After the final notes of rehearsal fade, members of Sound System and Debtones don’t always head straight home. Instead, many gather in living rooms or local parks, opening their Bibles and sharing snacks as they unwind together in small-group Bible studies. The Sound System Bible study is led by Senior Callie Painter, while the Debtones Bible study is led by juniors Stella Shackleford and Olive Roegner.
“Last year, we had Bible study all the time and I saw no one wanting to step up to run it this year. I was really interested, so I reached out to our company managers,” Shackleford said. “I wanted the girls to have the same experience I did last year with the girls you spend all your time with.”
Shackleford is one of the costume managers for Debtones, while Painter serves as company manager.
“I felt like God was calling me to lead, especially with the position I was given in choir,” Painter said. “I’ve been able to teach a lot of people about Jesus and how good he is, and it is such a blessing.”
Painter, Shackleford and Roegner have all been attending their respective Bible studies since their first year in the choirs, becoming leaders in the last year. In addition to having fellowship with their group members, the girls also use Bible study as an outlet for team bonding before their busy and taxing seasons.
“You get so drained both mentally and physically that my faith became the thing to keep me sane,” Roenger said. “Having fellowship at practice, where I would spend most of my time during the competition season, kept me encouraged and grounded when my days got busy and overwhelming.”
Both Sound System and Debtones have 58 members, and a few of the members agree that Bible study allows the groups to feel smaller and gives them an outlet to talk about topics that pertain more to their personal lives.
“We’ve all gotten so close, especially those of us in Bible study, so we’re able to bond with Jesus at the center,” Painter said. “More and more people have started coming so I can see a change in people’s hearts and it’s so cool.”
The groups usually meet twice a month, with the leaders hosting at their homes or leading Bible study at local spaces such as Aspen Trace or Independence Park. In addition to hosting, the leaders have had to learn how to keep their choir leadership roles separate from their role as Bible study leaders.
“I’m definitely more laid back in Bible study versus rehearsals, but I like sticking to my plan and getting things done,” Painter said. “It takes so much patience because we tend to lose focus.”
Although it can be hard to concentrate with friends, the girls said they try to stick to a loose schedule.
“Olive and I try to start with some general conversation about our weeks while we’re eating snacks or just socializing,” Shackleford said. “Then we move on to whatever topic we’ve prepared and then just see what conversations spark from there.”
Debtones has spent a majority of their study on the topics of fellowship, particularly in Ephesians, while Sound System has recently studied discernment, focusing on following your intuition and trusting what God believes is good for you.
“We always start with high/low/buffalo, where you share a high and low from your week, along with a ‘buffalo’ which is something random or funny,” Painter said. “We can then move into the study, open up our Bibles, and start discussing what we’ve read recently.”
