I am constantly hearing about how great an outreach method that the Bible study ministry is. While I’m sure it’s worked well for some, it’s been a total flop in my church. I can’t seem to get any of my people to teach them. What are other churches doing that has caused this ministry to work so well?

             Without a doubt, home Bible study is one of the most effective outreach ministries that a local church can engage in. But the key to making this ministry successful lies in three areas: training; promotion and example.

When you talk about home Bible study, many people envision someone getting up to teach lecture-style. They do not realize how informal, easy and enjoyable that a Bible study truly is. The way to overcome this mental block is with training. Use material such as, The Home Bible Study Workshop, by Scott Carley or Giving & Getting Home Bible Studies, by Al Gossan or How To Teach A Home Bible Study, by Search For Truth. Teach your people how to teach. Emphasize the simplicity of the study and the power of the Word. You should plan to have several training workshops each year.

Secondly, successful home Bible study churches promote this ministry constantly. A week will rarely pass without Bible studies being mentioned several times. Try scheduling a specific time each week to promote the ministry. Keep it visible. (For a complete set of promotional ideas, request file HBMA01.TXT from the AIS Database.)

Finally, a pastor must be willing to consistently teach Bible studies himself. The church needs to see that the home Bible study ministry works and it will be the fruit of these studies that will show them. Plus, your most committed teachers are often those won from the Bible study ministry. If no one else will teach, the pastor and his converts will!

from IBC Perspectives – Volume 1 – Issue 3 – page 6)