With acknowledgement to VrydagNuus, Kaapkerk, 18 October 2024
On Monday, 30 September, the CBS project manager, reverend Stephen Pedro, facilitated an ecumenical Contextual Bible Study (CBS) workshop at Stillebosch Retreat Farm.
This workshop was an initiative of the Task Team for Congregational Witness and was predominantly attended by ministers from the United Congregation Church (UCCSA), the Calvinist Protestant Church (CPC) and the Uniting Reformed Church of South Africa (URCSA).
During this workshop, the facilitator navigated the participants through the process of utilising the CBS method and its benefits for congregations.
It was refreshing to hear from the attendees how this method benefits their entire congregations. Most of them echoed the sentiment that CBS opens spaces for congregants to have deep and meaningful dialogues around the Bible.
Not only does CBS enable conversation amongst people, but during the workshop it was also established that this method of Bible reading brings about a tangible connection between the faith community and society at large. This connection between faith communities and societies indicates the relevance of the ancient Bible text for our context today. “It was clear from this workshop that CBS, as a Bible reading method, can help with creating spaces for meaningful discourse around faith and societal challenges,” said one of the attendees, rev. Randow Jantjies.
