(Recent changes are in violet)

How do I start a fellowship in my area?

Why should I have my group affiliated with BEBF?

The Boeing Employees Bible Fellowship (BEBF) of Puget Sound is dedicated to assisting Boeing employees, retirees, vendors and contract laborers with Bible study and fellowship within The Boeing Company. Bible studies occur before and after work and during lunchtime, depending on the Bible study group. Our other activities include maintaining a local directory of contacts, providing resources for establishing and developing study groups, coordinating and supporting special events.

The Fellowship also provides web opportunities for items of interest to the members of the fellowship, and to others interested in the Christian Scriptures and Christian activities. This website also provides web links to non-Puget Sound Boeing Bible groups.

BEBF has a rich heritage.  Although Bible studies have existed at Boeing since its beginning, they were first networked as an entity in Puget Sound about 25 years ago by John Kutz under the name "Good News At Work" (GNAW).  It was officially reorganized as BEBF in the year 2000.

Some of the past presidents have included John Kutz, Walt Dietz, Dave Shirley, Rick Sutherland, Jennie Ostgaard, Becky Stoner, and Nino Spampinato.  The current president is Hank Myers.  The website is currently  maintained by Fran Lee who has also provided support in various offices throughout the years.  Our original website was designed by the late Ron Rule.  Tammy Arnold designed the current website and continues to provide design support when needed.

Fellowship groups are started in many ways. If one has a desire to start a group (format can be determined later), we suggest the following:

• A time of prayer be given to this and preferably include others who may have an interest right from the outset. (Even those outside your work area)
  
• Once you have God's peace to proceed with launching a group; Seek the LORD to send to you whoever He feels should be in your group. (You may be surprised!)
  
• Initially invite those in your area who may have exhibited Christian faith, either through their character, words, behavior, or faith symbols.
  
• At your initial gathering express your desires for the group, (i.e. Perhaps what God has spoken to your heart, and your focus: prayer, worship, casual study, intense study, fellowship, testimony, all of the above, some of the above…). Be open to the ideas of others, and be honest with them as to whether or not you would be open to see the group style/format changing with time. Consider sharing the group's leadership with others.
  
• If you have just one other person willing to support a regular gathering then it's likely that you're off to a start! (We certainly want to avoid any appearance of impropriety, so it is recommended that if the gathering turns out to be one guy and one gal, that further individual prayer be put forth for additional participants, and not gather together until that happens).
  
• Once your group has proven that it wants to continue, the group should consider joining BEBF.  See below…

BEBF provides several benefits to groups that meet at facilities of The Boeing Company.  Some of these are:

• Some measure of accountability, and therefore safety, for those who wish to attend but are concerned about doctrinal detours.  By requiring each group to sign a Statement of Faith as a minimum, there is an inherent level of trust that is provided to anyone who wishes to check the group out, based on fundamentals of Christian doctrine.
  
• Since BEBF is affiliated with the Boeing Employees Recreation Council (BERC), there are direct links from the Internal and External BERC web portals to the BEBF Homepage. The BEBF Homepage provides a variety of resources for those who are searching for Bible fellowship at Boeing, or anyone anywhere in the world who might do an Internet search on "Bible", or any of the content in our Webpages.
  
• As a recognized "Club" with the BERC, there are privileges that we are entitled to, such as:
  • Facilities use
  • Publicity on public domain employee bulletin boards (provided proper protocol used)
  • Limited use of company equipment and services, such as copiers, overhead projectors, interoffice mail, limited phone and fax, etc.
    
• As a recognized "Club", we may use company equipment for Bible Study materials pertaining to our club that might conceivably otherwise be considered a violation of the Company's Procedure PRO-10. "Proper Use of Company, Customer, and Supplier Resources. "
  

In addition, by request of our company, ALL Boeing Recreation club attendees at any club function or event are now  required to sign a Release and Indemnity form and forward it to Recreation by way of the BEBF current BEBF Secretary.    Mail to Jennifer Schoonover, MC 1F-73.

As an affiliated "club" of the BERC (see above), once you are signed up with the BEBF, you may post fairly generic posters (sample flyer) on public bulletin boards near where you work. It is always good practice, if possible, to introduce yourself and your group to the focal (person responsible) for the particular bulletin board you will be using. As this will be an on-going meeting, the notice should remain on the board indefinitely, or it should be replaced when it becomes worn. Sometimes these notices are removed by people who are uncomfortable with this type of announcement. That is why it is helpful to communicate with the bulletin board focal.

Since the notice is quite generic, it should not be an offense to anyone. We do not want to offend anyone. If this ever becomes an issue and resolution can not be obtained through your immediate supervisor, or the bulletin board focal, please let us know, and we will assist you in getting your group published in your area.

When you join the BEBF (discussed above), in case we forget to ask, just remind us to get your group added to our website's Bible study page.

The Boeing Company is clear regarding the use of e-mail for personal use, and we refer you to Procedure 10 (PRO-10). We are of the understanding from the BERC, that club board members may use email sensibly among board members, which include area coordinators. It is expected that on very rare occasions an email will go out from the board members to either select area focals, or to all focals. Individual study focals should abstain from the use of company email to communicate with their group's participants. It is strongly recommended that group members arrange for external email, and group leaders make efforts to communicate with their members through their external e-addresses.

Timely issues come up sometimes which are of concern to you and also happen to be of concern to people who may or may not attend your group, (prayer requests, or praise reports for example). On these occasions, it is suggested that you use discretionary internal email as though you were simply communicating with dear friends or coworkers. A "focals-only" webpage has been created specially for group focals to check when an issue or event of critical, sensitive or timely importance comes up. Focals may inquire about that url if it is not provided when they sign up.