Jennifer Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 I am Roman Catholic, and quite happy being so, except for the fact that our parish offers nothing as far as small group Bible Studies, activities for kids and families, etc. Through my homeschooling group I have tried different churches womens groups but they are not very welcoming and I definitely get the feeling they all think I am going to hell. Are Lutherans more accepting of Catholics? Thanks! Jennifer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 What kind of Lutheran? There are several branches. My LCMS church groups and bible studies would feel pretty comfortable to a Catholic, and would be pretty accepting, but we're on the "high church" and "conservative" side compared to many of the Lutheran churches in the area. I would also add that if you find an LCMS church that has a school, they tend to be very accepting of different forms of Christianity, simply because so many of the school families come from different denominations (and at least at my DD's former school, that included a decent number of Catholics who didn't like the archdiocese schools for one reason or another). Most of the graduates of my DD's former school go to Catholic high schools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Can you start one and ask for deacon to help? I feel so badly, I must have a hopping parish. :confused: But I DO know that it's the parishioners that are on fire and starting all of the groups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 If worse comes to worst I'd be willing to do a distance (via email/IM) Bible study with you. We might even have enough Catholics here willing to participate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktog29 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 I participated in a Bible study (that was more of a book study) at an LCMS church...they welcomed all faiths and we had more Catholics than Lutherans there. I do feel that it's important to know and understand where the doctrinal differences are so you can explain/defend the Catholic position should it come up. My dear friend who is Catholic still participates and shares about the Catholic faith often as issues come up. YMMV... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 There must be a variety of Bible studies for adults available through the Catholic general publishers and Catholic homeschool publishers. Check their catalogues. I bet you all could muster a supportive group and learn a lot throughout the study! Not as good as "in person" groups, but definitely worth trying, I think. One of my close friends is an Orthodox woman whom I met on an Internet board. We never have met in person, but have corresponded via e-mail for some years now, and have a solid close friendship. We call on the phone pretty often. So I bet you all can do the same! If worse comes to worst I'd be willing to do a distance (via email/IM) Bible study with you. We might even have enough Catholics here willing to participate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avila Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Have you checked with any of the other local parishes? My old parish had nothing. My new one has something for everybody. :D. I feel pretty blessed because I have never been able to go to any other Christian Bible study without feeling like an outsider, so having one at my parish is wonderful. If there is any possibility of finding a Catholic one, I would highly suggest it! Or we can do what Chucki suggests and start on online one for WTM boardies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 (edited) I would also suggest that you ask for your parish to start a bible study group. I know that being able to discuss it as a group is really helpful, but if that's not possible, there are some great bible studies on DVD. I can't remember the one we have done part of, but it was excellent. You could easily watch the DVDs as a family and then talk about it together. I'll do some googling and see if I can find it. ETA: I'm not seeing it, but as I'm thinking about it that one was more geared towards adults. In googling I found a lot that look great for families. Edited June 24, 2011 by Teachin'Mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeidiKC Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 I am Roman Catholic, and quite happy being so, except for the fact that our parish offers nothing as far as small group Bible Studies, activities for kids and families, etc. Through my homeschooling group I have tried different churches womens groups but they are not very welcoming and I definitely get the feeling they all think I am going to hell. Are Lutherans more accepting of Catholics? Thanks! Jennifer Does your parish have some sort of Faith Formation committee? If so, maybe suggest (or worse, join!) that they add a Bible study. Our church does a 6-week study during Advent and another during Lent. That way it isn't TOO much a commitment for people that aren't sure, and also a good way to test the waters for people. The put people in groups of about 10, based on time available, sometimes age, etc. So there might be a young mom's group Tuesday 10AM, and a couples group Wednesday 7pm, a mixed-age women's group Friday at 1pm, etc. Many of the groups that really clicked then went on to form their own Bible studies during the rest of the year. Otherwise I'd think you could find a Bible study at a church that was more mainstream Protestant (such as Presbyterian, Methodist or Episcopal - as you mentioned). I think it probably the "born again" Christians that might be harder to fit in with as a Catholic. Good luck! I do find that the Catholic Bible studies don't seem to be as good as those of other Christians! Bummer. I guess partly because historically (and unfortunately) Catholics as individuals have not been encouraged to read the Bible on their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 (edited) I found the one I was looking for! I can't believe the price is so low. I'm going to keep this in mind for Christmas. :) I highly recommend this!!! Edited to add the missing link: http://www.amazon.com/Great-Adventure-Bible-Timeline-24-Week/dp/1932645985/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1308960256&sr=8-2 ETA: The above link is for the book set only - which accompanies the DVDs. The DVDs cost about $400. Just a heads up. Edited June 26, 2011 by Teachin'Mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 If worse comes to worst I'd be willing to do a distance (via email/IM) Bible study with you. We might even have enough Catholics here willing to participate. Or we can do what Chucki suggests and start on online one for WTM boardies. I would be interested in this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Okay, that is 3. Jennifer, let us know if you want to do this online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquinas Academy Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I would be interested in this. Me too. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Okay, that is 3. Jennifer, let us know if you want to do this online. Me! Me! Me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Okay, that is 3. Jennifer, let us know if you want to do this online. I'd also be interested. :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrogMom5 Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I'll join you. Our church in VA did Little Rock Bible Study. It was pretty good. It was in-depth and had lots of discussion questions. I'm sure there are a lot of good Bible Studies to choose from. Denise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jelbe5 Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I am Lutheran (ELCA). The ELCA Lutheran churches are very welcoming of all . . . I hope you find a nice Bible study soon! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Now look whatcha started! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimnc Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Can I join in? :001_smile: I have seen a couple of places online with free Catholic Bible Studies in the past, I'll see if I can dig them up tomorrow afternoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanne in MN Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Our church has started the Great Adventures Bible Study by Jeff Cavin; it's Catholic and it's wonderful!! The GA went over the whole Bible in a nutshell kind of way. There are further studies by Cavin that go over different books of the Bible. the church bought the DVD series and participants paid $40 for their workpages, binder, charts and stuff. There were answers in the back, but you were encouraged to really think about what they answers might be first. We broke up into small groups, discussed our questions, then watched that week's DVD, which was wonderful. Don't know how much you want to spend, but with the answers in workpages and the DVDs you don't need some great Biblical leader. :) Maybe others in your church would want to join. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny_P Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Before I became Catholic, I attended a women's support group at a local Bible church. There was a Catholic woman in attendence, and I remember that she was not well respected by some of the older ladies. At the time I felt it was a very poor way to minister to her. That being said my parish doesn't seem to offer a lot of social activities. My dh loves the more traditional service and abhors band-style services. That being said, it's on my to do list to look into the mom's group at another Catholic church nearby. Things always seem to die during the summer here. I've been Catholic now for a little over a year and don't feel involved at all. I did join a Catholic homeschool group, but most of their meetings are about 30 minutes away, which doesn't make it too practical for parkdays and playdates, etc. To be honest, I've learned a lot from you ladies here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I found the one I was looking for! I can't believe the price is so low. I'm going to keep this in mind for Christmas. :) I highly recommend this!!! __________________ Link? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zuzu822 Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Our church has started the Great Adventures Bible Study by Jeff Cavin; it's Catholic and it's wonderful!! The GA went over the whole Bible in a nutshell kind of way. There are further studies by Cavin that go over different books of the Bible. the church bought the DVD series and participants paid $40 for their workpages, binder, charts and stuff. There were answers in the back, but you were encouraged to really think about what they answers might be first. We broke up into small groups, discussed our questions, then watched that week's DVD, which was wonderful. Don't know how much you want to spend, but with the answers in workpages and the DVDs you don't need some great Biblical leader. :) Maybe others in your church would want to join. Wow! Wish my parish offered this! I'd be interested in a study online/via email. too. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2a&z Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I'd love to join a Catholic online/email Bible Study, so count me in too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Link? Oh no I can't believe I forgot the link ... again!!! http://www.amazon.com/Great-Adventure-Bible-Timeline-24-Week/dp/1932645985/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1308960256&sr=8-2 And I also would love to join a bible study here - great idea!!! :) I'll go edit my post above to add the missing link. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 And I. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I think it's great that yall are going to do this online. I'm Lutheran (LCMS) and my church would welcome anyone to our Bible studies. We have one on Sunday morning, led by the Pastor, and two in people's homes on weeknights (studying specific books of the Bible), and one at the church on Wednesday mornings (working through a specific Bible study book with questions and a leaders' guide). We also have adult confirmation classes (similar to RCIA) and middle school age confirmation classes each week. All of these except the confirmation classes meet all summer as well as during the school year. (Of course, we also have Sunday School classes for elementary and middle school and high school kids on Sundays between services--those are a different animal though. We also have Vacation Bible School for 3 weeks during the summer.) By way of calibration, this is in a church with about 120 people worshipping per week, so not very large. I don't consider this a particularly big education offering. I'm on the Board of Education and we add other things in from time to time. For instance, this fall we are probably going to do a one day seminar on a Saturday about life in the Church, and the three main focii there. We might do another one on Church History as well. Last spring we added a half day Saturday class for children that studied Holy Week in depth, that was very successful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kertie Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Bible Study Fellowship will not give you flack;) for being Catholic. My mom has spent years there both participating and as a discussion leader, and has had lots of Catholics and Mormons and various other denominations/groups/pick the word that is least offensive--:D. They meet at a variety of different churches all over the world. http://www.bsfinternational.org/Home/tabid/53/Default.aspx One thing that might be problematic is that while they welcome EVERYONE to participate in the group study/lectures, I think that if you wanted to take on a leadership role, you'd have to agree with their statement of faith...which I'm quite sure isn't Roman Catholic;). The study is very structured, so if you don't like that...probably wouldn't be a good fit. All that said, I'm horrified that Bible study groups have not been welcoming to you. Just seems so backwards to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I would really encourage you to find a Catholic study. Personally, I would probably not attend a non-Catholic study. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwka Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 (edited) Catholic and classical Biblical Studies course online - complete 7 year program also: from My Catholic Faith delivered: Understanding the Scriptures course - with daily devo, videos, Bible studies, maps etc. based on Scott Hahn's book from Didache Series Edited June 26, 2011 by iwka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 You guys are the best! I would be very interested in doing a Bible study with all of you. Thanks for the advice. Jennifer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 (edited) Here we go. Online Bible Study Edited June 29, 2011 by Parrothead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roxanne23 Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 (edited) . Edited January 4, 2023 by roxanne23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Can you start one and ask for deacon to help? I feel so badly, I must have a hopping parish. :confused: But I DO know that it's the parishioners that are on fire and starting all of the groups. :iagree: In our parish it's the parishoners who start things. Talk to your RE director. They do adult education, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Here we go. Online Bible Study Wow, how'd you do that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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