The Chara Project

As Christians living in Utah, we’ve had the privilege for more than 10 years to be in Bible study with people outside our church and outside our faith tradition. What we’ve learned is that many of our neighbors are looking to join a Bible study, but face a dilemma:They aren’t interested in darkening the door of a church. Although they may be interested in exploring the Bible, they are not ready or interested in engaging with a specific church or religion. They may turn to independent resources, but they’re missing out on community - a friend that can walk alongside them on their journey and help them understand the Bible.They are not invited in or are being turned away. We’ve heard story after story of churches and Christ-followers saying “no” to people from different faith traditions that are brave enough to approach them wanting to study the Bible - and this is happening across the nation. It seems that in order to study the Bible together you must already be in agreement about what it says - that only like-minded people can be in the room. Yet, God’s Word has the ability to transform the hearts and minds of those who read it. Because of our experience, The Chara Project envisions a world where people can explore the Bible, grow in their Biblical understanding and help others do the same, regardless of faith background.In Luke 10:27, we see Jesus state the two greatest commandments: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”Immediately following this, Jesus introduces the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), to challenge His followers to reconsider who their neighbor was and how to love them well, regardless of their differences.THE SOLUTIONInstead of turning people away, we should be welcoming them in with open arms. Instead of responding in fear and shutting the door, we should be equipping ourselves to engage in these conversations. After nearly 1,000 hours collectively doing Bible study with people from different faith backgrounds, we know the pitfalls, but also know what it takes to create a loving, encouraging, and safe environment to explore the Bible together.The heartbeat behind The Chara Project’s mission is to build confidence in studying the Bible on your own and with your neighbor. Holding true to our mission, we offer the following resources to help:1. Build confidence in studying the Bible on your own - Learn how to study the Bible using the CHARA Bible Study Guide, which equips people to read the Bible in its own Context, understand the History and culture of its day, the Author’s purpose & style, and Research the original language before we Apply it to our lives. 2. Build confidence in studying the Bible with your neighbor - Learn how to anchor the conversation around the Bible using the CHARA Bible Study Guide, which helps set aside assumptions and biases and read the Bible on its own terms. Also learn how to create a trusted and welcoming environment using the Neighbor Guide, which will help set up group guidelines and provide guidance on how to handle differences, all while allowing everyone to explore and grow on their own timelines. For those of us who know and love the Bible, we know it has the potential to change the very hearts and lives of those who read it. Confusion and controversy can be replaced with peace, hope, and joy that comes from Jesus. After all, CHARA is the Greek word for joy and we believe the joy-filled message of the Bible is for everyone. We can make that possible when we love God and love our neighbor. Join us in the journey of building confidence in studying the Bible on our own and with our neighbors.