Leaders

Campus Bible Study Leaders

Welcome to Term 3!

“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:5b-6)

We are looking forward to studying Revelation and helping the campus Meet Jesus. Find Life. with all of you. Thank you for partnering with us to reach UNSW and shepherd God’s people in prayer and word!

Term 3 Mission is here! There are opportunities to pray, invite friends, meet strangers at the Toastie stalls and on walk up, and read Uncover John. Of course there are Mission Talks as well in week 3. Who will you invite? How will you keep having gospel conversations? How can you help your group partner in Mission? 

Below is some information that we hope will serve you as you lead – knowing what is happening and what is coming up. We’re praying for you, please let us know if we can do anything to support you as you lead.

In Christ,

Tim & Kitty

Leading a Bible Study

Bible Studies are an excellent context for teaching, training, pastoral care, community, evangelism, modelling, support, outreach, and… you get the idea 😉 They are a really valuable ministry and we are very thankful for your service in this area!

The general structure will be meeting for an hour each week of Term. In your hour, aim to spend roughly 30–40 mins understanding and applying God’s word, 15 mins in prayer, and a bit of relational bump-time, culture setting, announcements, and buffer time around the edges. See what works for your group.

Alongside this, we would love you to model and encourage engaging with The Bible Talks. You might go together as a Bible Study. If some can’t make it, encourage them to catch-up on the Podcast (you can find it on Spotify or Apple Podcasts).

Especially for first years and those new to growth groups, keep reaching out and connecting personally with those in your group. Keep an eye out for all your members! You don’t have to do this alone! Do organise for others in your group to meet with or follow-up with other group members and chat to your faculty trainee to coordinate.

Let’s keep being prayerful in our leadership, and if we can do anything to support you, just ask!

 

Key Dates

  • Week 1-3: Meet Jesus. Find Life. Mission
  • Week 3: Mission Talks
  • Week 6: CBS Day @ Flex week
  • Week 10: CBS Thanksgiving (14 Nov)
  • NTE Conference & Mission (9-15 Dec)
CBS 50th – 15 March 2025

Teaching Overview

This term we are studying the book of Revelation, in both Bible studies and at The Bible Talks. We pray this will grow us in patient endurance, following the Lamb who has conquered by his blood. 

In week 1, there is a pre-written study on Rev 1 to help you get started for the term.

Bible Studies: Revelation 1

The Bible Talks: Revelation 1

Bible Studies: Walk up

The Bible Talks: Revelation 2-3

Bible Studies: Revelation 3

The Bible Talks: Mission Talks

Bible Studies: Revelation 4-5

The Bible Talks: Revelation 5

Bible Studies: Revelation 6-7

The Bible Talks: Revelation 7

Bible Studies & The Bible Talks: Revelation Topical

Bible Studies: Revelation 8

The Bible Talks: Revelation 8-11

Bible Studies: Revelation 12:1-13:10

The Bible Talks: Revelation 11:19-15:4

Bible Studies: Revelation 19

The Bible Talks: Revelation 15:5-19:10

Bible Studies: Revelation 22

The Bible Talks: Revelation 19:11-22:21

Training

Bible Study Leader's Training (BLT)

BLT will run weekly during Core Training hours on Tues 3pm and Thurs 2pm from week 1. If at all possible, it is expected that you will be at one of these hours. Let a trainee in your faculty know if you cannot make it and your trainee can support you.

Core

We expect that you will have completed Strand 4 – Serving Growth Groups by the time you are a Campus Growth Group leader, but if not, do it in your first term of leading (hopefully you have chatted with your ministry trainee about this!). 

Meet Jesus. Find Life. (Term 3 Mission)

We want everyone to Meet Jesus and Find Life. In week 1-3, we will invite our friends and the campus through bookmarks, Toastie stalls and walk up. During week 3, we will have Mission Talks: campusbiblestudy.org/meetjesus/

What a great term to invite our friends and new contacts to read Uncover John with us! How can you help your group partner in Mission?

1 Timothy 4:15-16

Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

English Standard Version

Expectations

Hopefully you all went through this with a trainee before you committed to leading, but if not, these are our broad expectations of Bible study leaders.

“Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” 1 Tim 4:15-16

Practice these things (What is your role as a leader?)

  • Pray for your group (pray for the individuals, for your time together, for growth and evangelism – if you desire your group to be or achieve something, pray for it)
  • Attend a leaders’ team and work with your co-leader to faithfully prepare for the study
  • Work out how to care for your group (this doesn’t mean doing everything yourself!) – aim for everyone in your group to be met up with 1-1 at least once in the Term (which may be you and your co-leader diving up the group for one-off catch-ups, or dividing up the group to meet in a number of 1-1s…or even Bible Triplets!)
  • Follow up group members, particularly unbelievers and those not coming regularly
  • Seek to train up other leaders in the group (start by giving them responsibilities in small ways, but it could also mean asking them to lead a study)
  • In a mixed group, the expectation is that the male will lead the studies, rather than the female. Yet they are both in a leadership position, and so are to prepare together and to look after the group together (1 Tim 2:8-15, 1 Cor 11).
  • Engage in personal evangelism – model, pray for and encourage evangelism in your group
  • Be an active and regular member of your local church

Keep a close watch on yourself (What areas of godliness have you been growing in? What are you struggling with?)

  • See 1 Tim 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9 for expectations of leaders regarding godliness (self-controlled; humble; growing in maturity; not a recent convert; not addicted to alcohol; not greedy; sexual purity). In summary, people who are growing in maturity.
  • Show progress in godliness (1 Tim 4:15-16) – this is to be an encouragement and example to your group
    Be above reproach in your godliness (is there anything that you don’t want exposed?)
  • Don’t date an unbeliever

And on the teaching– these are taken from AFES doctrinal statement (What do you disagree with? What don’t you understand?)

  • The divine inspiration and infallibility of Holy Scripture as originally given and its supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
  • The unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead.
  • The universal sinfulness and guilt of humanity since the fall, rendering men and women subject to God’s wrath and condemnation.
  • The conception of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit and his birth by the virgin Mary.
  • Redemption from the guilt, penalty and power of sin only through the sacrificial death, as our representative and substitute, of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God.
  • The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
  • The necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit to make the death of Christ effective in the individual sinner, granting him or her repentance towards God, and faith in Jesus Christ.
  • The indwelling and work of the Holy Spirit in the believer.
  • The expectation of the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Persist in these things (How are you growing yourself and your group?)

  • Commitment to regular personal Bible reading and prayer
  • Commitment to personal evangelism
  • TBT
  • MYC
  • Core theology
  • Core training (if you haven’t done Growth Groups, it’d be great to do that as you lead a Bible study)
  • Faculty leaders’ team where possible, and combined leaders’ training in Wk 1 of each Term (during the Core Theology hours)

Simon Sheely

Simon did his traineeship at CBS before studying at Moore College.  He will return to pastor the Unichurch congregation.  Having lived in one of the colleges while studying, he is well equipped to minister to the residents at the university.  He is married to Ange.

Ross Ireland

Ross did his traineeship at CBS before studying at Moore College.  He will return to be the dedicated evangelist on the team and will also serve the wider ministry enabling communication between students, grads, and supporters.  He is married to Lilian and has two children.

Talar Khatchoyan

Talar graduated Moore College in 2018 and has served at Yagoona Anglican and Naremburn/Cammeray Anglican Church.

Dr. Jerome Jayasekera

Jerome was born in Malaysia, grew up in the US and spent time in Egypt. Having come to faith as a postgraduate student at uni, he loves the opportunities that uni life opens up to encountering Jesus. He is super keen to help everyone at uni, particularly postgrads and academics, find true meaning and life in Jesus. He loves spending time with his family, outdoor activities, and engaging in thought provoking conversations.

CORE
TRAINING

Because the Christian life is about service, CORE Training is a series of practical small group training courses. They will equip you to know and share what you believe, to read the Bible on your own and with others, to lead a Bible Study group, and help you transition from Uni to the rest of your life!

Make the most of your university years to be equipped to serve now and well into the future!

CORE
THEOLOGY

If God has made the world and the Bible tells us how we are to live in the world, theology is all about knowing God truly and learning to view the world with His eyes.

CORE Theology is a fun and engaging weekly seminar that won’t let you sit back with indifference. Wherever you are, we want to stretch your thinking and firm-up your foundation to live rightly in service of God and others!