What My Grandmothers Taught Me - Presbyterian Women

1 2021 2022 Presbyterian Women /Horizons Bible Study Workshop for Leaders By Joyce MacKichan Walker What My Grandmothers Taught Me Learning from the Women in Matthew's Genealogy of Jesus What Is This? 6. find resources provided to support leaders and A lesson plan for leaders who introduce this Bible study participants, and to any group that plans to use it. 7. state both helpful preparation and anticipated challenges Who Will Find it Helpful and Why? Room Set-up The Workshop for Leaders is written for Bible study leaders who are preparing to lead study groups, If you meet in person, the most helpful set-up will be pastors and educators who will encourage and tables with six to eight chairs. Participants at these prepare others to lead, and presbyteries introducing tables will have their study materials and notebook in the study to their congregations.

2 It provides front of them; these groups will naturally serve as small groups during activities. If you meet via Zoom or a foundational background for the content of the another online meeting platform, adapt the workshop study, including an outline of the study format as needed and be prepared to divide participants into used in each lesson , groups if you choose to use that feature. a description of the design of the Suggestions for Leaders, and Materials Needed activities for generating interest and building A copy of the study for each participant enthusiasm for the study. Copies of Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal (GtG) to share at tables What Can You Expect Participants One copy per person of The Genealogy of Jesus . to Learn? handout (p. 8) from this workshop Depending on the activities selected, participants will Copies of Suggested Hymns handout (pp.)

3 6 7). 1. examine the genealogy in Matthew chapter 1 for from this workshop puzzling information An easel pad, newsprint, and a marker (or 2. learn a hymn about faithful Women something similar). 3. explore the Scope and Sequence for helpful One pen or pencil per person information, and identify a biblical woman of interest 4. examine the structure of the study lessons and of the (Optional but helpful) An assortment of colored Suggestions for Leaders pencils, markers, and highlighters on the tables at least one per person 5. preview one art page and consider the corresponding lesson theme A musician and instrument or equipment to play music 1. Workshop lesson Plan (1 hours) an interesting story about a challenge an ancestor had to face Main Idea k. You could tell (but won't be asked to tell People have often been intrigued by the appearance of here) a story about a woman in your family, five Women in the genealogy of Jesus in the first current or going back further, who Taught chapter of The Gospel of Matthew.

4 Explore who these you something important by their actions Women are, discover their stories, examine the 2. (10 minutes) Guide an examination of Matthew challenges and choices they faced, and consider what 1:1 16, the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah . contributions each made to the developing ancestral (NRSV) by providing copies of the handout line of Jesus, called the Messiah by Matthew. In the provided in this workshop. This is the Common process, hear the author's invitation to learn from English Bible version, which places each new their example and to be inspired to call on God to name on a new line, and is therefore much easier empower our own witness and action despite to follow than when the names are arranged challenging circumstances in our own times. paragraph style in the NRSV. Alternatively, you Open could have them open their Bible to Matthew 1:1 16 and explore it there.

5 If they don't want to Welcome participants, introduce yourself, and thank mark up their Bibles, make sure they have a them for their interest in preparing themselves or piece of paper and pen or pencil so they can other leaders to explore this year's Bible study. make notes instead. Considering the time you have available, your context, and the particular resources you want to Offer the following instructions one by one, highlight, choose the activities you will use from this allowing time to complete each task. Tell workshop. Use the activities in order because later participants any small group conversations will be activities build on earlier ones. brief, responses will not be shared in the whole group, and there will be lots of time during the 1. (5 minutes) Ask participants to raise their study to explore in more depth.

6 Hand if: a. Glance at the names that begin each line. a. Your last name is a partner's or spouse's name Would you guess these are all male names? b. Your last name is your father's family name Check by choosing a couple and reading c. Your last name is your mother's family name that line. d. Your last name is a blend of names or a new b. Scan for names you recognize and version of a family name underline ones very familiar to you. How many are there? In which of the three e. You have traced your family back through sections are most of those found? Why more than three generations (parents, might that be? grandparents, great-grandparents) on your mother's side c. Surprisingly, some Women are referenced. Find and circle their names. How many are f. You have traced your family back through there?

7 More than three generations (parents, grandparents, great-grandparents) on your d. Underline the Women 's names you recognize. father's side Put a second line under the Women whose stories are very familiar to you. g. You have in your possession an extended genealogy for either parent e. Four Women are called mother. One is not named but identified as the wife h. You have visited a genealogy website of .. Ask your small group, What was i. You want to know more about your family her name? Wonder aloud together why lineage she might be identified in this way and j. You know (but won't be asked to tell here) not named. 2. f. Mary is identified passively through Joseph, participants can use it for easy reminders of the and not called mother. Offer ideas about scripture references for each woman's story, a why.

8 Synopsis of a lesson if a lesson is missed, a sense Summarize: This year's Bible study, What My of the building inclusion of Women in the Grandmothers Taught Me, is all about the genealogy, and a reminder of the important challenging circumstances Women must contribution each woman's experiences and navigate, and the risks Women must take, to actions made to the developing story of God's protect and raise their families in the faith. These people. [Note: the Scope and Sequence five Women have been named in Matthew's information is also presented on the chart in this genealogy for a reason; their stories can inform workshop.] Give participants 10 minutes in their our faith and inspire our actions as followers of small groups to accomplish these tasks: Jesus the Messiah. a. Discover how these five ancestral Women 3.

9 (5 minutes) Since it is likely to be new to at least are spread out over nine lessons. some in the group, introduce and teach For All b. Individually choose one woman who the Faithful Women , (GtG 324) or enlist a intrigues you and read silently the one or musician to do so. If needed, the group can listen two Main Idea statements about them. to or be accompanied by this audio file recording When finished reading, tell your small of the melody: group why that woman interests you and land_finnish. Suggest using the first verse as a something you wonder about her life. rousing opening for each lesson as everyone 2. (5 minutes) Encourage the participants to read the gathers, since it clearly expresses recognition of introduction before they lead the study. Point out faithful Women throughout the ages their the author's first major hints about why these five stories, their God-given wisdom , and their Women are included in this genealogy, beginning witness to Jesus the Messiah.

10 With Tamar, an .. on page 9 and continuing in For all the faithful Women column 1 on page 10. Read the whole paragraph who served in days of old, aloud. Rather than spoilers, these descriptions to you shall thanks be given; hint to the power of these stories and are meant to all, their story told. to stimulate interest and anticipation. They served with strength and gladness 3. (5 minutes) Turn to lesson Two on page 21. in tasks your wisdom gave. Point out the structure of lessons 2 through 8. To you their lives bore witness, Invite them to follow along as you identify each proclaimed your power to section 4. (5 minutes) Ask participants to pray in unison the a. A line quoted from the biblical text Opening Prayer in lesson One, page 13. Make a point of noting that this same prayer is used at the b.