Friendships grow in Women’s Bible Study small groups

My journey to Bible study at Redeemer started with an email from the nursery coordinator after our first visit to the church.  She told me about the Bible study, mentioned that there was childcare available, and asked me if I would be interested in participating.  Although I was apprehensive and nervous, the thought of childcare and a chance to meet people in this new church and new city where I found myself after our most recent military move was enticing. 

I decided to sign up, and almost immediately began second guessing myself.  The night before the first day of Bible study, I lay in bed nervously thinking about all of the things that could go wrong.  Would I find a place to park? Where do I drop off the kids for nursery? Where do I go? Will I have to talk?  I almost talked myself out of even walking in the door, but if I had done that, I can say with certainty I would not be where I am today.

On the first day, the large group leader, Tara Gibbs, joked that there was a money-back guarantee if we opened our Bibles daily and our lives weren’t changed.  I took that statement to heart, and committed myself to reading the Bible every day through the semester.  I was looking for my life to be changed, although I wasn’t quite sure how that would look, and I’ll admit I hadn’t opened my Bible in quite a while.

Throughout the semester, my life did change.  It became easier to walk into the door not only to Bible study, but to church on Sundays as well.  It became easier to speak up during the discussions as I began to see where God was clearly speaking to me through the study.  I began to feel God’s presence throughout my days more when I read my Bible and studied His word.  I began to crave God’s word daily in my life and looked forward to my time carved out for studying.

My small group became a source of encouragement and relationships for me. I began to see my need for prayer from others and felt overwhelmingly blessed that my small group was praying for me when I really needed it.  I learned what it was like to have real conversations with women in my stage of life.  Slowly, I have found not only familiar faces to smile at on Sundays, but real friendships with the women I met.

I honestly don’t recognize the person who almost didn’t walk in the door the first day.  Truly immersing myself in the word of God, by studying and discussing each word in a methodical, yet heartfelt way each day did change my life.  I am no longer intimidated to open up my Bible and hear God’s guidance.  I feel blessed to have stumbled upon a group of women who are making mistakes daily, being vulnerable with each other, learning together, and growing in Christ’s love through real relationships together.  These are the life changes I was looking for, but didn’t even know it yet.

If you are new at Redeemer, or have been around a long time and just haven’t gotten plugged into Women’s Bible Studies, let me encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and join us. God promises us that his word does not return to him void, and I have seen that to be true in my life. I hope I will see you there.

Redeemer Women’s Bible Studies meet on Tuesdays from 10:00-11:30 a.m. at the church and 7:00-8:30 p.m. in homes of Redeemer members. We are studying the book of Genesis using Jen Wilkin’s book “God of Covenant.” Fall Studies start on September 10^th. Childcare is available for the morning study by reservation! You can register for Women's Bible Study HERE.