We love hearing stories and seeing pictures of all the ways you’re in Bible study. We know often summer presents an extra challenge to staying in God’s Word. Maybe you have kids at home who are normally in school or maybe the longer hours of light just make it more difficult to stay inside and focus on getting into Scripture. We know a lot of you travel during the summer, too. It can be difficult to do Bible study in the “traditional” way.
We thought we’d offer a few ideas for unique ways of doing Bible study, especially in the summer months. Maybe these ideas will spark an idea for you and you can get a group together to open God’s Word and study this summer!
- Gather your neighbors. Maybe your church has a Bible study in the spring and fall, but not in the summer. Gather a few gals from your neighborhood and go through a study together! You could meet in your home, in your driveway, or if your neighborhood has some sort of clubhouse, you could meet there. Your neighborhood group will keep you in God’s Word all summer and have the bonus of helping you get to know those who live closest to you. Sometimes women will go to a neighbor’s house to study the Bible before they’d ever step foot inside a church. Hosting a Bible study like this is a great way to introduce them to Jesus.
- Combine your play-dates and your Bible study. If you have kids running around, it can be difficult to arrange a sitter for everyone. Consider taking Bible study to the play-date! You could meet in someone’s home while the children crawl around or play in a separate room, or meet at the pool or park. You’ll have to be ready for a few distractions (what mom isn’t?), but you can still get in quality time in the Word with your friends. The great thing about this method is that your children get to see their mom making the Bible a priority—something they’ll remember for years to come.
- Host a work lunch study. We did this a few months back! When you work during the day, it can sometimes be difficult to attend Bible studies at your church. Gather a few coworkers and study together during your lunch break. Set up the break room or a conference room and invite everyone in your department to join in. A lot of the pros of this approach are the same as inviting your neighbors—you get to know the people you work with and those who may be hesitant to join a church might be okay with an hour of Bible study at lunch.
- Study with friends around the world. Technology is sometimes wonderful! With Skype and FaceTime and email and Facebook, studying with friends from all over has become a reality. We’ve seen women all get the same Bible study and discuss via email each week. Or they’ll Skype in a friend from overseas to their regular meetings. We love that!
- Try a coffee shop. It can be overwhelming to invite people to your house each week. We get that. The good news is, you do not have to have Bible study at a church or your house. Coffee shops are great for Bible study—snacks, coffee, and tea are already there! You could also do a brunch Bible study or a taco Bible study. If you have littles, maybe a Chick-fil-A with a play place. Change it up each week and learn about all the places in your area or become regulars at one and get to know the people behind the counter. Studying God’s Word in a public place opens up many possibilities to tell others about the Truth you are studying.
- Study online. Did you know we have online Bible studies? 🙂 This summer, we’re studying The Armor of God by Priscilla Shirer, but we also have past studies available. You can study by yourself (and with all of us on the Internet) or with a group! It’s easy to get signed up, get involved, and get into God’s Word!
Those are a few of our ideas to get you started, but we want to hear from you! What are some unique ways you’re studying the Bible this summer? How have you seen Bible study done in the past in an unusual way?
