START A GROUP
GOLD study groups are ideal for enabling Christians to engage with the Bible at a level that is not often possible in small groups in churches. The interactive nature of the course materials combined with regular group study enables self-disciplined learning even for those who have been away from study for a long time or who have previously found study difficult. The groups provide a supportive environment to learn from one another. The nature of the courses means that they are ideal to train people for ministry and mission involvement in the local church and community.
To start a group all you need is a group of 5-7 people. In the case of our Level 1 and 2 courses, the GOLD Leader needs to be someone with a certain amount of Christian maturity and a desire to help others grow in their faith. For our Level 3 courses it is ideal to have someone with a basic theological education to serve as a GOLD Leader. The GOLD Leader's main job is to facilitate the group discussion but they are also involved in the assessment process and in the local administration of the course. A GOLD Leader should be someone who is committed to seeing others grow in their faith and their confidence as disciples of Jesus. The GOLD Leader should be able to handle differences of opinion as a learning opportunity. Find out here what values and attributes a GOLD Leader has.
If you have people you want to train or you are interested in starting a group so that you can study for yourself, we will work with you to find and train a suitable GOLD Leader for your group. We are also happy to come to your church to run taster sessions and to explain how the courses work. Please contact us for further information about starting a group in your locality.