Reimagining Bible Study as a Tool for Community Transformation in Informal Settlements

Abstract

Bible study groups remain the most potent platform for equipping the saints for ministry in informal settlements. However, they need to be re-evaluated and re-imagined to fulfil this role. The 2004 Pattaya Lausanne Consultation on World Evangelisation registered a concern that still requires urgent attention. Among the critical components of their deliberations for consideration was "to articulate a potential action plan for the Church to be more effective in pursuing the mission of God in large cities." (Lausanne Movement 2004).

This article, following this concern, attempts to locate and promote Bible study groups as potential hubs for preparing the church in the slums and informal settlements to respond to the socio-political and economic challenges these settlements experience.

Using semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and focus group discussions, data was collected in Nairobi from ten churches in Korogocho, three missional communities run by the Centre for Transforming Mission in Huruma and Kawangware, and two urban theological training teams. A modified form of the praxis cycle, developed by Holland and Henriot (1983), is used to provide a structure and framework for the article, comprising its four moments: incarnation, social analysis, theological reflection, and missional response. Moreover, Paulo Freire’s (1970) concept of conscientisation has been employed to provide a lens for conceptualising Bible study groups in informal settlements.