Shama Groups are scripturally structured
study groups no larger than 12 people and are neither confined
to a specific geographical location, nor tradition or denomination.The
vision we have for these groups is that they become a kingdom
instrument, designed to bring unity in the body of Messiah
while seeking the common ground of scriptural truth. This
is accomplished by bringing together Believers of different
backgrounds and traditions who desire to seek the truth
found in scripture...for the truth's sake rather than seeking
the truth to validate their own theological positions. In
the kingdom of Yahweh there are no labels, but rather it
is made up of Believers washed in the blood of Messiah giving
us all a common tie. We believe that scripture, while worthy
of private study, is best understood when studied in community.
In many ways scripture is like a diamond. While the diamond
in and of itself is very valuable, the quality of the diamond
is directly related to the amount of light that it reflects.
In other words, the more light that a diamond reflects,
the higher the quality. The process of cutting diamonds
allows the stone to reflect light. With each cut, more and
more light is reflected. Therefore, the more cuts, the higher
the quality because more light is reflected. In many ways,
scripture is like a diamond, while it has no light in and
of itself, it does reflect Yahweh's light. Our
experiences during our individual life journeys are like
the cuts on a diamond, when scripture is studied in community,
we can benefit from all the cuts instead of just one. Therefore,
each of our lives has the possibility of bringing additional
understanding to the scriptures.
In the pages that follow, we have documented
the structure of the Shama Groups and have supplied
suggestions of the flow of these meetings. These manuals
have been created by the leading of the Ruach (Spirit)
and based on our experiences of what has worked best
in the communities in which we live. Please feel free
to adapt these manuals to best fit your community's
needs. It is our prayer that while the form of the Shama
Groups may change, the spirit in which they were developed,
and their kingdom vision remain intact.
|
