InterVarsity's StudentSoul.org

Last week we featured some “Good guides for investigating God.” Maybe you’ve decided to pull some people together for a discussion group. This week we’ve spotted a how-to guide to help you get started and some video resources that will spark discussion.

InterVarsity GIG Guide (pdf file)

What’s a GIG (Group Investigating God)? Why are they worth doing? How does one get started? Who would I invite? Are there any models to follow? Any sample studies to use? Okay, enough questions. Suffice it to say that this guide covers them all, and offers several studies in the book of Luke. This resource is very practical and attractively laid out. It’s definitely worth printing out and using.

History & Jesus

This is the section about Jesus at bethinking.org, a UK website that collects some of the best Christian thinking and communicating resources. There are hundreds of interesting articles and audio talks for you to use and think through. The website is sponsored by uccf:thechristianunions in partnership with some other organizations. Check out the nav bar on the left for a lot more topics. Have a spot of tea as you go exploring, but don’t forget to do your homework.

What Jesus isn’t like

These four videos are hilarious spoofs covering four scenes from an old Jesus movie. Voices are overdubbed to put words into the mouths of Jesus and his disciples. Originally created for Vintage21, a church in Raleigh, NC, they have become so popular that the church’s Web servers were overloaded, and now Google Video is their location. Note: these are satire. As the church site explains, “Vintage21 had a four week series on Jesus Christ, taking a deeper look at what He said and did. It was difficult at times to get past our preconceived notions that had been developed by staunch, starched Sunday School classes of old. This is a satirical look at what some people think Jesus is like. Thank goodness He’s not.” Each of these four videos is worth watching and discussing. Gather ‘round the monitor . . .

Glad You Asked

This is a DVD-based video curriculum from the UK designed to promote discussion around the most-asked questions about God. The questions were selected from a survey of students and others across Great Britain and Europe, and they match well what American students are asking. The videos are being tried this fall on some campuses here in the U.S., so this is a tentative recommendation. You can be one of the first to give these a try! Sessions cover questions such as Does God matter? Does God exist? How can God allow pain? and more, as well as claims Jesus made. The site includes short video samples from the DVD, so you can check them out and come away speaking with a British accent! There are other good links at the site as well.