BSF - who goes?

[Copswife]

I went to BSF last night. I was wondering if anyone else goes? I'm excited! This will keep me accountable with my quiet time with the Lord. ;)

[Sophia]

I participated for three years when I was in Chicago as a children's leader.

My older two dc went through their children's program and still remember it.

 

Wow! I learned so much, and like you said it's a great way to stay accountable with your quiet time.

Current homeschool responsibilities keep me from rejoining, but I look forward to the day I can go back.

[Rhonda in TX]

I went to BSF, but had to quit when I started homeschooling (I went during the day). I absolutely loved it. I always had a wonderful group of ladies, loved the speaker, and the Bible study.

 

There are several night courses in my area and I've been thinking about joining. I'd like DD to go as well to their kids' classes. I'm hoping to be able to sign up in the fall, DH's schedule permitting.

[Copswife]

That's what I'm doing, going at night. I approached my dh and told him that I've been praying about a Bible study. I found two options. One study during the day and BSF that had day and night. My dh is home on Monday nights and its after dinnertime, 6:55PM. It's also the class where school age children can go. So, 4 of my 5 will be going with me and they will be doing the same study as I am.

 

Right now they are in Matthew. (24 which is on prophecy and I'm learning SO much!)

 

In September when the new year starts, the study is on the life of Moses.

 

I went last night and am hooked. I need this; there are too many distractions to try and keep my own quiet time. Maybe I need to be more disciplined and I think this is it for me. It breaks down the study into 6 days and each day you are supposed to do your work.

 

What is neat is that they are all over the world, so if you friend is in Oregon or England, everyone is doing the same exact lesson each week. That is why I was trying to find others doing it. :001_smile:

 

Tracie

 

I participated for three years when I was in Chicago as a children's leader.

My older two dc went through their children's program and still remember it.

 

Wow! I learned so much, and like you said it's a great way to stay accountable with your quiet time.

Current homeschool responsibilities keep me from rejoining, but I look forward to the day I can go back.

[Tess in the Burbs]

I went for two years and absolutely loved it. I learned so much more about the bible than I had my entire lifetime in Sunday School! My kids liked it too and still remember many details from those years.

 

My problem now is one is too old for the daytime and one is too young for the evening, lol. Maybe in another year....it's about half an hour drive for me right now.

 

Enjoy!!

[Janna]

I have gone for all 7 years and loved it. I didn't continue to go after graduating, even though part of me wanted to, because I really needed to concentrate on dd's schooling. I had been going on Wed. mornings and it seemed like by the time I got home and lunch was given, any hope for schooling that day was pretty much shot. And dd didn't like schooling on Saturday's. An evening class wasn't an option for me because the only night they offered it was on Monday evenings - and Dh and dd go to the men's BSF on that night. So then, I thought maybe I would be able to join in again this coming fall -dh could take dc with him to the men's class and I could go to the evening women's one by myself. But alas, we're having a baby and that throws that option out, LOL! So it looks like I won't be back in BSF for another few years. Which is fine. But I'm so glad you went to the intro last night and are excited about it. It can really challenge you. The Life of Moses study was really good (though I missed 6 weeks of that one when I was on "maternity leave"), but my all time favorite is "Israel and the Minor Prophets". That was the BEST. :)

 

If you can get your dh to go to a men's class (if there's one in your area), that would be wonderful! I know the men's class is much more forgiving with attendance than the women's class because a lot of men have work related travel or odd shifts. But I would still encourage him to go. It's amazing what happens when you and dh are doing the same study at the same time!

[snickelfritz]

I love it and my dd loves it. We stopped, around Thanksgiving, to get dd potty trained. My older dd asked CONSTANTLY why we weren't going.

 

We'll be able to do it next year, when they are 5 and 3. I'm not sure how the year after will work. I guess we would need to switch to the night one. At their ages, I consider it a school day. I figure they are getting Bible, music, social time, play time, etc...

[Harriet Vane]

It's a wonderful program. It's truly one of the most effective ways of teaching/learning Bible that I have run across.

 

I did struggle a little with some of the rules. However, I was in a similar group one year that didn't have enough rules, and so I was able to see the strengths of the BSF structure. Also, I really enjoyed reading Audrey Wetherall Johnson's autobiography, both because she was a fascinating woman, and also because it helped me understand the reasoning behind the BSF structure.

 

On the whole, I look on my four years with BSF very fondly. We tried to join this year, but it was one thing too many for all of us. Perhaps I will be back in the future . . .

[6packofun]

Maybe you ladies can answer this for me...I was under the impression that it's not easy (or allowed) to start and stop whenever you want? Or is it OK if you have completed a "year"?

 

I have some friends who have been begging me to go, but when I ask them to share just a small part of what they've learned, they said they really can't. :confused: So, while I understand wanting members to be committed, something just irks me about being exclusive with the study of God's word. Not to mention all of the other rules. LOL (I'd have a hard time never mentioning any wisdom that I've gained from John MacArthur or other Christian authors, but that's a no-no also, correct?)

 

Any words that might help me change my mind? I *want* to like the idea of BSF... ;)

[Harriet Vane]

Maybe you ladies can answer this for me...I was under the impression that it's not easy (or allowed) to start and stop whenever you want? Or is it OK if you have completed a "year"?

 

I have some friends who have been begging me to go, but when I ask them to share just a small part of what they've learned, they said they really can't. :confused: So, while I understand wanting members to be committed, something just irks me about being exclusive with the study of God's word. Not to mention all of the other rules. LOL (I'd have a hard time never mentioning any wisdom that I've gained from John MacArthur or other Christian authors, but that's a no-no also, correct?)

 

Any words that might help me change my mind? I *want* to like the idea of BSF... ;)

 

First, I don't understand why the ladies would not share what they have learned. I wonder if they misunderstood. There are no rules against sharing what you have learned. There are, however, rules against giving out the homework or the notes. The reasoning is simply that the study is year-long, and getting notes out of context may be confusing. Also, the lectures and small group time add so much to a person's understanding of the notes. Finally, since there is no charge for the homework and notes, they do like to focus their limited resources on the folks who have signed up for the course rather than everyone at large.

 

A lot of the other rules do have good intentions and good reasoning behind them. Not that I always agree LOL but I do not see the BSF rules as cult-like or sinful. And any BSF leader would be the first to tell you that they do NOT think all people should live by their rules, they do NOT think other groups should copy their rules. They DO, however, feel that their structure is the best way FOR THEM to facilitate the type of inductive study they teach. It is simply their way, and they do not attempt to impose it on others. Nor do they attempt in any way to draw people away from their church traditions--on the contrary, they urge their members to be involved in membership in local churches.

 

I will say that the year I was involved with a different, but similarly structured Bible study, was very eye-opening for me. It was a good year for me, and I would gladly participate in a study from that group OR from BSF again. However, in some areas that group was too lax, and I was disappointed to hear my own discussion leader teaching things that were NOT in the text. A little tightening up of some rules would have kept the teaching more focused on the Bible text itself.

 

If you have other specific questions I'd be happy to answer, as I am sure others will. I see the rules as a style issue, not a moral one--for me, understanding the reasoning behind the rules helped me accept.

[Harriet Vane]

Maybe you ladies can answer this for me...I was under the impression that it's not easy (or allowed) to start and stop whenever you want? Or is it OK if you have completed a "year"?

 

I have some friends who have been begging me to go, but when I ask them to share just a small part of what they've learned, they said they really can't. :confused: So, while I understand wanting members to be committed, something just irks me about being exclusive with the study of God's word. Not to mention all of the other rules. LOL (I'd have a hard time never mentioning any wisdom that I've gained from John MacArthur or other Christian authors, but that's a no-no also, correct?)

 

Any words that might help me change my mind? I *want* to like the idea of BSF... ;)

 

You can start and stop IF there are slots enough in the class. No, it is not encouraged, simply because it is difficult to understand the full flow of the book when you are skipping around and missing pieces. For the Romans study in particular, starting and stopping would make it VERY difficult to follow along as you would miss building blocks along the way. (Paul is a very sequential, logical writer who first lays a foundation, and then builds on it.)

 

If you stop, you lose your slot in the class. Often there is a waiting list, and BSF maintains a careful leader-student ratio so that everyone in the small groups actually has a chance to participate. The number of slots in a class is determined by the number of leaders. If you drop out, it's only fair that your slot go to someone on the waiting list. If you choose to re-join the study, your re-entry would be based on whether or not there are available spaces in the class. In the class that I was in, people usually re-entered with no difficulty.

 

You might think of it in terms of a college course. Only so many students sign up for a course, and then the course is closed. There are actually Christian colleges that will accept BSF courses for credit, so that is part of why BSF handles it this way.

[JFSinIL]

ok, I possibly am - but what is BSF????

[Soph the vet]

ok, I possibly am - but what is BSF????

Bible Study Fellowship which is an international 7 year bible study with their headquarters in Texas.

I am also a graduate and was a discussion leader for a few years in one of the evening women's groups. It is a great structured study of God's word. All the classes are synchronized around the country and in other countries to be on the same lesson each week, so for example if you are in a class in Boston but on vacation in Las Vegas (yes, there is a class there) you do not have to miss your lesson. The class meets weekly usually consisting of an opening devotion, breaking into small groups to discuss the lesson and then back as a large group for the lecture. There is no cost for the class but a free will offering is taken.

[G5052]

It's very similar with shorter at-home lessons. I was involved when my children were little and it was just right for that period of life. Unfortunately the group that met 5 minutes from home dissolved, then we commuted an hour each way for several years. That was fine, but I had to quit when my younger one started "official school." It was just too much with the commuting. The last program we were with had a wonderful children's program with lessons for the homeschooled children that matched mine.

 

Now there's a Community Bible study about 30 minutes from me again, but I just can't swing it with homeschooling and work.

 

BSF has a daytime program some distance away, and an evening one a bit further.

 

Someday!

[Soph the vet]

Maybe you ladies can answer this for me...I was under the impression that it's not easy (or allowed) to start and stop whenever you want? Or is it OK if you have completed a "year"?

 

I have some friends who have been begging me to go, but when I ask them to share just a small part of what they've learned, they said they really can't. :confused: So, while I understand wanting members to be committed, something just irks me about being exclusive with the study of God's word. Not to mention all of the other rules. LOL (I'd have a hard time never mentioning any wisdom that I've gained from John MacArthur or other Christian authors, but that's a no-no also, correct?)

 

Any words that might help me change my mind? I *want* to like the idea of BSF... ;)

 

BSF policy is to stick strickly to God's Word in answering questions on the lesson. There is a whole spectrum of Christian opinion out there on every topic under the sun and I think BSF avoids quotes from pastors, authors, etc. to keep students from being distracted by opinion and stay focused on truth. Of course students are free to discuss anything they like outside of the lesson time:001_smile:. Another taboo is discussing your home church for similar reasons, no need for division in the body. Otherwise the short time available for lesson discussion may be taken up with controversial topics instead of fruit-bearing which only comes through the word of God. I love John MacArthur's teaching too but I guess I understand that some may not and BSF doesn't want to turn some off to Bible Study because other more divisive things keep creeping into the discussion.

I actually had a lady leave my group one year because we were studying Romans and the doctrine of election. Coming face to face with God's word is challenging enough without other books, pastors, etc. being brought into the mix I guess.

[Twinmom]

I was in BSF for eleven years and LOVED it! I went through the study a second time to take my kiddos to the children's program, and I'd still be in it if a combination of hsing and my kiddos being split between the programs age-wise hadn't interfered. I actually have a Bible minor from college, and I learned far more about the Bible, Christ, my faith, myself, etc. from BSF than I ever did in school!

 

I highly recommend it. Yes, they do have some structure and rules that help because they are an extremely large organization. Without them, it would be difficult for them to function as well as they do! I never found them burdensome in any way. However, if you are the kind of person who chafes under rules or structured assignments, you may struggle with BSF. I'd still give it a chance, however, as it is truly amazing how God is using this organization! It has made a huge difference in so many lives. My 69 yr. old mom is still in the BSF group I left, and she's growing as much as I did!

[ELaurie]

So glad you asked - I was wondering this too!

[6packofun]

You can start and stop IF there are slots enough in the class. No, it is not encouraged, simply because it is difficult to understand the full flow of the book when you are skipping around and missing pieces. For the Romans study in particular, starting and stopping would make it VERY difficult to follow along as you would miss building blocks along the way. (Paul is a very sequential, logical writer who first lays a foundation, and then builds on it.)

 

You might think of it in terms of a college course. Only so many students sign up for a course, and then the course is closed. There are actually Christian colleges that will accept BSF courses for credit, so that is part of why BSF handles it this way.

 

Ahh, this helps! Now, is everyone all over the country doing the same study at the same time? So if I missed Romans it would be years before it came around again for everyone?

 

I think my friends were assuming I was asking for details such as notes--and maybe I was! LOL--because I'm trying to decide if it's something I want to and can add to my plate right now and I wanted more info than "it's an inductive Bible study and it's great, but that's all I can share." ;) Stringent rules like this *are* difficult for me, but I think I understand their reasoning a bit more. Not to mention that several ladies are doing it and these particular gals can be a bit exclusive all on their own anyhow, hehe, and I hate being a joiner. LOL :tongue_smilie:

 

Thanks everyone! I'll check out their site a bit more. :) I appreciate the shared experiences! I hope no offense was taken as I try to think this through.

[Twinmom]

Notes, written questions and group member's personal information are really the only things that can't be shared. There's no reason your friends couldn't have told you more about the study, how it works, etc. Perhaps they either did think you were asking for the notes or they are confused on the rules. Believe me, the point of the BSF rules is NOT to be exclusive, but rather to ensure that they remain inclusive. They have people from all over the world and all types of denominations/religions, after all.

 

If you want to check it out, go to an orientation meeting. They'll explain all about the group and answer questions, as well as get your name on the waiting list for your group. When there is an opening, they'll call you. There might be one right away, there might not be, but you'll need to go to orientation either way. It's okay to start in the middle of the year, but you will have missed some stuff and may be a little lost for a while. However, don't let that stop you! God can and will speak to you through the lessons you are able to attend.

 

The study works on a seven year cycle (or maybe 8 if they added another year's study). The classes all over the world are doing the same study each year, and are likely on the same lesson every week! You could go to my old class in Dallas and get Romans lesson 3 one week, then the next week show up in Africa and get Romans lesson number 4! The years aren't dependent on each other...you can start at any point and do one year, or work your way around the full 7 years. They also have a series of "graduate seminars" you can go to near the end of each year's study...those are a lot of fun.

[DollyM]

BSF was the single best Bible study ("best" on many levels) that I ever attended. I attended for five years, and for two of those I was a discussion leader. My nature made me chafe at their "guidelines" (rules, really) even while understanding (in my head) why those "guidelines" are there ... and why they wer so vigorously enforced. The lack of grace in administrative issues brought me to tears more than once. That said, I still believe the BIBLE STUDY was the best I've ever been involved with. But for me, here locally, BSF was "more than" just the bible study aspect. In the end, I couldn't make it work while homeschooling at the same time.

 

But that was the year DD was in Kindergarten. She graduates this Spring. So it's been awhile since I was a BSF kiddo - and now I understand they have written new "years" of curriculum - I had done ALL the available years (at the time) when I quit. What are they doing this year?

[Copswife]

Matthew.

 

But starting in September its the life of Moses.

 

Oh I got this from their site:

The classes offered (in order) are:

 

1. Matthew (2007-08)
   
2. The Life of Moses (2008-09)
   
3. John (2009-10)
   
4. History of Israel and the Minor Prophets (2010-11)
   
5. Acts of the Apostles (2011-12)
   
6. Genesis (2012-13)
   
7. Romans (2013-14)

I need structure and had no problems with the rules. Be on time, if you want to discuss then you need to do your lesson, let them know if you intend to quit and they can fill your spot, and just study the Bible (no commentaries) This way everyone is on the same page.

 

Tracie

 

 

BSF was the single best Bible study ("best" on many levels) that I ever attended. I attended for five years, and for two of those I was a discussion leader. My nature made me chafe at their "guidelines" (rules, really) even while understanding (in my head) why those "guidelines" are there ... and why they wer so vigorously enforced. The lack of grace in administrative issues brought me to tears more than once. That said, I still believe the BIBLE STUDY was the best I've ever been involved with. But for me, here locally, BSF was "more than" just the bible study aspect. In the end, I couldn't make it work while homeschooling at the same time.

 

But that was the year DD was in Kindergarten. She graduates this Spring. So it's been awhile since I was a BSF kiddo - and now I understand they have written new "years" of curriculum - I had done ALL the available years (at the time) when I quit. What are they doing this year?

[Harriet Vane]

Ahh, this helps! Now, is everyone all over the country doing the same study at the same time? So if I missed Romans it would be years before it came around again for everyone?

 

I think my friends were assuming I was asking for details such as notes--and maybe I was! LOL--because I'm trying to decide if it's something I want to and can add to my plate right now and I wanted more info than "it's an inductive Bible study and it's great, but that's all I can share." ;) Stringent rules like this *are* difficult for me, but I think I understand their reasoning a bit more. Not to mention that several ladies are doing it and these particular gals can be a bit exclusive all on their own anyhow, hehe, and I hate being a joiner. LOL :tongue_smilie:

 

Thanks everyone! I'll check out their site a bit more. :) I appreciate the shared experiences! I hope no offense was taken as I try to think this through.

 

Like another poster in this thread, I would recommend that you go to an orientation class. They will not let you *take* a homework assignment with you, but they will certainly let you look at it.

 

This year, when I was trying to evaluate whether or not this was an option for my children, I attended an orientation meeting. I asked ahead of time if I could look at the children's homework. They did make sure I understood that I could not *take* any homework with me, but they did let me stand there and look it over for as long as I needed.

 

I can explain why this is such a good study:

 

1) Multiple exposures and types of learning applied to each passage: You first do the homework on your own, then you articulate what you have learned in a small group discussion, then you listen to a lecture, then you read commentary/notes. Therefore each passage has been looked at four times by you, in different ways, and you get a wealth of information and introspection when all is said and done.

 

2) Strict focus on Bible TEXT. The focus is on figuring out what each passage says--BSF tries very, very hard not to stray from the text. A number of years ago I evaluated a number of Bible studies--I looked at my BSF and CBS homework as well as numerous ones at the Christian bookstore. I counted how many questions per study led the student directly back to the Bible text, and I also evaluated what studies were accurate to the passage. MOST of the studies available in the Christian bookstore had 50% or less of the questions actually dealing with the text. At least half of the studies I looked at at the bookstore were also quite inaccurate and laced with personal opinion/commentary, as well as distinct denominational bias. (For the record, I did find some that did better than that, especially the ones from IVP and Navigators.) In contrast, my BSF homework referred the student back to the text fully 3/4 of the time--it was a very definite step up from all other studies I looked at. My CBS homework was a very close second. I would enthusiastically recommend either BSF or CBS as excellent tools for Bible study.

 

For the record, I found the same ratio in both the BSF and CBS children's programs. I did think that the CBS homework was very slightly more rigorous, but would embrace either program without reservation for children. They are both excellent, and each has different strengths in addition to the weekly homework.

 

I hope that helps you understand what makes BSF distinct as a Bible study. Again, I think the orientation meeting would clarify even better for you.