At the initiative of a student, Glad You Asked was run in student halls at Bristol University in the UK.

1. Why did you decide to get a group started?

It started with a realisation that having spiritual conversations with people was something I was good at and I knew there was a need for it. I recognised low-key evangelism in a small group as a gifting so Glad You Asked put structure around what I was already doing.

I knew from the outset that Glad You Asked was excellent in quality, which made me feel comfortable using it. As well, it was pitched at the right level of questions people were asking. The format added the right amount of structure to the group (which had already existed for about a term) and the DVD facilitated more informed discussion because a third party presented the evidence.

2. What do you think is the unique potential of using Glad You Asked within a university setting?

Because it’s low-key, you are immediately reaching people who wouldn’t go to church, at least not at initial stages of the group. Also, being at university is a time of life where people are starting to think independently as well as having experiences that challenge one’s worldview. It’s okay to ask questions during this time of life, which is a huge advantage. As well, students have lots of time and are constantly building new friendships so it’s relatively easy to get people along to things.

In many ways, Glad You Asked has an ‘intellectually’ rigorous aspect to it making it well suited for a university context. As well, it’s normal in university to have discussion groups around different topics. Something like Glad You Asked is natural to everyday student life. As a result, it’s easy to invite people along.

3. When you first considered how to get started, what were your biggest questions?

My first question was: ‘Would people come?’ Running a group was a real faith challenge for me. My second question was: ‘Had I communicated clearly enough what it was and would the right people come?’ I was concerned that either only Christians would turn up or else it would be non-Christians there for an angry debate. Both ended up being moot questions.

4. What were the challenges to getting started in your particular situation?

The biggest challenge was getting the right Christians in the group. In my group, it worked out to have an older and wiser Christian from my church involved who became invaluable to the discussion. He was able to input into areas where I felt less confident. I really wanted to make sure that the Christians involved brought the right attitude of respect, being a part of making sure everyone felt comfortable and involved.

5. In the end, how did your group get started?

The small group existed for at least a term before Glad You Asked was even launched as a resource. I originally got the group started by inviting friends from hall whom I had spiritual conversations with in the first few weeks of term. Also, I advertised it in a chapel service and asked my Christian friends to mention it to anyone whom they met and sensed might be interested.

Fifteen people showed up to the first meeting! I asked the group what they would think about using a DVD resource a few weeks before I actually introduced it. It was received well.

6. What was successful about your group?

Trust was built up over the long term. Our group broke down many barriers people had. Individuals became more real and honest, leading to discussion that was most relevant for their situations. Questions moved from being defensive to inquisitive. I heard through the grapevine that participants were commenting to their friends, ‘Anyone can come to Ruth’s group. They’re not going to throw the Bible in your face and they’ll listen to what you have to say.’ I was very pleased about this as we worked hard to make sure everyone felt respected and equal.

A strong social group developed out of this group. We became good friends and ended up spending a lot of time together throughout university.

7. If doing it again, what would you do differently?

I would make sure that we had a specified ending to the group. When our group ran, it was running indefinitely which wasn’t helpful. It’s important to draw things to a conclusion to keep the group from becoming an endless debate where it doesn’t matter if you come to an answer because there’s no end. Having a set amount of time would increase commitment to the time when it is running.

8. What would you carry on from your experience that you’d do again?

As well as working to make sure people felt respected, we also worked hard to build a sense of ownership among all group members. Before the group met, I’d ring group members, asking people to bring things for the meeting. Based on the discussion, I would delegate out research tasks to help us explore sessions in further detail. I wanted to be an invisible leader in the background, guiding the direction but empowering people to be a part.

9. For someone just starting to think about running Glad You Asked at university, what advice would you give them?

• Get other people involved to help you if you don’t feel confident to lead on your own.
• Do all you can to help your entire group own the experience.
• Go for it.
• Have faith if you’re not feeling very sure about it – the results are surprising. For people who wouldn’t be willing to talk about faith casually, Glad You Asked can be a great context for them to start to explore their faith questions.