Women of the Word
NEW TRENDS IN BIBLE STUDIES CATER TO THE TIME-DEPRIVED AND THE INTERNET SAVVY.
Women
have long been known to be the backbone of Christian congregations in
America. According to a 2000 report from Christian researcher George
Barna, one out of every five Christian women—or 20 percent—belong to a
small group that meets regularly for Bible study, prayer or Christian
fellowship. The same statistic among men is only 13 percent.
Unfortunately,
family and jobs tend to dictate how much time a woman devotes to study
of the Word. As women progress through different life stages they desire
Bible studies that are tailored to their interests, schedules and
spiritual maturity.
“There
will always be new moms looking for new-mom studies and a new batch of
empty nesters looking for empty-nester material,” says Jennifer Leo,
marketing director for Tyndale House Publishers. “The same woman will
look for different things at different points in her life.”
Authors
have stepped up to the plate and created Bible studies that cover all
areas of the spectrum: some require no homework, others include daily
assignments; some are designed for personal study and others are for
groups; and some studies are self-contained while others guide users to
utilize encyclopedias, concordances and different translations of the
Bible.
Here are some trends to consider when looking for your next Bible study and ideas to make current study more meaningful.