

    James W. Moore (1938–2019) was an acclaimed pastor and ordained elder in The United Methodist Church. He led congregations in Jackson, TN; Shreveport, LA; and Houston, TX. The best-selling author of over 40 books, including Yes, Lord, I Have Sinned, But I Have Several Excellent Excuses, he also served as minister-in-residence at Highland Park United Methodist Church.

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      Book preview

      Finding Bethlehem in the Midst of Bedlam Leader Guide - James W. Moore

      Introduction:

      How to Lead This Study

      Finding Bethlehem in the Midst of Bedlam is a small-group study about how Christ breaks through our confusion to bring us the peace and love of Christmas. There are five sessions in this study, including one for each week of Advent and one for Christmas. (For more information about the meaning and symbolism behind Advent and Christmas, and their relationship to each other, visit www.umc.org/what-we-believe/what-is-advent.)

      For this study, in addition to this leader guide you will need the accompanying DVD, as well as the book Finding Bethlehem in the Midst of Bedlam: An Advent Study for Adults, by James W. Moore. While this group study will include discussion and activities related to the video clips you will see on the DVD, it will also draw upon content from the book. As the leader, you will want to read the book carefully in advance, make notes and highlight important topics, and familiarize yourself with each chapter. It is highly recommended that each participant in your small group have a copy of the book as well, and that group members spend time on their own reading and reflecting upon the content before the group meeting. This will enable better participation and will provide your group with a deeper, more beneficial experience of the study. Daily devotionals are included in each chapter of the book to guide personal reading throughout the week.

      If you have limited experience leading a small group, don’t worry. This study is designed to take you and your group through each session in an easy-to-follow way. Think of yourself more as a facilitator and a guide for your group, as you will also be a participant along the journey. Taking time to prepare for each session in advance will help you to be more comfortable in your role as the group’s guide.

      Below are some of the things you will want to think about and prepare for in advance of your group’s meeting each week.

      Meeting Space

      Arrange for a space that can comfortably accommodate all of the members of your group. Each week, make sure there are a sufficient number of comfortable seats, good lighting, and an outside noise-level that won’t make group discussion difficult. If you will be meeting in a room at church or some other public facility, be certain to reserve the room in advance for the particular days and times you will need it. You may also want to decorate your meeting space with an Advent wreath or Christmas decorations. (For more information about the symbolism of the Advent wreath, visit www.umc.org/what-we-believe/what-do-the-candles-in-our-advent-wreath-mean.)

      Supplies

      Make sure each week that you have access to a television and a DVD player that are in good working order, as well as an adequate power source for them. If you know you will be doing an activity for which you’d like to have participants find information online, make sure your meeting space has accessible Internet connectivity, and check it in advance. During the time your group members are arriving and greeting one another, you may want to play some quiet, thoughtful music on a CD or on a handheld device, to set a tone for peacefulness, reflection, and immersion into God’s message. You

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