TED and Theology: A 7-week small group study
By
Jen Kidwell
This 7-week study combines popular TED talks with 5-10 minute long scripture-based audio devotions. Each week, participants will watch or listen to a TED talk, consider the reflection questions, and listen to the devotion in preparation for engaging with the group. This study works well for people who are tired of reading (especially on screens), and translates easily to a virtual experience. Leaders can also run this study without a weekly meeting via a custom Facebook group or event, with discussion threads creates for each week so that participants can interact and share ideas, or via a custom blog set up – which is how I ran the study initially. Ultimately, the study generated fantastic conversation and the group members decided they wanted to meet rather than to engage via comments. It is designed for adults, but would be appropriate for mature high school students.
Aside from setting up any needed technology, preparation for leaders is identical for preparation for participants. Open and close each meeting in prayer, and discuss participants reactions to the TED talks, the reflection questions, and the recorded audio devotion. You could technically do the sessions in any order, but the devotions occasionally refer to prior sessions, so the order presented here is ideal.
The TED talks and scripture passages featured are:
This study includes the reflection questions for each session as well as the audio devotions. Listen to a sample audio devotion by clicking the "preview" button above.
Purchasing this resource includes a license to share all materials with members of a single small group. Please purchase one copy of this resource per group if multiple groups will be using the study.
Aside from setting up any needed technology, preparation for leaders is identical for preparation for participants. Open and close each meeting in prayer, and discuss participants reactions to the TED talks, the reflection questions, and the recorded audio devotion. You could technically do the sessions in any order, but the devotions occasionally refer to prior sessions, so the order presented here is ideal.
The TED talks and scripture passages featured are:
- AJ Jacobs: My Year of Living Biblically (Galatians 3:19-29)
- Tom Honey: Why Would God Create a Tsunami? (Job 38, Psalm 88, and John 1)
- Dan Gilbert: The Surprising Science of Happiness (James 1:2-4)
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The Danger of a Single Story (Ecclesiastes - selected verses)
- Bryan Stevenson: We Need to Talk About an Injustice (John 14)
- Brene Brown: The Power of Vulnerability (Ephesians 3)
- Lesley Hazelton: The Doubt Essential to Faith (John 3)
This study includes the reflection questions for each session as well as the audio devotions. Listen to a sample audio devotion by clicking the "preview" button above.
Purchasing this resource includes a license to share all materials with members of a single small group. Please purchase one copy of this resource per group if multiple groups will be using the study.
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