Dirt Bags meet at bowling alley, Bag-ettes meet at Flathead Lake Lodge

The Dirt Bag-ettes meet in the same place they have on Fridays for the last 18 years, the main lodge at Flathead Lake Lodge.

The fire crackles in the huge stone hearth and coffee waits to be paired with mini donuts as the women chat and pull out their Bibles.

Vicky Creamer leads the women’s side of the Bible study groups she and her husband run every week. Vicky leads four a week. Three in Bigfork and one in Whitefish. Each meeting is attended by 20-40 women. No boys allowed.

Her husband John feels the same way.

No girls allowed.

He runs two a week at Pick’s bowling alley. They are attended by 60-150 men each week.

Only one of the Creamer’s Bible studies is held in a church. One of Vicky’s is at Bethany Lutheran Church because child care is available.

“It’s not about the church,” Vicky said.

“We’ve got friends who haven’t been to church in maybe 20-30 years, but they come to Bible study,” John said.

Dirt Bags and Bag-ettes meetings are attended by church go-ers and non-church go-ers alike. What church you go to and how you practice your religion is not what the Creamer’s method of Bible study is focused on.

It’s about personalizing whatever the lesson of the day is. It’s about the scripture. It’s about comfort.

On Friday Vicky taught forgiveness out of the Book of Romans. The discussion focused on how to be at peace with those who we feel are against us.

“Vicky’s really good at talking practically,” Sharon Lewis said. She’s attended Vicky’s meetings for the last five years.

The Creamer’s Bible study is about taking the words in the Bible at face value, without interpretation. They try to focus on the parts of the Bible that they understand.

“I don’t understand the Book of Revelations,” John said. “If I don’t understand it, I’m not going to lead it.”

He speaks about the Book of James and how the message is that words can get people into trouble.

“Well that’s easy to understand. That’s what we try to teach,” he said.

No interpretation necessary.

And no church necessary. The no church part, that’s what Matt Jensen said keeps some people coming and it’s what is so inviting to new people.

“I think there’s a lot of people who have questions about Christianity,” Jensen said. “But they don’t necessarily feel comfortable in a church.”

He’s gone to Dirt Bags for three years and was invited by a guy who he used to work construction with. And Jensen has invited other people to attend as well.

What Jensen loves is the group prayer.

Each meeting is started with a group prayer. Prayer requests are made by attendees and someone other than John leads the prayer. Jensen said it’s pretty powerful to see a large group of grown men pray for the community that they are a part of.

Jensen now brings his 6-year-old son to the Dirt Bags meetings.

“He likes the idea of getting a doughnut every Friday morning,” Jensen said. “I look forward to the meeting.”

Dirt Bags meetings take place Friday mornings at 6:45 a.m. and 8 a.m. at Pick’s Bowling Center. The cost of attendance is $3 to cover the facility use fee, and coffee and doughnuts are provided.

Dirt Bag-ettes meetings take place Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. at the Bethany Lutheran Church and 12:15 p.m. at Whitefish Lake Lodge, and Fridays at 8 a.m. at Glacier Bank’s Bigfork branch and at 12 p.m. at the Flathead Lake Lodge. No charge for the ladies.