The theme for the 2023-24 year of the Inter-College Department is “Desiring Holines: Re-formation of the Saints Community”. Having gone through the rapid changes in society, we seek to enable students to hear again the cry of the heart for the Lord, which has been muffled by many voices and worries, and to hear the call of the Holy One, which will bring back the community of those who long for Him.
In this school year, we have organized “The Multiverse of the Bible – The New Testament”, which continues to promote the “Three Worlds” approach to reading the Bible, helping students to read the Bible with a more holistic framework, especially to enhance their awareness of the world of the readers, and to reflect consciously on what kind of life situations and life circumstances they bring into the scriptures. In addition, we also have the “Journey of Spiritual Exploration in the City”, which tries to combine walking and spirituality, not only to encourage students to go out to the community to learn more, but also to bring prayer into the walk.
Sharing by the Students
【The Multiverse of the Bible–New Testament】Sharing by the Students of the Bible Study Leaders Training
I learned a lot from this Bible study and realized that I still have a lot of room for improvement in my understanding of the Bible.
The course teaches us to look at the Bible from three perspectives: the historical context of Scripture, the text, and our time. These perspectives are highly applicable and allow me to dialog with the scriptures and myself. For example, when we looked at Luke 2, we noticed how depressed the Jewish region was under the rule of Augustus, and I felt that the scriptures seemed to echo the current environment, while Jesus’ humble and quiet birth revealed to me how close the Lord is to us.
In preparation for leading a Bible study on Luke 16, my group members and I further discussed the relationship between the use of money and the Kingdom of Heaven. I realized that money has a deeper meaning as an expression of faith than just a transaction, and it inspired me to think about the Bible from a different perspective, that the Bible can be critiqued and is worthy of being critiqued from different perspectives.
This course has inspired me to look at the Bible and my own circumstances from multiple perspectives, and it has also brought me closer to my relationship with God.
Joyce, Shue Yan University
【Journey of Spiritual Exploration in the City】
Hong Kong people live a fast-paced life, emphasizing efficiency and agility. With mobile phones in everyone’s hands and an increasing number of head-down people, many ignore the details of city life, and the transformation of the streets is even more overlooked.
As a Christian who likes to take photographs and observe different buildings, I found it very attractive to join the City Walking Study and I benefited a lot from it. I had the opportunity to walk with the instructor and the group to observe Sham Shui Po at night, and to learn how to utilize the five senses (sight, sound, touch, taste and smell) to observe and feel the different parts of the city (buildings, paths, etc.). FES staff also connect our five senses to the community through interactive games with identity roles.
Besides that, the walks incorporate spirituality. As we walk, we reflect on and listen to what God is saying to us. It was a special experience to have a quiet walk in the middle of the busy city of Tsim Sha Tsui. If there is a similar course in the future, I will definitely sign up again!
