Finding the Right Study for Your Group

It’s that time of year again…

Many groups are finishing up their Bible studies (if they follow the September-to-May study year like we do.)

Most leaders are planning and/or praying about which studies they’ll do in the fall (unless they are terrible procrastinators like me!)

No matter where you are in your planning process, we all need the Lord’s help choosing which studies to use.

For only God knows what our women need.

The Power of Group Bible Study

As a nineteen-year-old youth pastor’s wife, I was passionate about reaching young people. But I wasn’t crazy about being expected to attend the Ladies Bible study every Wednesday morning.

I remember grumbling a bit as I got ready the first week. It was sure to be dry and boring. After all, I had nothing in common with these women. At least that’s what I thought.

But nothing could have been further from the truth! In that small gathering I found a circle of women who loved Jesus with all their hearts. And though I was younger by far than most of them, they welcomed me with open arms. As did the book we studied.

Lord, Change Me by Evelyn Chrisiansen was the focus for our study, and that book rocked my world. It was as though God had handpicked it just for me. From the very first page, Evelyn described the struggle and the frustration I was feeling with everything and everyone around me – including my brand-new husband!

I’d been praying, “Lord, change him!” or “change my situation.” But Evelyn challenged us to pray, “Lord, change me.”

That simple prayer, and the scriptural principles she taught, literally transformed my life and marriage. It was the inspiration, in large part, for my book, Having a Mary Spirit: Allowing God to Change Us from the Inside Out.

For something powerful happens when women gather around God’s Word.

How to Find the Right Fit for Your Group

If you haven’t already planned your 2016-2017 study year and feel a bit overwhelmed by the task (I do!), here are a few things my co-teacher, Marge List, and I think about when choosing our studies.

• Consider your study year. Using a calendar, map out the weeks in your fall quarter as well as the weeks available from January through May. Note any church events or holidays that might preclude your meetings.
• Consider your budget. What have you been allocated to spend on curriculum? How much can class members afford for books?
• Consider your culture. How often and how long do you meet? What style of study does your class respond to best (book and/or DVD study, inductive style or lecture)? Do they prefer homework or not? How much homework?
• Consider the needs of your ladies. What is the spiritual maturity level of your ladies? Are there gaps in their spiritual knowledge or Christian walk that a study might fill?

For the women at our church, we’ve found that three – or at the most, four – studies each year works best. This is what our 2016-2017 schedule will look like:

• 2nd week of September to 1st week of December – 12-Session Study
• 2nd week of January to 2nd week of May – 10-Session Study + 8-Session Study

Although our church is generous with our budget and we could afford more studies, we’ve chosen to limit the number for several reasons. First, we like to live with a topic for awhile – shorter studies feel like they go too quickly. Second, we know that many of our women can’t afford to buy a book or workbook every six weeks (which is the length of many current studies).

However, that doesn’t stop us from using a shorter study if we sense God’s leading. This spring we combined War Room and The Armor of God studies and it’s been wonderful! [See how we did it in War Room / Armor of God Study Review.] Stretch out a single DVD study by showing and discussing the video one week, then using the next week to discuss the homework in depth. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box!

[Read & Download: “Tips for Leading Small Group Discussion”]

One of many beautiful verse graphics @ www.sweettothesoul.com

Where to Find Studies

With access to the internet, there is no end to online sources for Bible studies. But that “abundance” can be crippling at times, at least for me. So before I go to my computer for a study, I go to three of my favorite resources:

1. My local Christian bookstore –  I love browsing the study section. I like to see how the study is laid out, the amount of homework, and whether or not the topic fits the needs of my ladies
2. My CBD catalogue – I love Christian Book Distributors (also found online at  ChristianBook.com ). They do a great job of bringing the best of the best studies to my attention as I browse the pages – actual pages!
3. My friends – When someone recommends a study, my ears perk up. Especially when they go on and on about how good the study was and how it touched the hearts of their women.
4. My church library – Though we don’t do it often, we revisit popular studies from the past. We’ve also borrowed studies from other churches in town and offered access to ours.

Online Resources

If I’m unable to find a study through one of these resources, I go online.