MINISTRY GROUPS

BIBLE STUDY

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In the late 60's two women, Dorothy Towne and Betty Ruddell had answered a persistent call from the Lord to study His Word and pass it on to their Catholic brothers and sisters. Unbeknownst to one another, they each enrolled in Bible Study Fellowship in the Long Beach area. On the last day of their 5-year pursuit, they discovered one another and set out to bring Bible Study to Catholics in Long Beach.

 In 1976, upon hearing a Bible Study promotional talk by Dorothy, a member of Our Lady of Refuge, Carol Cusator, went immediately to the pastor, Msgr. Daly, and asked for permission to have a Bible Study at the parish. Monsignor agreed. So on June 1, 1976, Bible Study was born at OLR and has remained in operation to this day.

Today there are two classes each week:

Monday Morning

9:30 - 11:30, in the Religious Education Center.  Class resumes on September 10, 2007.

Tuesday Evening

 7:30 - 9:15, in the Religious Education Center.  Class resumes on September 25, 2007.

Both classes will conclude the second week of June, 2008, followed by a summer recess until the following September.

Anyone 18 years or older can join either class. There is a charge for the class depending on the cost of the book to be studied. Also there is a homework assignment for each class. We need to be reading Scripture every day so that we can grow steadily in our faith, in our ability to hear God when He speaks to us, in our ability to pray in a way to get our prayers answered.

Just as we cannot remain physically healthy by eating food once a week, we cannot remain spiritually healthy by touching base with God once a week. God wants to be an intimate part of our lives and no intimacy can arise out of a one hour a week contact.   
Our bishops urge us to read, study and reflect on Sacred Scripture in which "the Father who is in heaven meets his children with great love and speaks with them . . ." (Vatican II Constitution on Divine Revelation, No. 21). Jesus is not only someone to be studied but someone to be met and lived with every day.
 

Since its beginning 25 years ago, the Bible Study program at OLR has used a dynamic method of combining Scripture study with prayer to teach people how to read, understand, and--above all-- to apply God's Word to daily life, transforming mere believers into "doers of the Word." And we don't have to be experts to discover the message God holds for us in His Word.  

Links

If you would like to deepen your knowledge of the Bible, click on the following links:

SPIRITUAL GROWTH MINISTRIES