"Read & study for yourself"

(posted by Paul Zilmer)

Our last round of classes for the year has started, and most people will be reluctant to join a class that's already going. So, what should we focus on in our advertising?

We are promoting reading and studying for oneself.  Yesterday we delivered a new set of signs to be placed in the Champaign-Urbana buses - pictured below.

The same kind of message is the focus of new fliers we are handing out in the shop. Our push through August and September was to sign up for evening classes. Now we are promoting:

• The self-study God's Master Plan course. We have only a few sign-ups for this course so far, and only 2 students actively doing the lessons. We've put up a new sign to promote it.
  
• Bible reading plans. We offer two choices: the Bible Companion, with 3 portions each day, and a plan where you read in just one place, but more chapters. Both cover the OT once and NT twice in a year. Sister Dana Pratt is laminating these, and they have been quite popular – we're keeping her busy!
  
• Read the Bible in your own language. We've had interest in other languages from day one, and lately from several people regarding Chinese Bibles. We have ordered a couple of additional editions to add to the two we already had. We have a sign encouraging people to read, in all the languages we carry.

This week we tried again to launch the Acts class – and this time we had liftoff!  Four students joined in, and actively participated in discussion. This was billed as an "advanced" class, and it appears to be challenging the students, in a positive way.

On Thursday Norm continued with his Prophecy 101 class. Attendance was 8 this week, down from 10 last week, but one of those was sick and her husband came, and took notes home for her. She plans to be back next week. A couple of pictures below, from the discussion section of the class.