As Lent approaches, three congregations share how using Road to Coronation opens eyes and hearts to Jesus the Christ's coronation...on a cross. “Home-study groups on Wednesday evenings focus on Road to Coronation as a Lenten study of the Word. Through the study, class participants gain a deeper understanding of the linkage between the events of Holy Week and the Old Testament prophecies.
"Our format is a small group discussion with an ice-breaker or heart-warmer at the start of the class. Each adult has a copy of the text. We use the manual’s Questions for Reflection as the basis for our free-flowing discussion with people’s own experiences and perceptions eagerly shared. Class participants like this short-length course that doesn’t require any previous knowledge or study to complete.”
Deb Kocsis, Membership Ministries
First Presbyterian Church
Granville, Ohio
“We offer Road to Coronation starting in January, not as a Lenten study per se, although it does overlap with that season. The narrative style of the study very effectively guides people on a journey which leads to Jesus’ crowning moment – the cross.
The church newsletter, Sunday worship bulletins, and word-of-mouth are our most effective means of publicity. We offer the six-week study three times a week: Sundays at 4 PM , Thursday nights at 6:30 PM , and Friday mornings at 8:00 . I conduct a traditional classroom lecture, but with one exception: I encourage people to argue with me and about what I am saying. The result is a wonderful discussion period, as people open up with comments and challenges. I like Road to Coronation for study in the parish because it is, for many, the first time that they are invited to travel the way of the cross with Jesus rather than stand on the sidelines and watch Him go it alone.”
Pastor Mark Tiede
Zion Lutheran Church
Anoka, Minnesota
“People are continually amazed at how the correlations with Old Testament texts and historical background give us new insights. They find that, by challenging many of our assumptions about Scripture, Road to Coronation helps them reach a point of deeper faith with new understanding about God’s Word.
"Our Tuesday morning study is part of a continuing weekly Bible study group. The Sunday evening session is a short study just on Road to Coronation. Class members read each text unit in advance, and I prepare a booklet with key Scripture passages and related discussion topics which draw on the material in the book. The colorful transparency illustrations help people to remember the emphasis of what we are discussing and to refresh important points at a glance.”
Reverend Stuart Ritter
First Presbyterian Church
Rockaway, New Jersey
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