Serendipity Bible: For Personal and Small Group Study [Paperback]

Lyman Coleman (Author), Richard V Peace (Editor), Brenda Quinn (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 24, 1996

Life-changing Bible studies for small groups * Everything you need to lead a group Bible study * Thousands of penetrating study questions * 60 course plans for 10 different kinds of groups Leading a small group just got easier Hot coffee, donuts, and hearts that are hungry for more than just snacks---all the makings of a great Bible study group. Get the most out of your times together with the NIV Serendipity Bible. You don't have to be a gifted teacher or leader to make it happen. The Serendipity Bible gives you everything you need in one practical, flexible, easy-to-use package. It provides Bible study leaders with ready-made, life-changing discussion questions on any passage of Scripture. In-text study questions help groups open discussion, dig deeper into the meaning of a passage, and reflect on life application. The 200 studies and 60 course plans address the needs of ten different groups, including men, women, singles, youth, and more. With the ready-made studies in the Serendipity Bible, the only thing a group leader has to prepare in the coffee! Features include: * Thousands of penetrating study questions * 60 felt-need course plans for ten different kinds of groups * 16 topical study courses offer basic and deeper question tracks for study * 200 Bible story questionnaires offer another study alternative * Separate studies for each book of the Bible * Lectionary-based Bible studies for churches that follow the church year calendar * 200 general group studies address the needs of ten different groups, including men, women, singles, youth, recovery, and more * 'Open-Dig-Reflect' questions help you discover each other's hearts and apply God's Word to your life * 32 two-color introduction pages help you use this Bible more effectively * Presentation page

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Life-changing Bible studies for small groups • Everything you need to lead a group Bible study • Thousands of penetrating study questions • 60 course plans for 10 different kinds of groups

Leading a small group just got easier Hot coffee, donuts, and hearts that are hungry for more than just snacks—all the makings of a great Bible study group. Get the most out of your times together with the NIV Serendipity Bible. You don’t have to be a gifted teacher or leader to make it happen. The Serendipity Bible gives you everything you need in one practical, flexible, easy-to-use package. It provides Bible study leaders with ready-made, life-changing discussion questions on any passage of Scripture. In-text study questions help groups open discussion, dig deeper into the meaning of a passage, and reflect on life application. The 200 studies and 60 course plans address the needs of ten different groups, including men, women, singles, youth, and more. With the ready-made studies in the Serendipity Bible, the only thing a group leader has to prepare in the coffee!

Features include: • Thousands of penetrating study questions • 60 felt-need course plans for ten different kinds of groups • 16 topical study courses offer basic and deeper question tracks for study • 200 Bible story questionnaires offer another study alternative • Separate studies for each book of the Bible • Lectionary-based Bible studies for churches that follow the church year calendar • 200 general group studies address the needs of ten different groups, including men, women, singles, youth, recovery, and more • "Open-Dig-Reflect" questions help you discover each other’s hearts and apply God’s Word to your life • 32 two-color introduction pages help you use this Bible more effectively • Presentation page

About the Author

Lyman Coleman is one of the pioneers of the small group movement. He is a graduate of Baylor University, where he first became involved in small group ministry through the Navigators and Young Life. At New York University, he wrote his first program for small groups, Growth by Groups, which combines the spiritual disciples of the Navigators with the group accountability of Alcoholics Anonymous. Since the 1960s, Lyman has produced many training courses that have trained over 500,000 people in seminars held throughout North America. Lyman is the general editor of the Serendipity New Testament, the Serendipity Bible for Group and Personal Study, and the Serendipity Student Bible.

Richard Peace is Associate Professor of Evangelism and Media at Gordon-Conwell Seminary. He obtained a BD degree from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a PhD at the University of Natal in South Africa. He is one of the founding members of African Enterprise, an international, interdenominational team of men working in Africa to assist the churches with evangelism. His professional experience ranges from university lecturing (in mathematics and engineering) to geological research. He is married and has two daughters.

Brenda Quinn, former staff editor for Serendipity House and editorial coordinator for MOPS International, Inc., is cowriter of study guides for both 'The Jesus I Never Knew' and 'What's So Amazing About Grace?' She coauthored the devotional 'Meet the Bible' with Philip Yancey. Brenda lives with her husband and son in Colorado.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 1808 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan; 4th edition (September 24, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310937329
• ISBN-13: 978-0310937326
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #150,965 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lyman Coleman is one of the pioneers of the small group movement. He is a graduate of Baylor University, where he first became involved in small group ministry through the Navigators and Young Life. At New York University, he wrote his first program for small groups, Growth by Groups, which combines the spiritual disciples of the Navigators with the group accountability of Alcoholics Anonymous. Since the 1960s, Lyman has produced many training courses that have trained over 500,000 people in seminars held throughout North America. Lyman is the general editor of the Serendipity New Testament, the Serendipity Bible for Group and Personal Study, and the Serendipity Student Bible.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Serendipity Bible NIV, December 23, 1999

By 

T. James (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Serendipity Bible: For Personal and Small Group Study (Paperback)

I was first introduced to this Bible when I was 14 years old; that was 16 years ago. I have since used this Bible to help teens get into reading God's word daily and journaling the questions and answers. This Bible was designed with group study in mind but I have found it to be one of the best for individual daily study as well. It has thought provoking questions that really help you think about what you have read and makes it applicable to your life. I have had teens tell me that they just couldn't get into reading God's word because it was hard to understand and boring. When I gave them this Bible they were amazed at how now they were understanding and excited to read. The questions in the margins and the short bible studies within the books helped make it more than words on a page. I HIGHLY SUGGEST THIS BIBLE FOR TEENS.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely love this Bible, February 5, 2007

By 

theologicalresearcher "theologicalresearcher" (Canada) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Serendipity Bible: For Personal and Small Group Study (Paperback)

If anyone is looking for a Bible that aids in group Bible studies then this Bible is the one for you. Many Bible study teachers often lack the knowledge to guide members in a thorough study of the Bible. This is due to the fact that there are no proper guides in many of the study Bibles that are out there (though the "NIV Study Bible" and the "Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible" are somewhat exceptions). The problem with many study Bibles is that they just provide brief commentaries on the passage at the bottom. The problem, however, with this is that they do not challenge the reader to critically examine the passage themselves. It provides explanations but does not push readers to think through the passage. This Bible, however, provides a series of questions at the side of the page for the readers to think through carefully. This greatly aids teachers and readers to ask the relevant questions pertaining to a passage to effectively lead a study group.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have for EVERY Bible Teacher!, August 19, 2005

By 

R. Chromey "rocknrollperfesser" (Someplace in eastern KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Serendipity Bible: For Personal and Small Group Study (Paperback)

I've been training Christian college students for 13 years now in Christian education and if there was only ONE resource for effective Bible teaching I could issue as a textbook, it would be "The Serendipity Bible."

Bar none, the best Bible teaching resource you can get your hands on.

Why? Because the secret to Bible teaching comes from the golf course. If you want learning to occur you have to "drive for show (be creative) but putt for dough (spark understanding and application of the Word). Creativity is vitally important to teaching the scriptures (the first step to boredom is predictability) but if you can't invoke insight, thought, reflection, application and understanding, you'll never win in effective Bible teaching.

This resource won't help you be more creative (plenty of great other resources there) but it will do the ONE thing most Bible teachers can't do: ask the RIGHT questions! Even seasoned professors may never learn that lesson. The Serendipity Bible solves the "question" hurdle. It powerfully packs into every Bible passage helpful introduction, study and application questions. It's a perfect companion for creating excellent small group studies, handouts or spontaneous Bible discussion times.

To tell you the truth, I rarely write reviews for books but this one is different. Once you start using it, you won't want to be without it. Guaranteed.

A Professor of Christian Education and Youth Ministry