The Bible Overview (Booklet)

The Bible Overview consists of four parts:

• An overview of the story of the whole Bible (known as the General Presentation). This includes 15 pictures with name cards, each representing a stage in the unfolding story of the Bible.
• A way of summarizing the message of the Old Testament (the Old Testament Presentation).
• A way of summarizing the message of the New Testament (the New Testament Presentation).
• A straightforward process for understanding passages of the Bible. This process is called the COMA method (Context, Observation, Meaning, Application).

One person presents the material, using the The Bible Overview Leader's Manual on the DVD. The four parts are all summarized in this The Bible Overview booklet. The course participants each have their own copy of The Bible Overview booklet, which is designed to serve as a reminder of The Bible Overview presentation and a reference for personal Bible study.

The Bible Overview presentations can differ enormously depending on the situations in which they are to be used. The purpose of a Bible Overview presentation is to show a group or individual the significance of each stage of the Bible story, the coherence of the Bible as a whole, and how to understand particular Bible passages in light of the bigger picture of the whole book.

Once The Bible Overview has been presented, the framework of the Bible that it introduces can be usefully referred to in an ongoing way. For example, a banner or slide of the 15 pictures and name cards could be referred to in the course of a Bible study or sermon, to demonstrate how the message being preached fits within the story of the Bible as a whole.

Because in its essence The Bible Overview is very simple, its presentation can be adapted to suit a wide range of people. It can be used with those of primary school age (focusing on the story and emphasizing the pictures) through to those at a tertiary level (looking in more detail at each stage of the story and grappling with its implications for Bible study).

You will need a copy of the Leader's DVD, plus this booklet for each participant. On the DVD-ROM you will find:

• a Leader's Manual (in Adobe PDF format) which provides a complete outline of the course, Bible references and explanatory notes
• two different ways to present the material: (i) files for use with presentation software (in PowerPoint, Keynote, PDF and QuickTime format) (ii) picture and text cards (in Adobe PDF format) which you can print and use to progressively build the presentation on a wall or display board.

Each course participant will need their own copy of The Bible Overview booklet. These booklets provide an attractive and clear summary of the course for participants to follow during the course, and to keep for future reference as a helpful reminder of what they have learnt.