Advice for Worship Leaders #5 - How to lead a bible study with your worship team - Part 2

How to lead a bible study with your worship team - Part 2
You have a time and place set to have your bible study, but now what are you going to do during the actual bible study? There are a lot of options and different things will work for different people. 

Below I’ve shared a few of the things I’ve tried over the years and some of the pros and cons I’ve found. 

It’ll be helpful if you read my previous post on “how to lead a worship team bible study” before reading this second postasdfasdf 

• Option #1: You whole team reads through the same commentary: I’ve done this twice before where the whole team purchases the same commentary on a specific book of the Bible. I assign different chapters to read each week and then we would discuss them during bible study. As you’ll see below this idea is fun but I haven’t found it to be the best for my team bible study.
  • Pro’s:
    • Really helps facilitate deep discussion on specific points in a book or passage.
       
    • The people who enjoy studying the bible really come alive during this time.
       
  • Con’s
    • Some aren’t seasoned with studying this way and thus it’s very challenging. Challenging to the point where many times people won’t read the assigned commentary portion thus leaving the discussion to the three or four people who read it. Something you can do to try and avoid this from happening is to share during a few weeks during your bible study on “how to study the bible.” Share with them how you study.
       
    • A big challenge is that many times commentaries focus on so many minute points that won’t be engaging to the heart. For example the whole first chapter of a Galatians commentary could focus solely on the question, “Did Paul really write Galatians or was it someone else?” You and your whole team are probably all in agreement that he did write it. So though some might enjoy this type of discussion most wouldn’t really see the point in talking about this for an hour. I’ve found doing this model does not sustain a bible study long term. Don't get me wrong, we need bible knowledge and we all need to diligently study the word. The trick is leading your bible study in such a way where you can do both. Finding the mix of going back and forth between facts that strike the mind and then allowing those facts to strike the heart so you fall in love with Jesus more. NOTE: There are definitely some commentaries that are filled with ideas and statements that you can spend months meditating on. It’s just a matter of finding the right commentary.
       
    • Studying a commentary is a big commitment because you want to be excellent and not just read for the sake of reading. Some people will have other things they’re studying in their personal life and not want to take time to focus on this in an in depth way.
       
• Option #2: All read the same book and discuss it: This can work well but it depends on what book you’re reading through. For example, reading a chapter a week in a book like, “Experiencing the depths of Jesus Christ” by Madame Guyon is an incredible journey that you and your team will go on together. Another great option is “The Seven commitments of a forerunner” by Mike Bickle. Which you can download for free here.
  • Pros’:
    • If you’re all reading through the ‘right’ kind of book it will facilitate great practical discussion surrounding things of the heart.
       
    • The corporate journey of going through a book together is very bonding. Though you’re only meeting for an hour together, outside the bible study you will read and invest time in something that the whole team is investing in.
       
    • A great discussion starter. I’ve found that people are much more open to share their “heart” as oppose to having to have some deep theological thought.
       
  • Con’s:
    • You’ll have to keep on people about doing the homework and reading the assigned chapters. Sending reminder e-mails 3-4 days in advance works really well for this.

Be watching for part 3 coming soon

© 2011 Justin Rizzo