Zúme and Small Groups

[Daycee]

Very good comments. You will find that in many context outside of North America you will want to focus on the restoration of relationship with God in salvation alongside the “get to heaven” aspect. People in an honour/shame worldview will relate to this part of the salvation story more strongly than the justice aspect we often emphasize (paid the price for our sin). Both are true, the Gospel covers it all! As we get to know other cultures you’ll begin to see how the Gospel meets them directly and learn the language to explain it in terms they will understand.

[Emma Hodges]

Zume differs from other small group Bible cities that I have experienced in that it can be very self led. You don't have to do a lot of preparation before hand, which is nice in an overseas context when you are dealing with new Christians. I feel optimistic about using this training in the field because it doesn't rely on me to be leading it . The curriculum has been translated into Swahili.

I really like the Romans Road method because I think it just very plainly lays out what the gospel should say, and it also provides biblical context.

This is how it summarize the gospel. God created the world and also created humans. He did this in six days and then he rested on the seventh day. Sin entered the world through Eve eating an apple that she was tempted by a snake to eat. When sin entered the world through Adam and Eve it also was entered into all humans thus we are all sinful at our core. Our human flesh is sinful. Because we are sinful, we are destined to go to hell. But through Jesus Christ, we are given a way to get to go to heaven and be with him. Jesus died on the cross and provided away for us to go to heaven. We just need to do the job of confessing our sins and putting our faith in God this is called salvation Romans, 10:13 speaks about this. Through our faith in Jesus Christ we are saved.

[Daycee]

Well written Jaylen, your Gospel explanation is especially useful in a North American context. I will be interested to hear your observations about Gospel summaries when you get to reading “The 3D Gospel” (one of my favourites!)

[Jaylen]

I think Zume is very straightforward and they have obviously put a focus on making it possible for anyone (either with a lot of ministry experience or a little) to be able to lead these studies effectively. It is nothing more than a platform, and platforms are very important for us because they help our brains track things in the most effective way possible. So then, gospel-sharing platforms would be the most important of them all!

I would summarize the gospel in a similar way that the Romans Road does:
In the beginning of time, God created all things- from the stars to the trees, to you and me. Since He is perfectly good, all things were perfectly good, including Adam and Eve who were the first people ever made. But, God gave them free will, because if they didn’t have it, they could never choose to love God and therefore wouldn’t be made in His image. In this free will, Adam and Eve sinned by doing something that God told them not to, this moment introduced something that me and you struggle with to this day; Sin. Sin brings death, pain, and sorrow; it is disobedience to God and his instructions, and it is a choice we all know is wrong yet we still do it. Yet the story does not end there, God knew we needed to be rescued so he sent his one and only Son Jesus to earth so that he could die on our behalf, and rise again! Taking on all the sins of the world so that we could be free from its ultimate punishment. The only condition for us to receive that freedom is putting our faith in Jesus Christ and acting out of the belief that Jesus did in fact rise from the dead and defeat death and sin.
In the middle of all that, God knows we won’t be perfect even after we believe in him, so he promises to always forgive us if we repent and he also promises to give us the strength to do what is right. God is a cool guy!