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The Logistical Questions
Completion requirements
Pastor Fetterhoff starts us off with three key logistical questions:
1. Who is this Bible study for?
2. Where do you want your study to be?
3. How often and how long will you meet?
The Who
The first question is who the Bible study is for? There are lots of possibilities. It could be for anyone, for example. It could also target some particular group. It could be a women’s Bible study group or a men’s study group. It could be for college students or retired individuals. It could be for singles or young married couples. It could be for people who have lots of questions or for people who love the book of Ruth.
What group has a need? What group do you know? What group has God laid on your heart? A Bible study can be for everyone or targeted. Either way, no problem.
The Where
Where will your Bible study meet? Will it be in one location? Will the members take turns hosting it? You could meet in a home. You could meet at the church. You could meet in a coffee shop or McDonald’s. You could meet at a park or at the beach.
The key is that it is in a place that is conducive for discussion. If a location is very loud and people can’t hear each other, that’s probably not a great place. If it is one long table and the people at one end can’t talk to the people at the other end, it is probably not a great place. At the same time, the options are many.
The When
How often will you meet? Once a week is fairly standard. When you meet, how long will you meet? Will it be one hour, two hours…? How long will the study continue? Three months to go through one book of the Bible? Is it ongoing?
Some of these answers depend on the nature of the group. For example, are you all close friends? If so, perhaps an ongoing group would be appropriate. But if you are a group coming together for the first time, you probably want to set some limits. Pastor Fetterhoff suggests a standard for her is once a week for three months. That’s a manageable commitment for a person.
If people start dropping off or struggling to come, you might re-examine the way the group is set up. Are you meeting at a bad time? Are you meeting too long? Are you leaving room for fellowship or just thinking the whole time? Honest conversations can help uncover answers.