GET WISDOM

GET WISDOM 109: The Last Episode

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:36:26 -0500

In this episode, Jason talks about the end of the GET WISDOM podcast.

Podcast (MP3): Click here to download.

The Future of My Bible Studies and GET WISDOM

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 11:41:39 -0500

Two weeks ago, I posted a request for feedback regarding the usage of my Bible studies for Orthodox Christian teens, and interest in future studies. Below is what I sent to the people who responded to this request for feedback.

Based on the feedback I received, I've decided the following:

1. To continue creating quizzes on the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew;

2. To create limited study guides on the Gospel; and

3. To discontinue the Get Wisdom podcast.

You can learn more about these decisions, and what they will mean for your parish, below.

For those of you who are unaware, I made my appeal for feedback because, due to a change in life circumstances, I need to free up time in my schedule for new responsibilities. This necessitated determining which of the many volunteer activities I do for the Church will need to be reduced (or cut completely).

Based on your feedback, combined with years of website statistics, I've decided the following regarding my Bible study resources:

1) The resources I create that are most used by youth workers and teen leaders, at least in preparing for Bible Bowl, are the quizzes. Almost all of you stated the teens in your parishes use the quizzes, and the number of quizzes downloaded from the Orthodox Christian Bible Studies website (http://www.orthodoxyouth.org) exceeds the number of study guides downloaded by almost 300 percent.

I will therefore continue to create quizzes for Matthew (and, for those of you who asked, I will finish the quizzes for the Catholic Epistles study in the next few weeks).

2) The majority of you said that the teens in your parishes use the study guides; however, a notable percentage explicitly stated that your parishes do not use the study guides and, as I mentioned above, far fewer study guides than quizzes are downloaded from the Bible Studies website.

Because a reasonable number of teens use the study guides, I will continue to create study materials for Matthew. However, I've also decided to reduce the scope of these study guides. Therefore, instead of writing commentaries for each chapter of Matthew, I will create an overview (most likely as an outline), and will include selected quotations from saints and Orthodox teachers to help teens better understand the key points of the chapter and apply the teaching to their lives.

Creating these more limited study guides will ensure that I can continue providing useful study materials for youth workers and teens, but will also free up a significant amount of desperately needed time in my schedule.

3) Unfortunately, ceasing to write full commentaries for the study guides means that I will no longer be able to produce the Get Wisdom podcast. The content for Get Wisdom is taken directly from the study guide commentaries -- since I will no longer be writing these commentaries, I will no longer have content for the Get Wisdom podcast. Get Wisdom will therefore conclude with episode 109, where I will announce that the podcast series is ending.

This does not mean, however, that I will no longer produce podcasts that are relevant to teens. I will continue producing Orthodox Life Tips (http://orthodoxresource.com/category/orthodox-life-tips/), my daily one-minute podcast with tips from saints and Orthodox teachers on aspects of daily life, for the Orthodox Christian Network.

I will also continue producing studies, which include the re/CALL podcast for teens (http://www.orthodoxyouth.org/recall), for Ancient Faith Radio. My current study, Worship & You (http://worshipandyou.com), contains free study guides, discussion guides, and podcasts on carrying the transforming power of Orthodox worship into daily life.

You can always find the most recent study guides, articles, and podcasts I create for Orthodox teens and adults on my Orthodox Resource website at http://www.orthodoxresource.com.

Thank you again for your feedback. Please feel free to contact me at any time with any comments, questions, or suggestions you may have.

Have a blessed Holy Week and celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord.

The Future of GET WISDOM is In Your Hands!

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:07:34 -0600

Hi, I'm Jason Barker, the host of Get Wisdom. For over 6 ½ years I've been producing Bible study materials for Orthodox Christian teens, and for almost 2 ½ years I'be been producing the Get Wisdom podcast. I'm doing this special episode of Get Wisdom because I need your feedback.

I love studying the Bible, and I love sharing Bible study with Orthodox Christian teens and adults. But now, after years of creating these—and other materials—I have a bit of a dilemma: I need to make some choices about what work (both Orthodox and otherwise) I'll be doing in the future. This is where you come in.

Don't worry, I'm not asking for any money!

What I need from you is feedback: do you value my teen Bible studies and Get Wisdom podcast? Do you want me to create more of them (such as continuing the series on the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew)? If so, then I need to hear from you. Let me know that you want me to continue creating Bible studies and podcasts for teens. Or, if there's something else you'd like to see and use, let me know about that.

Send me an email at , or contact me using Twitter, Facebook, or a number of instant messaging services, from my website at orthodoxresource.com.

I'm not asking for any type of financial commitment, or even any personal information; if I continue creating these resources, I'll create them entirely for free, just as I always have. All I want is to know that there are enough people who use and value these resources that you're willing to tell me you want them.

If I hear from enough people, then I'll know that I need to continue creating teen Bible studies and the Get Wisdom podcast. If I don't hear from people, however, then I'll know that it's time for me to move on and do something else. In either case, praise God.

So again, send me an email at , or visit my website at orthodoxresource.com. In two weeks I'll let you know what I've learned. Until then, thank you.

GET WISDOM 108: A Special Appeal

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:48:47 -0600

In this episode, Jason Barker talks about the future of Get Wisdom and his Bible studies for Orthodox Christian teens.

Podcast (MP3): Click here to download.

GET WISDOM 107: Matthew 4

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:11:59 -0600

In this episode we look at Matthew 4, talking about the temptation of Christ.

Podcast (MP3): Click here to download.

GET WISDOM 106: Matthew 3

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:31:51 -0600

In this episode we look at Matthew 3, talking about the St. John the Baptist and Theophany.

Podcast (MP3): Click here to download.

GET WISDOM 105: Matthew 2

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:54:00 -0600

In this episode we look at Matthew 2, talking about the Magi.

Podcast (MP3): Click here to download.

GET WISDOM 104: Matthew 1

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:41:51 -0600

In this episode we look at Matthew 1, talking about St. Joseph the Betrothed.

Podcast (MP3): Click here to download.

New Episode Next Week

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 09:36:28 -0600

After a few weeks off (after two years of almost weekly postings), I'm finally coming back next week with new episodes of Get Wisdom.

These new episodes will start a new study of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew.

Please be aware that there will also be a change in the release schedule for Get Wisdom: the podcast will be moving from a weekly schedule to an every-other-week schedule.

Check back next week for episode 104 on Matthew 1!

GET WISDOM 103: 3 John

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:03:14 -0600

In this episode we look at 3 John, talking about Christian leadership.

Podcast (MP3): Click here to download.