ESL and Friends is a group of volunteers. We are also all Christians.
What is class like?
Currently this description is not accurate as we are meeting virtually.
When we meet, new visitors can pick any table they like to sit with a tutor. We try to have a maximum of a ratio of 3:1 students per tutor.
The first hour, we will discuss many different things, usually about American culture. We can discuss food, holidays, family, traditions - anything you want!
After a ten minute break, we go over a text from the Bible as a conversation starter. We can read through the lesson and discuss the meaning. This is a good opportunity to discuss cultural similarities and differences, practice reading and pronunciation, and learn new words.
Why is this group free?
We believe that God loves everyone. Jesus Christ, who the Bible calls "God with us," taught his followers to tell everyone about how much God loves us.
We believe that God wants us to love others. The Bible talks about how to love others, and one way is by welcoming visitors and being hospitable to them. The Lansing area has many visitors from all over the world. We want to make all of these visitors feel welcome and help them to learn English.
Here are some examples of texts from the Bible that talk about how much God loves us, and how God wants us to love each other:
"Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God." -1 John 4:7
"This is real love--not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." -1 John 4:10
"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I [Jesus] have loved you, you should love each other." -John 13:34
"For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" -Galatians 5:14
"Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!" -Hebrews 13:2