Dear fellow servant of the Word,
“One thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”
You recognize these words of Jesus. You’ve probably quoted them in devotions, classes, or sermons. Throughout the centuries, Mary has served as an example for all of us for her willingness to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to his words: “Mary has made the right choice.”
Mary’s modern-day sisters in the faith share that same desire to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to his words. Judging by the requests NPH has received for good women’s Bible studies, it seems that the number of women’s Bible study groups is growing throughout WELS. By and large, these groups aren’t looking for “fluffy,” barely-scratch-the-surface-of-God’s-Word courses. They want to sit at the feet of Jesus. They want to learn something from the Bible. But they also want the opportunity to talk about what this knowledge means for them. They want to be able to discuss it with other women and ask, “So, how does this apply to us?”
Women’s Bible studies that have been produced outside of our fellowship are easy to find, but few of them completely reflect biblical theology.
In cooperation with the Women’s Ministry subcommittee of the WELS Commission on Discipleship, NPH has begun working to address the need for specific biblical studies for women’s groups.
Many of NPH’s existing Bible studies could easily be adapted for women’s Bible study groups. I’ll suggest just a couple of examples. I encourage you to share these ideas with the women’s Bible study groups and others at your church. They may even help a new group get started.
The two available Timely Topics, Timeless Truths courses address issues both men and women are talking about. Simply referred to as Set 1 and Set 2, they address issues like intelligent design, gender identity, close communion, how to respond to people who say “I’m spiritual, not religious,” tattoos, a Christian’s use of psychoactive medication, and others. They address these weighty issues in the context of what the Bible says. These particular studies utilize a format that naturally leads to discussion. Through the Word document files and other flexible elements, these groups can easily add to or adjust the Bible study to more closely fit their interests.
Other studies could be easily adapted. Studies on marriage and parenting might appeal to some groups. Studies of books of the Bible or specific doctrines might appeal to others. Each group is unique in their interests and in their depth of understanding of Scripture.
As our world sinks deeper and deeper into unbelief, it is increasingly important that God’s people study God’s Word. The increase in the number of women’s Bible study groups indicates that many women recognize this. They recognize that one thing is necessary. They long to sit at the feet of Jesus within the fellowship of their sisters in Christ.
May God bless your ministry as you lead people to marvel at the words they hear as they sit at the feet of Jesus.
Because He Lives!
Ray Schumacher
Curriculum Product Editor
Northwestern Publishing House