13 Ways to Encourage Your Bible Study Group
Karen True
Bible study season begins as women arrive with a face full of smiles, an armload full of books and Bibles and a heart full of enthusiasm and good intentions...at least for a few weeks. Then life kicks in. Kids get sick. Family comes for a visit. Cars needs repairing. Good weather turns south. Life takes over, and Bible study takes a back seat.
Maybe that's never happened to you, but it sure has happened to me. My plans and best hopes usually fall short when translated into real life where there are inconveniences and interruptions that collide with my visions of the way things should be.
A good leader will go the extra Bible study mile with some forethought and creativity to encourage women to come back again and again. Here are some ideas that you might just try in your next Bible study...
- Give a Gift: A gift is so much more than a thing you give. A thoughtful gift says, "I care about you. I want to invest in your life." Even a small gift (chocolate is my personal favorite) is meaningful when it's given with joy and sincerity. Consider giving a votive candle, a bookmarker or even a flower to the women who join you each week in Bible study.
- Join a Network: Social networks like Facebook and Twitter may not be your preferred means of communication, but this is where culture being shaped, information is being shared and connections are being formed. So, if you can't beat 'em, you might as well join 'em. Set up a facebook group for your Bible study group so you can stay in touch throughout the week. If you want to connect with younger women, this is one step in the right direction.
- Throw a Party: Bible study is serious business. It's also a good reason to party. Celebrate the accomplishments, commitments and victories of your women when given half a chance. This might mean hosting a pot luck party on the final day of the study or smaller celebrations throughout. Create an award that you can give out...just because it's fun, and it makes women feel a part of something bigger and better.
- Tell a Story: The wonder of Bible study is that it changes us. It changes our hearts, our attitudes, our desires and our lives. If you are the leader, then you should have plenty of personal stories about how God has transformed your life. Two words. Tell them. Your story is powerful because it's true and it's yours. Try this link for more stories and illustrations.
- Show a Truth: A good object lesson never goes out of style. I still have vivid memories of my pastor using a pile of heavy stones to demonstrate what it's like to carry yesterday's regrets along with tomorrow's fears. I'm yet to forget seeing Beth Moore cut up a long rope and tie it together again and again to show us how God restores us in our failures. Illustrations like these take time and extra effort, but the message that lingers might just alter the course of a woman's life. Here are some links to sites that have great idea suggestions. And a couple of our favorite books. Some are for children or students, but many are equally effective for adults.
- Follow with Action: Follow in Jesus' footsteps by stepping out of your classroom or living room and feeding the poor, educating the neglected and caring for those to whom Jesus would go if He were walking on earth today. You will be amazed at how reaching out will strengthen your group. Connect with a local food pantry, domestic violence shelter or crisis pregnancy center to see how your group might help.
- Issue a Challenge: Women are more competitive than most would admit, and a few would never tell you, but they are just waiting for someone to stimulate them to do just a little more. Ask your women to read an extra passage in the coming week. Invite them to raise money or make a commitment to a worthy cause. Encourage them to do something specific in response to the week's lesson. Challenge them to pray in a way they might not have considered before. Some will rise to the occasion and be forever changed in the process.
- Ask a Question: Become an expert on your group of women by inquiring of them each week. Ask them personally about why they chose this study, what they are learning and how God is challenging them to respond. Invite each person to share something unique about themselves. Fully engage with the women in your study by getting to know each one with a few well chosen questions.
- Pray a Prayer: Everyone needs a shoulder to cry on, a friend to laugh with and a arm to hug their neck. Even more, they need someone to pray with them. Put your arms around your sister and pray for her. This will make more difference in her life than anything else you do.
- Leave a Note: The value of a handwritten note seems to escalate alongside the proliferation of ever speedier methods of communication like email, facebook, twitter and another advancement around the next technological corner. It won't matter whether your thoughts are expressed on a sticky note or the finest stationery you can lay your hands on. I still have a collection of notes I received several years ago from a group of people who wanted to encourage me. And, while I'm mentioning it, I do think a timely email can be really effective too!
- Play a Game: I've said before that it should be illegal to make the Bible boring. What's boring about an overtalkative donkey, an under performing prophet who becomes fish food and a round about mob of slaves who cross a desert and become a nation? A game of Bible trivia, Scripture bingo or any other sort of fun you can think of will keep your women on their biblical toes while inviting them to enjoy the relationships they are building in their group. Try this site to get your creative juices flowing.
- Eat a Meal: I've mentioned partying already, but since the Bible talks so much about eating, I figured I could too! If your group is small, plan to meet for lunch or dinner at a local restaurant. If your group is large, invite your small group leaders to join you for lunch. Sharing a meal with someone is intimate and powerful, and you will discover a new level of interaction with the women you serve when you sit down with them over good food and good conversation.
- Live a Life: Your life is the most powerful study of Scripture that anyone will ever experience. When the women in your study group see how you respond under pressure, how you face life's inevitable challenges and how you deal with conflict, failure, insecurity and whatever else might come your way, they will see the Bible come to life, and that's just how Jesus meant for it to be. You are not only their leader. You are their model. Wear it well!
- Say a Word: Just say it! Tell the women how much you love them. Tell them about the way you pray for them. Tell them what you see God doing in their lives. Tell them how wonderful God made them to be and that He really does have incredible plans for them. Your words will be an extension of your example, and women will feel valued when you speak truth into their lives.
Before you know it, we'll be singing Jingle Bells, and the study you are just now beginning will be past history. So let's make the most of the few weeks and even fewer hours we have together in Bible study. We are praying for you and hope you'll let us in on what God is up to in the lives of your women this fall.
Question: What resources have you found (online, books, magazines, etc.) that help you prepare for Bible study? Let us know, and we'll share your best discoveries with our readers.
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