Biblical Turning Points is a non-denominational organisation. It is supported by Syndal Baptist Church in Melbourne [www.sb.org.au] and the Victorian office of Scripture Union [www.suvic.org.au] . The courses have been successfully run at different churches from different denominations.

The Biblical Turning Points material reflects a high view of Scripture. To be more specific, the material reflects the view that Jesus’ death is the only answer to humanity’s problem of sin, that His resurrection was a historical reality and that repentance and faith is the way that sinners receive the salvation that Jesus has made available to all.

The chapter on Creation in The Bible: The Big Picture looks at how the teaching from the first two chapters of the Bible should shape the way that we see the world and the role they play as the opening move in the Bible’s unfolding storyline.

The Biblical Turning Points material deliberately steers clear of the copious debates and positions that exist within Christianity about Creation v Evolution.

The short answer: Anyone who is keen to know more of the Bible!

Biblical Turning Points courses often have a wide range of people attend, from those who are checking out the Bible for the first time, to Christians who are looking for some re-energising of their Bible reading.

Whether you’re a small group, an individual wanting to know more, a teacher wanting a deeper grasp of God’s Word, or a skeptic, you are encouraged to come along and experience the incredible and life changing message of the Bible.

The material in the course books are written using the New International Version (NIV). All participants and presenters are, however, free to use any other version of the Bible that they would regularly use.

A typical Biblical Turning Points course would run for two hours each meeting. The two hours consists of two 50 minute sessions, with a 20 minute break between them. Each session includes around 10 minutes at the end for asking questions.

The book outlines optional pre-reading for each session, consisting of a few relevant chapters from the Bible. It is up to each participant to decide whether they will do this reading; it is not a requirement and no one will be checking! Of course, if you can make the time to do it, you will get more out of each session.

The course book has been written so you can follow the presenter through the material, making notes and highlighting passages as you go if you wish. The additional material in the book may also help you to discover more from the Bible and prompt you with questions for the presenter. The book also contains maps, charts and images, which will form a reference for you. While it is not essential that you purchase the book, you will find it an invaluable reference throughout the course, and hopefully afterwards as well.

If you attend the course as a couple, you may find that one book to share is enough, while others may find they still want one each to take their own independent notes and highlight sections of special interest.

The book contains more information for each session than can be covered in 50 minutes. This enables the presenter to select the most relevant material for their participants. It also gives each participant the chance to read more each week if they like.

The course is designed to be easily accessible to all, no matter what your level of biblical knowledge. With this in mind, for some people all the material in each chapter may be new, while for others most of the material may be revisitng information they already know with some additional details.

The visual aid is used to help people grasp hold of the one story that is told through the 66 books of the Bible.

It allows the presenter to visually demonstrate in a matter of moments what would take many hours to verbally explain. While it is not essential to use the large visual aid, it is highly recommended, as it is a distinguishing element of the course. It is also highly recommended that each participant get a copy of the small fold out visual aid for their own personal reference.

You would expect that most people delivering an overview of the Bible would include the major events that shape the Bible’s story and message. However, it is very possible that one presenter may want to emphasise certain parts of those events in contrast to another. As the presenter, you are in the best position to know your audience. The course material has been designed with more content than can be covered in each session to give you the flexibility to tailor the course. The presenter must use their own judgement to determine what amount of information to include for each session. Questions from participants will also guide the presenter to tailor the material to suit their participants.

Look through the 'Run a Course' section of this website for some tips about how best to present these courses.

You do not need a degree in theology, although it can be an advantage! You do need to have read the Bible in its entirety and have a regular habit of Bible reading and prayer. You do not need to know everything about the Bible; however to achieve the aim of the course you would need to be able to engage with the participants as they ask questions and probe for a deeper understanding of the Bible’s message.

If the course is run in a church setting, we encourage people considering presenting this material to seek the blessing and support of their pastor and elders.

It is recommended that all presenters attend at least a couple of sessions of a course prior to running their own. You will also need to read through the entire course book, even if you don’t end up using all the material contained within it. You should do the background reading for each session from the Bible and from other resources to equip yourself for the teaching sessions and question times.

The first thing to decide is who you want to attend the course. It might be people in your church or local community, you might want to partner with one or two other churches, or invite other interest groups. There are different ways to advertise the course, including mailing or hand delivering brochures, putting up posters, showing a video to inspire people to attend, advertising in newsletters or local media, and by personal invitation. You will probably want to use a combination of these methods to reach your audience.

To find out more check out the information on this website under 'Run a Course'.