In the BCC Drammen Sande church, around 200 young people are doing this Bible study project. Each day they watch a short animated film. The project is structured as an introduction to put the message in its historical context, then the 107 verses of the Sermon on the Mount are analysed in the animated films. Each episode starts with Jesus’ own words. Then follows a fictional conversation between the disciples Peter and Matthew, who discuss what Jesus said and what it could mean. Each film, once viewed, is followed by the interactive task of the day.

– Each episode gives me something to think about, and a focus for the day, says Anne Kari (23) from Drammen Sande. She is one of the young people participating in the project, and explains why it’s relevant:

– Having each individual verse broken down and illustrated with examples makes me able to connect it to my daily life and make it relevant for me in my situations.

In the following months there will be several theme evenings discussing Matthew chapters 5,6 and 7, so that the points in all the different verses are clearly brought out. The concluding high point of the project will be a theme evening on this topic, at the Youth Easter Camp in April.

Volunteering – a vital part of what makes the project possible

As one of the volunteers whose efforts have made the whole project possible, Arvid André (27) is working to get the finished version distributed to the youth groups, to captivate their interest and help them better connect with what Jesus said.

He also voices one of the parts in the Norwegian version of the animation, and describes the impact that this has had.

– Firstly, Jesus’ closing words have made an impression on me. He ends the Sermon on the Mount by saying that those who do the words he speaks, build a life that stands firm through challenges and difficulties. That’s a very good reason to study carefully the words He speaks.

He also highlights volunteering as a distinctive feature of the project. Dedicated, zealous people, keen for today’s youth to gain a personal relationship with God, have worked to convey the content of the Sermon on the Mount in a new way. Countless hours of research have been done, a lot of time has been spent on designing the script, and in working to present the material.

– It’s something special to see the goodwill of the hundreds of volunteers who contribute to the project, everything from the preparations themselves, to translation and not least the local participation – this is the very definition of zeal, says Arvid André.

Youth mentors and homes are important players

So that as many of the young people who attend BCC congregations as possible can benefit from this project, mentors and youth leaders are indispensable local partners. In Drammen Sande, they meet the young people every week, reflect on the topics that have been raised during the week, and encourage them to take an interest in the important and contemporary message in what Jesus’ said.

– A project like this is an invaluable help for us mentors who are with the young people in different settings several days a week, says Andreas Espegard (32). He is a youth leader in Drammen Sande, and emphasizes its importance. – For my part, I would call the Sermon on the Mount the world’s most important message, and these films make the content so interesting and easy to understand. It opens up many good opportunities for conversation when you are together in small or large groups.

In the local church when there are evenings with themed broadcasts, adults are encouraged to open their homes and welcome visits from young people. Many have had good experiences of this from the previous Bible study project on the Book of Hebrews in 2020. Meeting like this also allows the important content from the Bible study project to be talked about across the generations.

Anne Kari has high hopes for the project and is looking forward to its continuation.

– I hope to gain a thorough but simple understanding of how I can live my life, according to God’s wish for me. The verses show which promises apply to me when I choose to follow what is written. It is so simple and hopeful, she says.

In the next article about the Bible study project, we will visit the home of a family that has young people visiting during a theme broadcast.

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