The reality is that the semester goes by pretty fast. We are now half way through January of 2011! What this means is that we want to make every Bible study you do on campus count. Ultimately we’re trusting God for changed lives, those who are committed to Him, who will partner with you to help reach the campus, who will influence the lives around them through their lives and words, and who love God and are walking in a vital way with Him moment by moment.
Your Bible studies can play a big part in shaping the spiritual lives of students. Do the very best you can and ask God to transform the lives of those in your study. As you prepare for your group Bible studies this semester, here are some things to think about:
1. Does your Bible study cover the most important topics first, in order for your students to have a solid foundation on the basics? See this link for ideas: http://crupress.campuscrusadeforchrist.com/green/index.php/resources/category/basic_growth_concepts
2. Is your Bible study transferable? After you teach it, will your students be able to teach it to others?
3. Are you following a good format for each study to make them inviting, encouraging and interative? See: http://crupress.campuscrusadeforchrist.com/green/_assets/resources/Crucial_Elements_of_a_Small_Group.pdf
4. Is there a clear application and follow through after each study so that you can keep everyone accountable? Check out the “I Am Second”series: http://iamsecond.com/getinvolved/GroupTools.html
5. If you have a smaller weekly meeting, consider breaking into groups to do their Bible study. Then bring them back together at the end. This will take careful planning but could work if it is hard to get people together for a separate Bible study during the week.
6. Be sure not to sacrifice the preparation, quality and growth of the Bible studies. In many ways this is where real discipleship and multiplication takes place. If you find that your weekly meeting is greatly diminishing your time to put together good Bible studies, you will need to make some major adjustments. Talk to your staff coach about this.
7. Remember 2 Timothy 2:1-3 “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”
Have some great Bible studies this semester.
Talk to you next week,
Ben Rivera/The GodSquad Team