How To Get Involved - Studying Together
Studying the Bible with other like-minded folk is a great way to get into God's word. Precept Ministries Scotland offers 4 main ways to study with others using Precept study materials:
- Join an existing Precept study group
- Start & lead a new Precept study group (we're here to support you!)
- Join a 'virtual' Precept study group (on-line Sky-PUP and off-line e-PUP options are available)
- Attend a Precept training course
1. Join an existing Precept study group!
| PRECEPT BIBLE STUDY GROUPS IN SCOTLAND (updated 18 January 2012) |
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| Note: A good number of Precept groups do not wish to be listed on-line. To find out if there is a group near you, please contact us. |
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| Place | Day/time | Contact | Phone |
| Callander | Monday 9.30am | Ruth Jack | 01877-339433 |
| The Callander Ladies group is meeting weekly to study Living with Discernment in the End Times (1 & 2 Peter, Jude) (NISS) |
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| Dalbeattie | Thursday 2.00pm | Bevlyn Jamieson | 01556-610209 |
| The Dalbeattie group is meeting weekly to study Forgiveness: Breaking the Power of the Past (40 Min) |
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| Hamilton | Monday 10.00am | Agnes Hislop | 01698-324218 |
| The Hamilton group is meeting fortnightly to study Romans Part 2 (Chapters 6-8) - Life in the Spirit (In & Out) |
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| Kelty | Monday 9.30am | Carol Davis | 01383-839323 |
| Larkhall | Tuesday 10.00am & 7.30pm | Gordon Roeves | 01698-306437 |
| The Larkhall group is meeting weekly to study Isaiah Part 2 (PUP) |
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| Limekilns | Wednesday 2.00pm | Anna Bartholomew | Click here |
| The Limekilns group is meeting weekly to study Lord Help Me Grow Spiritually Strong (Lord) |
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| Newmachar | Monday & Friday 7.30pm | Christine Mair | 01651-862528 |
| The Newmachar group is meeting to study Experiencing the Miracles of Jesus (Mark) (NISS) |
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| Renfrew | Wednesday 9.45-11.15am | Liz Hawthorne | 0141-887-6119 |
| The Renfrew morning group is meeting fortnightly to study Discovering What The Future Holds (40 Min) |
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| Dunfermline | Monday 1.00pm | Andi Collington | 01383-842297 |
| The Dunfermline afternoon group is meeting weekly to study Understanding Spiritual Gifts (40 Min) |
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| Rosyth | Saturday 8.30am | Richard Simcock | 01383-412072 |
| The Rosyth men's breakfast group is meeting fortnightly to study Rising to the Call of Leadership (40 Min) |
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| Limekilns | Saturday 8.30am | Ian Bartholomew | 01383-873232 |
| The Limekilns men's breakfast group is meeting fortnightly to study The Essentials of Effective Prayer (40 Min) |
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The men's group at Rosyth meets fortnightlyfor BS2 (bacon 'sarnies' & Bible study!)
We are keen to post the contact details of all active Precept study groups in Scotland in the table above, so that those wishing to join a local study group can make contact direct with the group leader. So, if you are either the leader or a member of a Precept group, and you would wish your group's contact details to be posted here, please contact us as soon as possible! And, most importantly, if you are looking for a Precept study group, but there is not one near you listed in the table above, likewise please contact us.
2. Start & lead a new Precept study group!
Do you have a heart to see others get deeper into the Word of God? A desire not just for your own life to be changed, but to see other’s lives changed too?
The Precept Bible study group atPark Baptist Church, Dalbeattie, meets weekly
And do you know that all Precept materials, particularly the 40-minute and NISS studies, are designed to be used in groups as well as for individual study?
If you know of just one other person with whom you would like to work through a Precept study, then you can be a group leader. With the exception of PUP-level studies, you don’t need any formal training or qualifications, just a love of His Word. Time and again we’ve seen how God blesses “when two or three are gathered in His Name”.
So please feel free to start a group – and if you’re happy to invite others to join you, please let the Precept Scotland office know so that we can put you in touch with anyone in your local area who has expressed an interest in joining a group.
Most importantly, you'll not be on your own! We will do our utmost to provide you with support, advice and encouragement. We are very keen to meet up with local Precept study groups wherever they are in Scotland (no charge!), and to help new leaders and groups to get established. Do please contact us to find out more!
3. Join a 'virtual' Precept study group!
Some people who would like to join a face-to-face Precept study group are unable to do so because of the constraints of geography and/or their personal & work commitments. If you're one of these people and have access to a broadband internet connection, then there are two options for 'getting' together' with others for Bible study:
- Join our on-line sky-PUP study group, using Skype to communicate ('sky-PUP' is short for 'Skype Precept Upon Precept'), or
- Join our off-line e-PUP study group, using e-mail to communicate ('e-PUP' is short for 'e-mail Precept Upon Precept').
Sky-PUP students meet on-line using the free-of-charge Skype conference call facility. As Skype's video facility is limited to conversations between two terminals, Sky-PUP students can only hear each other - maybe not such a bad thing?! Currently, there is one Sky-PUP group that 'meets' fortnightly, led by Anna Bartholomew. If you would like to know more, please contact Anna.
In principle, the e-PUP study cycle is the same as a conventional group studying PUP-level Bible study material, in that students first complete the assigned Lesson at home and then meet for a structured discussion, led by a qualified PUP Leader; the group then moves on to study the next Lesson. However, as e-PUP students are not able to physically meet together to discuss their findings, a 'virtual' meeting is convened by e-mail.
The e-PUP cycle (normally 3 weeks) is controlled by the e-PUP group leader (Anna Bartholomew), who e-mails a timetable to all students, outlining the target dates for:
- students to complete personal study of the Lesson at home,
- the leader to send out an e-mail to students containing discussion questions relating to the Lesson just studied,
- the students to send an e-mail to the leader containing their written response to the discussion questions, and
- the leader to send out an e-mail to the students containing a distillation of the various responses received from the students.
In this way, as would happen in a 'live' group discussion, students are able to benefit from the insights of their fellow group members.
The following PUP courses are currently available for study by e-mail:
- Jude
- Revelation Part 1 (Chapters 1-3)
- Revelation Part 2 (Chapters 4-22)
Still unsure? Take a look at 'Hey Jude!', the testimony of an e-PUP student who recently completed the PUP course on the book of (how did you guess?) Jude!
If this method of study appeals to you, please contact Anna.
4. Attend a Precept training course!
Whether you are new to inductive Bible study or 'an old hand', attending a Precept seminar or workshop is a great way to build your study skills, and to meet others in the Precept Scotland 'family'. To find out more about the training courses we offer, click here.
