Regular Bible Study classes have been running at Ridgeway Methodist Church since our present minster, Rev. Dr. John M. Haley, joined us in the autumn of 2002. Classes and are run on an informal basis. No prior knowledge of the text is expected or assumed, and the sessions include a time of singing and a time of prayer as well as the main study. Classes usually take place on Monday evenings at 7:30pm. Copies of past Bible Study notes are available to download here.
Since 2006 these classes have been based around modules offered by Moore College. For the autumn term of 2011 we are studying "Old Testament 4: The Writing". The schedule for these classes can be seen below. Everyone is welcome to attend the sessions.
NEW TESTAMENT 4
| Monday 9 January | 7.30 pm | Unit One Introduction to Hebrews |
| Monday 16 January | 7.30 pm | Unit Two Hebrews 1-4 |
| Monday 23 January | 7.30 pm | Unit Three Hebrews 5-10 |
| Monday 30 January | 7.30 pm | Unit Four Hebrews 10:19-13:25 |
| Monday 6 February | 7.30 pm | Unit Five The Epistle of James |
| Monday 13 and Monday 20 February |
- | HALF TERM No meeting |
| Monday 27 February | 7.30 pm | Unit Six 1 Peter 1-2 |
| Monday 5 March | 7.30 pm | Unit Seven 1 Peter 3-5 |
| Monday 12 March | 7.30 pm | Unit Eight Jude and 2 Peter |
| Monday 19 March | 7.30 pm | Unit Nine Revelation 1-3 |
| Monday 26 March | 7.30 pm | Unit Ten Revelation 4-22 |
The first series of classes, starting in autumn 2002, covered the New Testament letters of the apostle Paul. These studies were followed by a course entitled "The Twelve Great Subjects of Scripture" which ran through the spring and summer of 2003. From the autumn of 2003, the subject of the classes was "Matthew - the Teaching Gospel", a course which ran for about twelve months.
Following the series of classes on Matthew, our Outreach worker James Darby took a series of six video based studies in the autumn of 2004 on the book of Genesis, based on video lectures given by David Pawson. Bible Study classes returned to their previous format in 2005 with a new series of classes entitled "A Bird's-Eye View of the Old Testament". The aim of these classes was to give a brief overview of the Old Testament, explaining where some of the familiar stories fit into the big picture of the Christian faith. From the autumn of 2005 until Easter 2006 a series of classes looked at the Letter to the Hebrews. Notes from many of these classes are available here.
From the autumn of 2004, Rev. Haley also ran separate Bible Study classes using "Interactive Christian Extension Studies" (ICES) course books. The first such series of classes covered the Synoptic Gospels and Acts, the second was based on the letters of Paul and the third series looked at the writings of John - the fourth gospel, the three letters of John and the book of Revelation.
During the period of Rev. John Haley's sabbatical from May to August 2006, our Outreach worker Catherine Stead introduced a new course 'Living Faith' - a DVD based course led by the Bishop of Durham, Tom Wright.
