Rooms: An Interesting New Small Group Experience from Lifeway

January 27, 2012 in Small Group Curriculum with 2 Comments

Had an opportunity this week to spend some time with an interesting new DVD-driven small group study from Lifeway.  Rooms: The Small Group Experience is the first study I’m aware of that was inspired by an award-winning novel (Published in 2010, Rooms was named the Best Inspirational Novel of 2010 by the Reviewers’ Choice Awards).

Likened to The Shack, Rooms is the story of “young software tycoon Micah Taylor and a cryptic letter he receives from a great uncle he never knew.  It claims a home awaits him on the Oregon coast.  In Cannon Beach.  The one place he loves.  The one place he never wants to see again.  But strange things happen in the house.  Things Micah can’t explain.  Things he can barely believe.  The locals say that the house is ‘spiritual.’  But Micah slowly discovers the house isn’t just spiritual, it is a physical manifestation–of his soul (from the cover).”

The study is designed to guide groups through four significant themes: woundedness, destiny, (spiritual) warfare, and freedom.  The DVD segments feature a combination of author James Rubart’s teaching/narration against the backdrop of reenacted scenes from the book.

The participant guide provides discussion questions that enable group members to work through the biblical basis for each of the four themes.  Each week also includes four daily devotional experiences, continuing to pursue the theme through the week.

A Leader Guide section is included in the participant guide and provides some important hints for the study.  In addition, each of the four DVD segments includes a “watch me first” moment for group leaders.  In view of the challenging themes developed in this study, it may be too challenging for some leaders.

Although the study was “created so that even someone who has not read the book–or who does not intend to–can still find fresh perspectives and strong biblical content for becoming a more effective disciple,” it will be a far different experience for those who participate without reading the book.  In my mind, the most likely participants of the study will be readers of the book.  I should point out that while I haven’t finished the book, I read the first 20 pages to get a feel for the writing style and the quality of the writing.  It’s an intriguing story-line and caught my attention right away.

This is an interesting new category.  While it’s easy to envision a book club that leads to a four week study, I’m finding it harder to imagine just any group choosing a study based on contemporary Christian fiction.  For the right group, Rooms will be a great experience.

  • SmallGroupLeader

    Hey Mark, my Connect Group is planning to go through this Bible Study in the Spring as a follow-up to a 6-week period where we will be sharing our stories.  Our group launched this past summer but we had some turnover in the fall as new members joined and others had to withdraw due to schedule conflicts.  We all felt that once we really had a better idea of “who” each person was in the group, that this would be a great way to walk a redemptive journey together as we viewed and discussed our “woundedness” together in the context of community and through the lens of the gospel.  Only then could we have a meaningful and honest discussion on the “freedom” that’s available through the gospel, which leads to perhaps a fresh vision of the “destiny” prepared for us and the “warfare” we will all face as we begin to live in that destiny. 

    I’ll let you know how it goes, but we’re all very excited about the path we’re on and since we are planning in advance, everyone will have a chance to read the novel.  I already have and loved it.

  • Anonymous

    I love it! Please keep us posted about how this new form works! Definitely a fascinating development and I for one can’t wait to see what happens!

    mark

Switch to our mobile site