I woke up with this thought in my head: BSF lectures should be available online for all–not just for the children’s leaders and volunteers and for one week only. Also, I know BSF is recording the lectures and posting them somewhere for the satellite groups so they are already doing all of the work.
I thought of my church and how they post every sermon online for years back. If you miss one, anytime, you can go and listen/watch or you can revisit it and listen/watch it again.
This year I have missed most of the lectures. Not because I want to. But because I have somewhere I have to be and can’t stay and listen. I think a lot of us are like this. It’s something I’ve accepted, but I wish I could listen to the lectures when I have the time.
I know this has been suggested before, but I thought I’d revisit it and throw out the idea and get your all opinions on the matter.
I miss a lot of the lectures also. would love to be able to access on line.
Yes. I fully agree with your suggestion. I had attended most of the lectures from recent Revelation class but it was after work and I could not concentrate. My mind was very tired during those periods.Hope we can have the recorded lectures or write-ups of the lectures. God bless.Kenneth
I do agree. Sometimes I have to miss class and the lecture which clarify the meaning to passages that I was still confused about or wanted to revisit something she says that I could. To make a note. God bless nancy
I would love to be able to relisten to the lectures. Our lecture leader is great but she speaks really fast and i can’t write down all the nuggets that she speaks.
I agree that the lecturer should be available on line for all to learn. I also believe that the the complete BSF lesson notes should be available on line for those that travel. There are so many small cities around the USA and world that do not have a BSF class within driving distance. Eight billion people in the world and BSF only serves 500,000; Jesus Christ would want everyone to be able to study His Word. John
Great idea!
Sent from my iPhone
I agree wholeheartedly!
I would love to have lecture available when I have to miss.
I think BSF is missing a tremendous ministry. Having make-up lessons on line would probably not be as intense and personal as attending a class but would reach a large audience presently being missed. I think it is unrealistic to assume that most BSF attendees will have perfect attendance. I personally know folks that dropped out because they couldn’t maintain attending the scheduled classes. I think BSF should take a hard look at this.
Past DL,
Jack
I’m a children’s leader and have asked this question to our area advisors. While they love people’s dedication to BSF, they like you to attend LIVE lecture. That’s part of their 4 part teaching strategy. If it was available online for all, most people would probably skip live lecture.
Myself, I’d prefer to stay and listen live instead of listening every week from a device.
As far as the notes, you can get the notes from past lessons if you ask your admin team, you just can’t get them in advance.
actually you can get them in advance! up to three weeks! that way if you have to travel for any reason or know you will be out ahead of time: load up!
I live in Vermont,and my closest class is over 200 miles away. I can either go to Canada or boston. Online would be great for those of us where is geographically prohibitive to get to lessons live. Maybe if BSF would consider a geographical limit, such as if you are more than 80 or 100 miles from a class you have an online option? That would be great! !
I’ve missed out on great teaching through the years due to my location, not my willing heart.
I think their biggest fear is that people would drop the classes and just do online. That would hurt their numbers and their finances. There ought to be access to lectures for sure when it is a legitimate absence.
I can assure you this is not about the financial aspect. 26 yr BSF veteran and TL speaking here.
I agree
t would be nice if we could, but I understand why they do not do it. I have been fortunate enough to go for 6 years and so far I have been able to go to all. Lot of people would not stay for the lecture if they did that. Maybe they would consider it if you are out on a doctor’s request and have a written permission slip from your doctor.
I would love the lectures online. My church is online and I still show up in person. Some weeks I need to listen to the sermon more than once and sometimes in my studies I search the church online library and listen to a message to help me in clarification and understanding of a passage.
It’s a GREAT Idea! I am sure they would need large servers for each BSF Site to sore all lesson lectures, but having it accessible and then downloads adding to our cloud would be great…
Although it will never be as good as actually being there I think it is a great idea. There are times when I would love to rewind a lecture just to make some valid points in my notes. You definitely would have my vote.
It’s a wonderful idea but I don’t see BSF doing this. I think Barb summed it up when she said they may have the fear that it would negatively impact their numbers and finances. As a former CA, I know they work hard to accommodate all demographics i.e. Working folks, retirees, moms, etc. Even those of us who travel. It would be wonderful to have the lectures available online but I don’t see it happening any time soon. However, having said that, BSF has come miles in loosening up the “rules” so maybe they will consider this as well. We’ll just have to pray about it!
I would be grateful to hear the lectures (both when I miss and to listen to the lectures a second time). Also, my husband is unable to attend the men’s class so he would have the opportunity to hear lectures as well. Thank you for suggesting it.
I know you may get some negative feedback for posting your answers to the questions, but please know you are such a blessing to me. I use your answers as a starting point to dig further than I would with just my own answers (my task would have been to only get the questions answered).
God bless you, dear lady. Teri
Three of us record the lecture on our phones or IPads. If one of us cannot attend, we just send the lecture recording to them. It has worked out very well.
I like this idea, Katy. I’m wondering about the legalities of it and if the lecture is somehow copyrighted? After all, it is the Teaching leader’s ideas, which are protected my law. I myself have no idea. It’s merely something to look into.
It is not being sold or distributed and is only for personal use.
You are violating copyright laws by doing this. And it is against BSF policy as well.
Your comment is very threatening.
Yes, it is against their policy. I called headquarters to ask about recording the lecture because I am not a good auditory learner. I would love to retain things better, but I don’t. The answer I got was that they don’t allow it. They don’t want any one posting the lectures on Youtube. I thought it was a bizarre answer.
I would love it for my friend who has physical limitations which,prevent her attending.
I have wanted this for years! Our church keeps theirs online for everyone. I will pray this happens for BSF. Sometimes I don’t get a point written entirely before she moves to another.
Hello, I love the idea and would like to hear the lecture over again because I miss some things while I write notes. Then if I can’t make the lecture I could listen to it at home, be able to stop to write notes.
I agree!! I would love to be able to listen to the lecture when I’ve had to miss it.
Great suggestion and I totally agree. The information being shared and it’s so powerful. It will be very helpful to many.
I agree. They’re already recorded and online, why not available for everyone who’s a member. If we want to connect with the younger generation, we need to adapt to their way of learning!
That is a wonderful idea,,,I can’t wait until they start welcoming technology into the lecture! I miss so many points, trying to write everything down, How can this be started?
I just remembered BSF is recording this and posting this as well for satellite groups that meet on different days so they are already doing this. Why not make it available to all in the class?
I think that is å good idea. We as leaders can listen to the lecture, I thought everyone could if for some reason they could not be there, like there we if is sick or one of there kids got hurt or sick, I think all should be able to hear it
We only have an AM Women’s BSF in our area and I am at work. I would love to be part of an online BSF community.
Yes, I totally agree!
Thank you for bringing this subject to the forefront, again. There are many reasons why one might miss the lecture. For instance, I had to go to work after small group. My daughter had to leave due to an ill child….and it goes on. Last year I would’ve given anything to listen to many of the Revelation lectures because there was so much information to understand! Please consider letting BSF members get the lectures at will.
That would be so awesome as I am terrible at taking notes.
GREAT IDEA!
Good idea. I go ton Monday nights and and work early Tuesday mornings so I miss most of the
lectures after discussion groups.
Yes, that would be a great idea
I would love for the lectures to be online.
Totally agree with this suggestion, As others have said sometimes even when you are for the lecture you miss some vital points and there is no where to turn to
An excellent idea,go for it.
Agree…not only missed but also to review lectures 👍‼️
Great idea when I have to miss
I rarely miss a lecture, but don’t always get all of the points. Can’t write fast enough and listen too !! It would be great to be able to listen again and stop and start as needed , which would provide a better understanding.
I vote for providing and keeping lectures on line all year.
I have MS and I have trouble sometimes writing as fast as I would like to. I actually record the lecture with an app on my phone and I can listen to it later.
I agree also it would be wonderful to be able to read the note again. I am not a good note taker so having them would be good.
great idea! English is my second language and I can’t write fast enough to catch it all.
I would love to be able to re-listen to the lectures. Our lecture leader is great but she speaks really fast.
I would love this! One can’t help it if sick or having surgery or a number of reasons that are not excused. It almost seems like BSF is being stingy with the Word. Isn’t the mission of every believer supposed to be to share God’s Word and “make disciples”.
I support this idea. Had an important meeting tonight and had to miss BSF. Would love to be able to hear the lecture.
I wish they would do as even though I can attend the lectures it is difficult to write it all down. I want to listen to it several times to get the most out of it.
Well appreciated recorded lectures will help many people and especially those that miss.
i highly recommend.
I agree! I’ve had the flu and hand surgery with in the first 2 months this year….
Yes. Great idea 🙏🏻
Sent from Sandi’s iPhone
Yes, I wish they would. My daughter went to the welcome class this year, the very fist day, but they were so full she just got in a class this week. She could have been able to listen and keep up instead of missing out for 2 1/2 months. And I would love to have it for when I miss due to sick kids or schedule conflicts or just re listening to points I miss while taking notes.
I would love to be able to access them online. I had to miss the one yesterday because my granddaughter broke her arm. BSF is so important to me and the review is what often enlightens so many things for me and helps to inspire me through the week. It is very important and I greatly feel like I missed something when I am not able to make it to class.
Yes, that would be great.
I pray one day they will post the lecture. I work at my church who sponsors BSF and sometimes I get called out for business reasons so I end up missing a lot.
I love the idea of recorded lectures BUT there are ladies ( and we all know this to be true)who would just “skip out” — not because they must—–they just want to…..and then listen later. I would love to be able to listen again and rewind to get ideas I might have missed the first time I heard the lecture.
There will always be those people. So is that a reason to not offer a service that would benefit many because of the few? Don’t ask the federal gov’t that question!
I also would love to hear the lectures on line when it is not possible to stay after discussion. I find the discussion more important to attend because its our individual group. I also would find it helpful to re-listen to the lectures.
I’ve been in BSF since 1990 (with a few years off to work). I realize all of us have to miss the lecture sometimes. And others can’t come during the day or evening because of work and that’s the only one available. I’ve even lived where BSF wasn’t available.
Personally, I love the accountability of BSF. BSF is not a church and shouldn’t be thought of in the same vein. It is a ministry that has brought countless men, women, and children to a saving faith in Jesus and/or enabled them to grow deeper in their relationship with the Lord.
I think the way BSF does things works. I also know BSF is too intense, too much homework, not at a convenient time, etc for everyone. I am fortunate to have had a class in our city for a long time. The four-fold way of teaching scripture and the reliance only on scripture to interpret scripture pushes us in our faith to grow stronger. I believe it’s important to make the commitment to be at the lecture as much as possible. We have 80-90+ year old ladies who come with the help of other women or their families. It has developed into a ministry for them.
While I have not always agreed with everything BSF does, I do appreciate why they do it. Many of you wouldn’t have recognized BSF 20-25 years ago. All leaders had to wear skirts/dresses (and they had a good reason), if you missed more than 3 weeks in a row you might be dropped from the rolls in order to allow someone else to have that spot, children under two had to be left with a sitter, etc. I had been gone for about 6 or 7 years when I came back for Isaiah and I love the changes. However, in our small group, I’ve noticed people go off on tangents and we don’t actually answer some of the questions because you aren’t required to have anything answered anymore.
I know this is just about putting the lecture online. I think part of it is so that they can save money. BSF is not a wealthy ministry. Just printing each of the lessons is at least $3 to $3.50 but they ask only for an offering. I attend a Beth Moore study as well and I have to pay every few weeks for that.
Didn’t mean to go on but I have seen that a large number of women just “didn’t get around to” doing their lesson each week. So I tend to think an awful lot of people would just listen to the lecture online and never participate in the 4 fold plan. But just my opinion.
Agree. However, they are cheating themselves and in the end they have to answer for that to God. It’s not for us to judge what others do with the resources available. It’s up to us to make the resources available for others. And think of it this way: if even just one woman listened to the lecture on her own time who otherwise wouldn’t have and would have skipped class anyways and accepted Jesus because of it, wouldn’t it be worth it?
I don’t think you realize how much prayer goes into everything BSF does. Your GL prays for you everyday. And every leaders meeting all leaders pray for everything related to BSF, HQ, area teams, and classes.
If you feel very strongly about recorded lectures, PLEASE share this as an ASK with your group. And ask your GL to offer it up as a prayer request at leaders mtg. Right now they are trying out new pilot programs to reach young adults that is co-ed!!! So BSF is open to new ways of reaching others. But if you only have a bunch of comments here on the blog and not to leaders, how would they know that people want this feature. BSF is very committed to sharing JEsus’s Gospel. If you have an idea to do this better, please share it with leadership.
Mary – I totally agree with you. The accountability, the 4-fold approach, are all integral to BSF that makes it so unique and sets them (far) apart from other Bible studies. (Thank you, too, for your thoughtful reply!)
AtoZMom, I do believe that BSF can answer to God, wholeheartedly! They keep their integrity of what God has called them to do in the manner they do best. However, who can answer to God if they put other things ahead of Him? I hate missing a lecture, so I do everything I can to be there…or get to one. So, there is an option to hear a lecture if you can’t attend your regular class. Simply go to the BSF website, find another class or satellite, and request to come as a guest. I have done this numerous while travelling/vacationing out of state (even in Hawaii). BSF has been adding classes and satellites every year – in fact the satellites alone have grown exponentially in the few years from their inception. There are usually many options, especially in the US.
When there wasn’t a Men’s class in his area, my cousin traveled 130 miles one way (2 hr. + – so 260 miles, 4 hrs total) from Pennsylvania to Ohio EVERY week. I, like Mary, have been in BSF a long time (1991 for me) with a few years out because of working full time. So in that time, I had repeated most studies several times. However, when Isaiah became available, I dropped out of my church hand bell choir for that year, and traveled 1 hour (one way) to the nearest Women’s Evening Class, as I was still working full time and could not attend the day class in my town. Both my cousin and I traveled through snowy winter weather during those years just to attend. (I imagine Mary may remember the BSF magazines years ago and stories of how people in Africa or other places with few BSF class options, would walk miles to attend.)
Did we make some sacrifices? Of course. But it was worth it. Not everything comes easily in this life, but if we’re committed to God and studying His word, we will make those sacrifices.
I have written these things to encourage others to find a way to get to a live lecture. It was not in judgement or condemnation, but to illustrate that it is possible to leave our comfort zones and put God first. Who can say (paraphrasing John 6:60) “This traveling is too hard”? Show God how passionate you are about Him and His word; He will be faithful in showing how passionate He is about you, too. Make the commitment. Stop grumbling. (This week’s lesson applies to this situation so completely – I needed to say that.)
BSF is unique and should remain so, in my humble opinion. They have made many changes over the years, as Mary said, but perhaps having the lecture available online would not be a wise one. Please pray for God to show you ways you can attend your weekly lecture. If it’s your heart’s desire, He will help.
I agree. I like to the lessons twice. You always glean something from hearing it a second time. I do think I have heard it is illegal to record them but how do they know. I also have heard reasoning for why they don’t post all lectures-not sure why now but I would love it!!! I am a baby Christian as far as knowing the Bible so I would certainly benefit!!!!
I would like to have the opportunity to listen to the lesson in full because I have to also leave before the lecture is over. I also think when we listen to anything more than once we hear something we didn’t hear before. I would really like that.
I mentioned my family listening to a lecture in the car with me last year during leaders meeting and was told that is not allowed. The recorded lecture is for me only and nobody else. I don’t really “get” the rules but they have them.
I thought I was the only one wanting this. I agree.
Only volunteers and CLs get the lecture recordings online. Not even your GL gets it. If you want to have online copy, maybe pray about being a CL? And from reading another post, GLs do not get the notes early. They get it the day of leaders meeting after they have already done the lesson questions and discussed it with other leaders just like members get theirs after class.
Great idea
That is a great idea. Sermons are put on websites but youll still find people in lectures. In the
Southern Hempishere we are just about to start John on the 15/2/2016. People will still stary
and listen to the lecturer. We have the best in the world. I’m at St. Pauls Castle Hill in Sydney/
I really like this idea also! So how do we make our voice heard with BSF International?
Unsure besides to contact them directly. My voice is here for all to read so I hope this is considered.
I can attend the lectures but I can’t write my thoughts down fast enough. I do record the lecture on my phone and listen to it again when I get home. I don’t share it with anyone. I’ve been told not to do this. However, some people need a slower speed in order to process things. I get so much more out of it the second time.
In Australia we don’t start Romans until February next year. Our lecturer is absolutely fabulous what she does and has been doing
it for 26 years. I admire her the time and effort
she puts into it along with her other things
she has to do as she has 9 grandchildren
I have trouble even though she talks a bit slower
so she can understand what she is talking about.
But it’s great you get them on recording
when your on children’s programme twice a year.
If everyone could get the lectures online, we wouldn’t have lecture time….
I would love to have a disabled friend listen. It would be a ministry to here as she is homebound due to a physical disability
How do I access the lecture?
go to http://www.mybsf.org and set up an account. There you will find all the notes, questions, and lectures. Thanks!