Essential Nature of Parish Bible Studies

During the gathering we proclaim the Word through preaching and respond in worship of Jesus. What this produces in the believer and nonbeliever alike is conviction through the Holy Spirit.

Nature: Attractional
Purpose: Corporate worship and proclamation of the Word
Product: Conviction

This in itself is progress for the gospel, but it should not end there. If we stop at conviction, we only produce a kind of worldly sorrow that leads to guilt but not change. We need a place for that conviction to lead to repentance, and that is where community groups come in. This is why they are so essential to the healthy functioning of the church (Brad House, Community, p. 57).