The Little Rock Scripture Study program is a diocesan sponsored ministry. The main purpose of the program is to aid participants in reading, studying and living the Word of God. The program encourages personal growth and knowledge of God, nurtures a strengthening of Christian community among participants, and teaches Roman Catholic biblical scholarship.
The program is free to all participants and Little Rock Scripture Study provides all materials necessary for a successful course in studying scripture. The program provides participants with books that have full texts from the Bible and are coupled with commentary written by experts in areas of discussion. Little Rock Scripture Study provides work books with a structured format for questions as well as taped resources that assist in guiding participants in their studies.
The structure of the program is formulated into four basic elements: daily personal study, weekly small-group sharing, wrap-up lectures from Little Rock biblical scholars that are presented on DVD, and prayer.
Ideally, personal study will take place on a daily basis and last about 20 minutes. Participants use study guides provided by Little Rock Scripture Study to guide them on their spiritual journey through the Word of God. Once a week, participants come together for sharing their thoughts and answers to the study questions. This group-sharing process is led by trained small-group facilitators who encourage sharing personal thoughts and experiences in a personal, open and trustful atmosphere. After group discussion each week, Little Rock Scripture Study provides lectures on DVD to help wrap-up the week’s assigned readings.
To help guide in knowledge and understanding of scriptures, prayer is essential. Personal prayer should be made while studying scripture when alone, and is essential in the development of group study. The program offers support for the development of a particular form of prayer in the form of conversation. However, experience and forms of prayer may vary, depending on the inspiration and direction of group leaders.
At Mary Mother of God Parish, we offer the Little Rock Scripture Study program on a seasonal basis. The program in Harrison is directed by Walt Israel. Due to enthusiasm, we usually have more than enough participants to divide the large groups into at least two smaller groups for more personalized discussion. Trained facilitators from the parish guide participants within each small group and the large group comes together for a social break consisting of friendly parishioners, coffee and deserts. Lastly, the large group watches the wrap-up lecture on DVD.
If you are interested in joining the program at Mary Mother of God Parish, feel free to contact our parish office for more information about joining.