Decades ago, the month of August was sort of seen as the “last gasp” of summer. Vacations were still happening, pools were still populated, and the AC was still running at full blast. That’s because most schools didn’t actually begin until the last week in August, or even after Labor Day.
But times? They are a-changin’. Some of those things are still true, but increasingly August has become less of an ending of summer and more the start of fall. For churches and groups, this means that August is ramp up time.
This is when groups of all times start their planning and preparation for a new cycle. In an effort to help that planning and preparation happen well, we are pleased to host the first ever “Bible Study Week” in all Lifeway Christian stores August 6-11. This is a great opportunity to take advantage of if you lead a group, or if you are in charge of the group ministry for your church.
Specifically, here are three reasons why you should make the effort to get to a Lifeway store near you during Bible Study Week:
1. Grow as a leader.
People are busy. It’s a fact of life. As a result of our increasingly overcrowded schedules, many churches don’t have the same opportunity they once did to train the leaders for their Group Ministry. To help with this, we are pleased to offer compact training opportunities during Bible Study Week.
This training – “How to Lead a Bible Study Group” – will be offered three times during Bible Study Week:
- Monday, August 6 at 7 pm
- Wednesday, August 8 at 11 am
- Friday, August 10 at 10 am
This practical training will be a great refresher course for a seasoned leader, or a helpful jump start to give you confidence if you are a leader for the very first time.
2. Join the community.
Leadership at any level can feel lonely at times. That’s why it’s important to be reminded that you aren’t the only one taking the initiative to help people around you grow spiritually. Making time to come to Bible Study Week at Lifeway will be encouraging to you in this respect. You’ll find associates there who are your biggest fans, eager to help equip you for ministry.
And through the training workshops offered, you’ll be able to sit in a circle with people who have taken on the same task as you are. Not only will you learn some of the best and helpful leadership practices, you’ll be able to interact and dialogue with others.
3. Choose the right study.
One of the most difficult parts of leading a group can be knowing what to center that group on. After all, there are tons of potential Bible studies you can lead your group through. As part of choosing the right one, you might ask things like:
- Can I trust the content?
- Who is the author?
- Will this resource really meet our needs?
- Is there a video that goes with this study?
This week, all those questions can be answered. In addition, to try and make resourcing your group as affordable as possible, we are offering a special “buy one get one free” Bible study book sale for nine different Bible studies that we are confident can help you make disciples.
If you’re a group leader, mark your calendar for August 6-11. We hope to see you soon in a Lifeway store near you.
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