What to Expect at Your First Bible Study (Even If You Have Never Opened a Bible)

If you have never been to a Bible study before, the idea of walking into one is a little strange. Maybe you picture a room full of people quoting chapter and verse, or someone pointing fingers and telling you what to believe. That is not what happens in our Wednesday evenings in Johannesburg — and it is not what most people who have never been to a Bible study actually end up finding.

The ten minutes before we start

We open the Google Meet at 7:20pm. The first ten minutes are honestly a little awkward in the best way — people are logging in, their coffee is not quite ready, the dog is barking somewhere, somebody is still on the train between Park and Rosebank. By 7:30pm, the screen is full of faces and we get going. You will probably recognise the moment. It is the same small chaos as any group of people settling in after a long day.

The actual Bible study

We do one passage, slowly. Last month it was the short letter of Paul to Philemon — four short chapters, one runaway slave, one Christian slave owner, one older friend trying to hold the two together. We read it out loud together. Then we ask three simple questions. What is the passage actually saying? What would it have meant to the first people who read it? Where do we see ourselves in it tonight?

You do not need to have an answer. You do not need to know what the book of Philemon is. You do not even need to bring a Bible — we put the text on screen. Most people who join us for the first time just listen for the first twenty minutes. By the second half, they are asking questions. That is normal.

The part nobody warns you about

Honest moment — the Bible study itself is usually the second most important thing that happens on a Wednesday night. The first is the five or ten minutes after, when nobody closes the tab. Someone from Randburg is asking Mr. Sim whether the next session will be on Colossians. A first-year student from Wits is telling Ms. Dora about a paper she is writing. Two regulars are debating whether Psalm 23 is really about sheep or really about rest. You will probably log off a little later than you planned. Most of us do.

What to bring, what to wear, what to expect

You. That is the only thing you need to bring. Wear whatever you would wear to work from home. Have a coffee or a glass of water. Turn your camera on if you want, leave it off if you do not — both are completely fine. The Google Meet link is sent out the day before. If you cannot find it, call Mr. Sim on +27 77 487 1295 and he will resend it.

What if I have questions I am too embarrassed to ask the group?

Save them. Bring them to the second session. Or call us during the week. There is no question that has surprised us in the last ten years of running this Bible study in Johannesburg — and the ones that feel most embarrassing to you are almost always the ones that start the best conversation in the room.

What next?

If you have read this far and you are still not sure, that is also a good reason to come. The first Wednesday is the hardest one. The second one is much easier. By the third one, you will probably start looking forward to it. That is the experience most of our regulars describe, and it is the experience we hope you will have too.

To get the Google Meet link, call +27 77 487 1295 or +27 67 442 4461 any weekday.