READ
Commit to read your Bible with another person (3 to a group max). You decide what sections and for how long.
Shoot for sustainability here. If you are just starting to read your Bible seriously for the first time, start with a goal that will make you fall in love with the Scriptures, not one that makes them your enemy.
A great starting point is a TWO-YEAR PLAN. Almost any Bible App offers one. Tyndale also publishes a physical Two-Year Bible, though they are hard to come by. This is about what works best for you. Try a plan or resource, if it's too much or too little adapt. Your group, your rules.
Click HERE for a link to a paper plan with break days built in.
CONNECT
You've READ. Now it's time to level up your devotions by processing them with other believers.
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. - Proverbs 27:17
How you connect is up to you. You could meet weekly for coffee or lunch. Maybe connect before or after church on a Sunday morning. Meeting weekly is preferred, but if life is crazy so you can make adjustments. This season may mean connecting every other week, or meeting via Zoom or Face-time. Some apps allow you to keep running notes that you share with partners. Just find someway to connect and grow together.
SAMPLE CONNECTION QUESTIONS:
- How is God speaking to you through the readings?
- What way is our reading challenging you to live differently?
- How can we hold each other accountable?
INVITE
You've been READING and CONNECTING and God has been speaking. Maybe it's time to share the love. Invite someone else along the discipleship journey. What a great way to engage a newcomer to church, reengage your marriage, or offer another way for your co-worker to be introduced to God!
You can start a new group or invite them to yours. Bear in mind that groups over 4 tend get complicated really quick.
It is always hard to start something new, especially when you have gotten to know someone on a deep level during a journey through the Scriptures. Still, God's mission to save the world is BIG. This is one way you can play a role.
Consider inviting someone to join your group at least once a year. When you grow to 4 on a regular basis it is time to think about splitting into two Bible Groups and restarting the process.