Strand Groups

Strand groups are the heart of the conference. This is where we break into small groups and study the word of God in-depth. We're equipped to understand the text better, and learn how to write our own evangelistic talk or resource based on the passage we're studying.

The Strands have been designed to flow on from one another. So, over the years, you start at Strand 1 and work your way through to Strand 5.

• Students who have been to AFES' National Training Event before will have already completed some strand material, so you can choose the strand after the one you did last at NTE.
• Students from South Pacific universities may also have completed similar material. If you're in doubt about which strand is for you, please speak to your staffworker.
• If this is your first conference, please choose Strand 1.

Here's some more info about what happens in each Strand:

Strand 12 - Gospel Ministry

This is for those keen students who have just finished high school and can't wait to get to uni! In Strand 12 we look at the broader topic of gospel ministry, and we also talk about what you can expect when you get to university.

Strand 1 - Understanding the New Testament

Strand 1 teaches us how to study the Bible using biblical theology, getting a picture of how the whole Bible hangs together.

Strand 2 - Understanding the Old Testament

Strand 2 builds on what we learned in Strand 1 about biblical theology, this time applying it to a passage in the Old Testament.

Strand 3 - Systematic Theology

Now with a strong foundation in biblical theology, we move onto looking at a particular topic using systematic theology.

Strand 4 - Ethics

By now we have an understanding of how the Bible hangs together as a whole, and how to use it to work through a particular topic. In Strand 4, we look at the complicated area of ethics, specifically the ethics of work.

Strand 5 - Developing a teaching series

Strand 5 is only for those who have done the previous four strands, and helps you build the skills needed to write your own teaching series on a book of the Bible.

If you have any questions about what Strand you should choose, please speak to your staffworker.