If a pilot arrives at a location (either a new assignment or temporary duty) and doesn’t find an active Bible study, he should consider starting one on his own.  Often Christian fighter pilots who see such a need choose to start a fellowship under the auspices of a national organization such as OCF, the Navigators, Cadence, or any of a host of others.  An important note for those pilots is that outside religious organizations that operate on base must do so “under the umbrella of [the] senior chaplain’s program. (AF Message)”  This is normally not a problem since most organizations that minister to the military encourage an active relationship with the local chaplaincy.  Given the current climate for a proactive Christian in the military, though, (see Religion and Military Policy), it is important for a Christian fighter pilot to make sure that he is in compliance with the appropriate procedures. 

There are many resources that can guide a Christian in starting a group Bible study (See Links).  Many publishers create not only the text of the study, but also teacher’s notebooks with schedules and guided discussion questions.  The specifics of how to conduct a study can be found in any of those sources; still, there are unique challenges to having a Bible study as a military member and fighter pilot.  I learned most of the following concepts from Lt Col Terry Stokka’s pamphlet “Preparing and Leading a Bible Study,” published in his Preparing for Active Duty notebook.

If a Christian fighter pilot needs help running a study, the content for a do-it-yourself Bible study can easily be created using preformatted materials.  The format can vary widely; popular modern studies often have music, prayer, a study, and perhaps some snacks or a meal.  As already noted in other facets of a fighter pilot’s life, coordination for a group Bible study will be difficult.  If a pilot does start a study, he should maximize predictability for all who attend so that they can fit their unstable schedules around a stable Bible study.  To that end, he should advertise the start and end times and then adhere to them.  Consistency is helped by conducting the study year round, even during holidays and deployments.  Attendance may decrease during those times, but the study remains reliable and tends to be even more important to the few who remain.  Once a study is established and a group of people is attending, stability can be ensured by considering continuity.  For example, sharing leadership responsibility can prevent the study from relying too much on a single person; such reliance might cause the study to fail when that leader is unavailable, or might cause the study to take on too much of that individual’s ideas.   

Different personalities make Christians comfortable in different situations, and military Bible studies will draw members from all career fields and across all personalities.  In general, to maximize the possibility that all will feel comfortable, including those that might just want to sit and listen, I agree with Lt Col Stokka’s opinion that no one should be pressured to read, pray, or share with the group.  One method that I saw him use was what the cadets sometimes called “Popcorn Prayer.”  Rather than praying around a circle, Lt Col Stokka would start and end the group prayer (or give an open invitation for someone to do so); in between the opening prayer (often jokingly called “dialing”) and the closing prayer (“hanging up”), anyone was allowed to pray as they desired.  After a slight awkward silence, the person saying the closing prayer (most often the leader, so he could control when it ended) would finish for the group.  This allowed those who wanted to pray the opportunity to do so, and didn’t force those who were uncomfortable with public prayer to be embarrassed by nervously awaiting their turn around the circle.

If a Bible study leader calls on people and they have a shy personality, they may be put off and choose not to return.  Lt Col Stokka used to say that he’d rather have someone sitting silently in a Bible study week after week than not being there at all.  Conversely, it’s important not to let those who are assertive dominate the study.  As noted, Type A fighter pilots tend to have strong opinions and have little fear of sharing them.  If they dominate the study they may overpower those who are more withdrawn but have questions to ask or constructive thoughts from which all could benefit.  Also, a religious topic that is assertively communicated may be construed as correct simply because of the confidence of the person speaking it, particularly if it isn’t contradicted just as assertively.  The leader or facilitator needs to seek a balance so that everyone can get the greatest benefit from the study. 

Another popular part of modern Christian gatherings is food; integrating food into a Bible study will depend on resources, time, and timing.  Whether a full meal or mere snacks, fancy food is not required—or desired.  In many religious circles it is easy to get into a Christian culinary competition with each contributor attempting to outdo the other.  To prevent a food fight, food should be a side item to the gathering, not the primary focus.  In the mixed group that forms the study there may also be families with children, which means figuring out how to integrate them without alienating them (if they are in the minority) or focusing too much on them (if they form the majority).  Depending on ages and numbers children may be able to be integrated into the study; if not, childcare may need to rotate within the group or be arranged outside of the study.

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