Resurrection Sunday, also known as Easter, is the foundation of the Christian faith. This holiday is on many public calendars and thought of or celebrated in some sort of fashion by many cultures, giving people a common touchpoint to connect.
What if I am not a gifted teacher?
From time to time, we are asked questions regarding specific “how-tos” as it relates to leading a neighbor Bible study. When it comes to facilitating groups, we all want to be effective leaders. Below we have compiled various aspects of leadership to consider. Whether you have been a leader for many years or you're just beginning, take time to go through the list and be prayerful as you step out in faith.
The NBS2GO LENT Bible study is now available in four new languages!
We are thrilled to share the following languages are now available:
Italian
Spanish
Romanian
Russian
Click any of the live links or forward one to a friend!
Would you like ample time to prepare yourself to worship our Savior on a pinnacle day of our faith? The LENT Bible study was written for this purpose.
My daughters (ages 10 and 9) asked if they could host some girlfriends over for a Galentines Party. God continues to use my children to stretch me into new places of influence as I allow the Gospel to overflow from my relationship with Christ to others. I said “yes,” but hoped we could think of something beyond hearts and kisses to decorate with and talk about.
Meggan’s neighbor, Sarah, shared this sentence with her in a moment of vulnerability. The emotion could be heard in her voice. This friend shared a true appreciation for their growing friendship. Sarah went on to explain that when she met Meggan, she had been going through the motions of life, kids and work, and it was wearing on her.
KNOCK-KNOCK.
Who’s there?
Opportunity.
Opportunity Who?
Opportunity is knocking at your door this Oct 31st.
The opportunity to love your neighbor on Halloween and be a LIGHT.
I know, I know, it is the dreaded holiday -- Halloween. The one you celebrate BECAUSE it’s over.
But what if I told you that October 31st is redeemable? This is a day when you can bring glory to God. How, you ask? By letting your light shine!
National Good Neighbor Day is Wednesday, September 28th, and we have filled this newsletter with ideas to inspire you!
Created in the early 1970s, National Good Neighbor Day was established by presidential proclamation in 1978 by Jimmy Carter. Every year, all across the country, people make an extra effort on September 28th to intentionally be a good neighbor and build community.
Let’s start at the very beginning, it’s a very good place to start.
Beginning a neighbor Bible study is exciting! As a new school year approaches, you may be full of faith and expectant of what God will do. You may have prayed, invited and now it is time to begin your neighbor Bible study.
Neighbors on the Field
Our summer schedule was written down on two large calendar months I posted in my kitchen. Every weekday had a practice. Every weekend had a travel tournament. The pace of life was a rush to say the least. I realize many parents do not prefer this kind of summer. But for a household of three teenage boys and one preteen girl, I was honestly thankful to have a summer full of activities for them and with them. Outside their summer jobs, it was a great opportunity to be active and involved in the community.
Reposted with permission from Family Life Local, a Cru ministry.
Now is the perfect time to meet your neighbors! Why not plan a neighborhood 4th of July Parade? We know, this is a big step for some of you, but others of you are totally ready. So, let's do this!
Listed below are the best Christmas resources we have for loving and reaching neighbors. We pray that the Lord will lead you to draw close to Him and bring others with you during this wonderful season. As always, we love hearing if you are taking a step of faith to reach out. Please reply to this email with your prayer needs and we will pray!
The little boy peered out the window into the night, then suddenly smiled. A lamplighter was climbing his ladder again next to their door. He lifted the globe, lit a flame, and then climbed down again. The boy turned to his parents, “Look! He’s punching holes in the darkness!” Years later Robert Louis Stevenson would write a poem about his experience.
Crossing county or state lines to visit our families is now more normal via the bright, glowing screens we stare at day after day. 2020 was spent inside “Brady Bunch squares” as we “gathered” to make the best of it. Where has this taken you? Personally, I have “traveled” to Arizona, Texas, Ohio, Florida, and Colorado. The relationships I value have motivated me to reach out to dear friends and family with whom I’m not normally involved.
Do you want to reach out to your neighbors but don’t know how to begin? Make a Fresh Start! This 4-week group training will encourage and equip you to take simple steps towards beginning a Bible study. Each seventy-five-minute video call will include training tools, group discussion and application.
Here's what others are saying about the Fresh Start group training...
Let Your Light Shine This Spring
. . . shine like stars in the universe. (Phil. 2:14-15)
Just as the closest stars shine the brightest, so we can shine the light of Christ into the lives of those near us – our neighbors, acquaintances, friends. In spring we automatically feel more hopeful as the weather warms up and flowers open. We can get outside and connect more with others. As we do, Jesus’ light within draws them closer to us, and ultimately to Him.
We invite you to take part in the ADVENT 2GO Bible plan now available on YouVersion. This study includes four stories from Matthew and Luke. We learn of God’s divine plan for the birth of Jesus Christ and experience what it was like to be present at these events. The question-and-answer format can be used for family devotions, group discussion, and self-study. Invite a neighbor, friend, or family member to this Bible study and look expectantly to what God will teach you together. He will draw you closer to one another as you study God’s Word.
Oh, Come Let Us Adore Him!
Anno Domini, the year of our Lord. The calendar of the planet revolves around one date—the birth of Jesus Christ. Whether or not we have faith in who Christ claimed to be, it remains as a beginning point by which the world lives. This one event altered history.
I am the light of the world, he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12
In the universe, stars that are closest shine the brightest.
Proximity is everything!
When my friend and I thought of starting a Bible study in the neighborhood, we knew we would definitely need to start with some kind of event to get to know people. I knew only a handful of my immediate neighbors; she didn’t know many at all. The NBS2GO website suggested inviting neighbors to a tea or coffee event. As we thought of that, it didn’t have much appeal to either one of us. “Would you come to a neighborhood coffee?” I asked her. “Probably not,” she said. So we decided to brainstorm what kind of event we would be likely to attend. “What do we like to do?” I asked. "I think we're more game night people," she said. Thus the idea for Ladies’ Game Night was born.
To advertise the first Ladies’ Game Night we printed flyers and posted them on all the mailboxes.We also posted this event in our neighborhood’s Nextdoor app. I walked my street and the one next to it, handing out flyers to anyone who answered their door, and taped them onto the doors of those who didn’t. And of course, we prayed. We prayed together, prayed when we walked in the neighborhood, and prayed with other friends.
Our first game night was a lot of fun and after my two-sentence announcement that we hoped to start a Bible study, four of the eight women said they would love to participate. In addition, all the women expressed interest in another game night. Since then we’ve had a game night every month and they’ve been a wonderful way for the women in our community to connect. At almost every game night a new woman decides to join our Bible study.
What an unprecedented time for this opportunity. We are overjoyed to share that our first LIGHT Bible Plans were launched at the beginning of August. LIGHT in English, French, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Swahili, has already been downloaded more than 1,000 times!
"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think" Ephesians 3:20 NLT.
One week into the COVID crisis, I sat up at 4:00am filled with anxious thoughts. The “what ifs” started pouring in. The “if onlys” came right after. Following the intermission of this two-part heart-racing play was the trilogy, “Now what?” As quick as I could, I grabbed my pen and began to listen.
Speak, Lord, I am listening.
Where are You in this crisis?
What are You doing?
Do you see our fears?
What do You want us to know?
Opening the Bible that stays on the pillow next to me,
NBS2GO = Neighbor Bible Studies 2GO. This website is the simple packaging of ideas, resources, and inspiration to equip believers to launch and multiply Bible study groups.
A neighbor Bible study group brings together a wide range of seekers and Christ-followers to study, discuss, and encourage one another toward life application of God’s Word. This blending of spiritual maturity levels creates a dynamic, life-transforming community. Friendships are formed, and group members are equipped to minister to others where they do life.
NLT Scripture references on nbs2go.com and in publications, unless otherwise noted.
