I’m brainstorming other ideas here and this one popped up: would you use a forum?
A forum is where you join and can post questions and answers to topics. So, let’s say the topic is: BSF Lesson 1.
You could discuss answers and get a dialogue running. You can get fancy too and set up your profile with your name and location and stuff.
Preliminary research (let’s say the last 10 minutes or so) has been this would cost me money to set up. But it’s something I’ve dreamed about with this site. Getting discussion and dialogue going like a discussion group but without a time frame. You could debate God’s word all day long if you wanted and everyone got a chance to participate–even anonymously if you wanted. All you’d be known by would be your screen name.
It would increase the participation and not just be me.
So, would you use a forum for BSF and participate in one? A forum has no value without you all. The people make the forum. Just like people make the church.
I believe BSF is the best thing to happen to my life. I also believe that expanding the availability of these lessons and interaction with fellow believers would be very exciting and a blessing to me and many others — REALLY GOOD THOUGHT!!!
I would participate. HH in NC
I would definitely participate. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your point of view and it often helped me understand the lesson better.
I love the idea!
Count me in…..
Sounds like a great idea to me!
What a wonderful idea. Could I get questions from your forum even if I don’t belong to the group this year? If BSF doesn’t allow it maybe we could get questions from another place. Surely they have books or other places to get questions for each book?? I would love to be able to discuss questions without a time limit.
I would participate …..hope we can get the questions!!!
Dear Atozmom,
I think trying to work your way around BSF’s rules is not a fruitful spiritual endeavor.
Take a Bible class at another church.
I am Catholic and have taken classes very similar to BSF at my local parish. Also, my local parish, had fewer rules about doing research, sitting at tables, etc.
Pray that God lead you to a class that is suitable for you at this time in your life.
Sincerely,
Gary
Gary, why not have a kind word or prayer than critize?
That is the first thing that I learned at BSF.
She asked if people would use it and Gary is giving his opinion and why. I think that is valuable feedback. When an organization puts rules in place they expect their members to follow them. If you don’t plan to follow them then perhaps finding a different group would be a better fit.
Gary suggested an alternative. There are other in depth studies that allow research and encourage it. I too attend a Catholic study where we research and understand the background of the passages we are studying. It is much more fulfilling and straightforward way of learning for me.
When I attend BSF I follow their guidelines.
Yes, I would participate in a BSF forum.
I think it could work with the following scenario: You would post one day at a time, following the 5 day schedule. Others could post their answers but I think you would have to limit the answers people could submit to 100 words or less. Then at the end of the week, summarize the material similar to the lecture. The only thing missing would be the hyms and fellowship.
I think the previous suggestion to contact BSF for leader/teacher training was excellent. If you also provide a formal proposal they might be willing to allow people to register and get copies of the questions and to support an online version.
Great idea!
I love the idea!
I really used you last year for Isaiah and would love to have you back in any way.
I would participate. BB in FL
Last year was my first year in BSF. At the beginning I was completely lost. I did the work, I muttled thru it but did not understand what I was doing. Once I found your site and read your commentary/your take on the questions, it really really helped me to “get it”. I began to understand the Book. As you can see from above, people really want to participate beacause it helps them better understand. You will have opposition, but stay strong. I think what you are doing is great. What’s the old saying, “you can please some of the people some of the time, but you cant please ALL the people all the time”.
I surely would participate in the forum.
I would love to be a part of the forum. The more fellow brothers and sisters in Christ participating = more fruitful discussion. BSF discussion is structured for an entire class to participate so this could be the best of both worlds (physical participation & online participation). Thank you & blessing for your success.
I’m perplexed why a group (BSF) wanting to reach the world with the Word of God and the story of salvation has so many restrictions and limitations on sharing the good news. It makes no sense to me why the information is supposed to be so secretive. I would think they would be overjoyed to have the word spread in any way possible and not have ‘rules’ for who can read their information or share their information. I think it is very tacky that they will not respond to you.
I don’t believe the information is secretive. They ask people who want the material to come to a class and participate in a class. They don’t charge for it — it is freely offered at class. It is a method of studying God’s Word. They do not ask class members to not attend other Bible studies. They only ask class members to refrain from outside commentaries UNTIL after they have attended class night and read their notes. They even hand out green sheets for members to use with other family members, friends or a co-worker to do a joint Bible study over the same material with less formal questions. Many people just don’t utilize them. Perhaps it would be better to take to using the green sheets as a way to form a more generalized discussion.
I would love to participate in a forum. It seems that many of us would like to be part of the group!
Please keep up the good work and let us learn together while we stay in God’s word.
Dear AtoZmom, you’re such a blessing… count me in cos I think this will be such a dynamic platform for like minded individuals to participate and grow in God’s word 🙂 thank you so so very much for doing what you do…
Discovered your post last year. Told tons of BSFers. They were so happy and truly enjoyed your interpretations. It was like having an extended group at home! Please post this year. We all need you. We will pray God will soften the heart of BSF. They need to realiize it won’t affect any of their money intake. A website like yours helps to spread the good news and excitement about BSF. You are not taking from them… You are sharing them with the world. The organization needs updating as it is antiquated. Our lives are electronic now. Just think of how many people who cannot get to BSF physically were touched by your work. We will pray for BSF to help YOU! They are a loving group. God’s love will come to you in abundance. God bless.
BSF is a non-profit organization. They are not concerned about anyone taking money from them . . . that is why they don’t charge for classes, notes, etc., like some other studies do such as Beth Moore, Women of Faith, etc., it is all free . . . Not to be confontational, but why do you think BSF is antiquated. They are posting their questions online for use by class members. They post the music for the school program and preschool program online. They are on facebook. You no longer have to fill out 3 sets of paper forms to register each year. Student questions are online also.
I sincerely hope that you will continue posting your thoughts on the BSF study. I found your interpretations of the questions on the Isaiah study so helpful, as I am sure others did too. I truly look forward to this study on Acts and hope that you will continue to share your thoughts with all your followers. It is very unfortunate that BSF doesn’t have a way that others like you can participate in their Bible study (without traveling such a long distance) and we can only pray that they will look into making some changes soon.
Dear Atozmom; I have loved your entire blog, not just the notes on BSF. I attend BSF and am fortunate to able to do so. Many are not able or are restricted from doing so. I do believe BSF keeps their information “secretive” even though that is not the word they use. They want people to attend their classes, and the lectures are good, but the meeting time is limited and we are often not allowed to speak about a certain issue for too long. For this reason, I would gladly join a forum and participate as much and as knowledgeably as possible. The other thought I have is why not start a facebook group? Anyone could join and still keep their profiles private and it would be free to you. I’m not sure what kind of costs are involved with keeping a forum, but perhaps that might be a solution. As far as the rules of BSF go, we could not state the questions on line, but we could answer them. God bless the work you put into this blog and for helping reach people in the name of Christ.
Just another thought: Although I attend BSF with a community of women who are informed to keep informaiton shared, many of these women are women I’ve attended church with for years and I am not always comfortable sharing certain information or thoughts in front of women I feel might share these thoughts with other women outside BSF. For that reason alone, I feel a forum would be a grand idea.
A great idea!
A BSF forum would be awesome!!!
I would partipate in forum
I discovered your site last year as well and found it very helpful and inspiring. I think the idea of a forum is great. I agree with others that we do not always have enough time in class to explore all the points that are raised on a particualr question. Would hate to miss your posts this year on Acts.
i thoroughly enjoyed reading your point of view and it often help me understand the lesson better; i really used you last year for isaih and woold love you back; GOD BLESS YOU
PLease do BSF again. your notes helped so much in last years study. You have woderful insight into Gods word and helped me grow in God’s word too
Blessings, Kay
Yes. Do to time requirements in small groups, we don’t get to discuss “wonderful insights into Gods word” deeply; or not at all.