Explore Team Member
At St Paul’s, we want to help as many people as possible explore Christianity so they can make an informed decision about following Jesus. That’s why we are cultivating a community of explorers at St Paul’s open to anyone who wants to explore faith in a friendly, relaxed way.
Thank you for being part of this team! This page contains everything Explore Team members need to know. On this page you will find:
Details about the weekly format
Details about the weekly lesson content
Team member responsibilities
Arrive on time — this helps create a welcoming atmosphere before things begin. Tell the team if you can’t make it or if you are running late for some reason.
Communicate in a timely way — respond to group messages if/when needed.
Keep the tone safe and gracious — model patience, kindness, and non-defensiveness, especially with scepticism or disagreement.
Share personally and appropriately — when helpful, briefly share how you’ve found Jesus good and trustworthy without dominating the discussion.
Pray during the week — pray by name for explorers, their questions, and for God to help them see Jesus clearly.
Support other leaders — help with practical tasks (setup, pack down, food, seating) and communicate any pastoral concerns.
Maintain confidentiality — treat what people share with care; pass on serious welfare/safety concerns to the team leaders.
A note about Growth Groups
The Bible Explorers Group is like a Growth Group in many ways. One primary difference is that we don’t pray together—this is because we want people who don’t believe in prayer to feel comfortable attending.
As an Explore Team member, you are similar to a Growth Group leader in some ways. Therefore, we don’t expect you to be part of another Growth Group during the week. However, you are welcome to join another Growth Group on another night as well if you would like.
To help each team member grow spiritually, at the end of each term we will meet together as a team to reflect, discuss, and pray. We want to make sure that as Christians on team together we are growing in our understanding and application of the Bible, and supporting one another.
Details about the weekly format
We meet each Tuesday night during school term. We typically sit in a big circle.
The normal format is:
7.15pm — Team members arrive to welcome people
7.30pm — People arrive, get food/drink, settle in
7.40pm — Bible reading and discussion
8.30–9pm — Finish / chat
A few weeks each term are spent running a short course, currently called Christianity Explored. This allows for focused invitation, helps newcomers explore the basics of the gospel, and keeps the format fresh.
Christianity Explored runs once per term over three weeks. The room is set up seminar-style, with the following format:
7.00pm — Team members arrive
7.30pm — People arrive and settle in
7.40pm — Welcome and one discussion question
7.50pm — Talk
8.15pm — Group discussion question
8.25pm — Q&A (questions submitted live or via phone)
8.45pm — Conclusion and invitation to return next week
All newcomers are invited to continue exploring by joining the Bible Explorers Group and a WhatsApp chat for updates and reminders.
Note: the content of Christianity Explored changes each term, using different passages and angles, so it remains fresh even for repeat attendees.
General tips for team members
Be proactive in saying hi. If you see someone standing by themselves or looking unsure, it’s always a good idea to go and say hi.
Start conversations light. You might be itching to have a deep, evangelistic conversation with someone, but it’s always best to begin conversations light, especially when meeting someone for the first time. Ask them how their day has been, or what they do during the week.
Ask questions! People generally like talking about themselves. Let them! Ask questions to get to know people.
Don’t assume people are Christians or not. Remember, there are a mix of believers and non-believers in the room!
Don’t assume people know the basics. Many won’t know Bible terms, Christian ideas, or even the main story. It’s important to keep this in mind.
Encourage questions. Thank people for being honest and don’t rush to shut questions down or tidy things up too quickly.
Keep coming back to the Bible. When questions arise, point people back to the text whenever you can. This models a healthy habit of going first to the Bible rather than our personal opinions about a topic.
Be real, not defensive. Sometimes it can be helpful to share your own uncertainty about an issue or a passage. Normal faith is more helpful than polished answers, which can often come off as defensive.
Aim for clarity, not covering everything. You don’t need to explain every issue in one night. It’s better that people grasp one big idea than leave feeling confused.
Convey what Christians generally believe. You might have a particular view on topics like predestination, or baptism, or preaching, or something else. However, we want to show people that within Christianity there is a breadth of opinions on various topics, and Christians can hold different views. Keep the main things the main things, and don’t be too rigid on secondary issues.
Be patient with where people are at. People process things at different speeds. Don’t pressure responses or decisions. Trust God to work over time.
Pray and remember God is in control. Pray before and after, and keep reminding yourself that God changes hearts.
Details about the weekly lesson content
Below Below are the passages and big ideas for term 4 2026:
13 October
Passage: Psalm 116
Big ideas: Christians love God because He hears our prayers, rescues us from death, and shows us His gracious love.
20 October
Passage: Ephesians 2:19–22
Big ideas: Christians belong to God’s family and are united as members of His church, built together into a dwelling place for God by His Spirit.
27 October
Passage: Matthew 28:16–20
Big ideas: Christians communicate God’s word through evangelism, making disciples of all nations and teaching them to obey Jesus.
3 November
Passage: 2 Timothy 3:14–17
Big ideas: Christians grow by reading God’s word, which teaches the truth, exposes sin, corrects us, and equips us for every good work.
10 November
Passage: Matthew 6:5–15
Big ideas: Christians grow through prayer, speaking honestly to their heavenly Father, seeking His kingdom, depending on Him, and asking for forgiveness.
17 November
Passage: Ephesians 4:11–16
Big ideas: Christians demonstrate God’s love through service, as each member of the church uses their gifts to build up the body of Christ in love.
24 November – EC Week 1
Big ideas: Jesus died for our sin, taking the punishment we deserve so that we can be forgiven and reconciled to God.
1 December – EC Week 2
Big ideas: Jesus rose from the grave; through faith in Him, we too will be raised to eternal life.
8 December – EC Week 3
Big ideas: Following Jesus is costly but worth it; He calls us to deny ourselves and follow Him, trusting that knowing Him is worth more than anything we give up.
15 December
Big ideas: Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, God’s Son, who came into the world to save us from our sins.
Resources for growing in evangelism
Here are some books that I would recommend to help you grow in evangelism. You might consider purchasing or borrowing any of these for yourself, to grow in your own skills in sharing faith.
Mere Evangelism, by Randy Newman. A thoughtful and practical guide to sharing faith through good questions and careful listening, drawing heavily on the writings and life of C.S. Lewis.
Evangelism, by Mack Stiles. A clear, church-centred vision for evangelism that keeps the gospel front and centre. Great for grounding evangelism in ordinary Christian life rather than special events.
Nothing in My Hand I Bring, by Ray Galea. A short, accessible book that explains the difference between Protestant and Roman Catholic beliefs. It explains grace and justification simply and pastorally.
The Reason for God, by Tim Keller. Engages common intellectual objections to Christianity with clarity and empathy. Helpful for understanding how thoughtful non-Christians often think and where the gospel speaks into those questions.
Can We Trust what the Gospels say about Jesus?, by Andrew Errington. A straightforward introduction to the historical reliability of the Gospels. Useful for addressing doubts about whether the Jesus we meet in the Bible is trustworthy.
If I Were God, I’d End All the Pain, by John Dickson. Tackles the problem of suffering in a clear, compassionate way. A great resource for conversations where pain and injustice are major barriers to belief.
God and Science, by Scott Petty. Explores the relationship between Christian faith and modern science without being technical. Helpful for removing the assumption that faith and science are in conflict.
Contact Info
Please reach out any time if you have any questions or comments or feedback:
菲利普·威瑟里奇
pipw@stpaulsanglican.org.au
0430 145 585