It’s Thursday evening in a small town in a small city in North America. Around 50 young people aged 13 and above have gathered at the church premises in Delaware. When they pick up their phones that evening, it’s not just to check social media—but to find their status in the Bible study project.
They are participating in the international Bible study project “Ladder to Heaven.” Up until Easter, the participants are reading through the Gospel of John. The young people are divided into groups and compete against each other. They earn points for following the reading plan and answering questions about what they have read.
As a joint start, local churches around the world organize a kick-off for all the participants.
Comprehensible language
Patrick Beachy (21) is organizing the evening in Delaware. He explains:
– The kick-off was both fun and engaging, and the decor team really got to show off their creativity. There was a pleasant atmosphere with singing, and a quiz about God’s Word.
The evening aims to inspire young people to participate in the Bible project. The content is explained in comprehensible language – there is a low threshold for participation. At their own game nights, young people get together to explore topics in an entertaining way.
“These evenings are what I’m looking forward to the most,” says Naomi (13), who is one of the youngest in the target group.
Close to Jesus
The lights go off in the hall in Delaware. The trailer for “Escaping Esau,” a film produced for the upcoming Easter camp, begins playing on the screen. Melanie Ruhe (19) is impressed:
– My favorite part of the evening was watching the trailer. It had a powerful message, and I’m looking forward to seeing the whole film!
Isn’t it boring for young people to get involved in something that happened 2000 years ago?
“No,” says Patrick, who believes that the topic is very relevant:
This project is special because we focus on the apostle John, who was close to Jesus during his lifetime and who was entrusted with revealing to us us what was to come. It is therefore valuable to read what someone so closely involved with and trusted by Jesus has written.
Moving forward and making progress
Isaiah (13) shares what he takes away from tonight’s message:
– It is no use being half-hearted – you must go all-in to live according to God’s commandments and get hold of sanctification.
Tim (17) also emphasizes this:
– The ladder in the theme “Ladder to Heaven” symbolizes God’s help on the way to perfection. Each step represents light we receive, which we can use to move forward and make progress.
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