Engagement Is Strong Despite the Pandemic
T here were many unknowns as we approached the start of Genesis: Would classes be meeting in churches? How would members get their lessons? Would the people come if we continued in the online format?
Though uncertainty remains, one thing is certain – God continues to draw and nourish His people through the study of His Word in Bible Study Fellowship. While overall the ministry has seen a drop in adult enrollment of about 6%, there are areas of growth. Areas where it was difficult to attend a physical BSF group due to travel safety, urban congestion or limited church capacity, are seeing more members able to engage through the online format. Countries in Asia, such as the Philippines, India and Myanmar, grew over 10%. Countries in Africa, including Uganda, South Africa, Ghana and Zimbabwe, grew by double digits. Despite the challenges – unstable internet, finding the right links, getting on at the right time, lack of privacy in the home – men and women around the world continue to grow in their love for God as they study Genesis.
Need to Know
To stay updated, please read all headings relevant to your class.
Aren’t we all BSF Online this year due to COVID-19?
The short answer is No. BSF Online has four distinctives:
BSF Online always meets online. Leaders meetings and Discussion Groups meet online for the entire study year. Leaders are trained specifically on how to lead online, and meetings are structured for online engagement.
BSF Online offers a flexible schedule. Leaders choose an online Leaders Meeting, and members choose a group based on their personal schedule. Fun Fact: There are over 1,000 Discussion Groups in BSF Online.
BSF Online groups are global. A local class reaches members from across their community, city, and county. A BSF Online group reaches across time zones and locations around the world. Members from Florida to Fiji to France can attend the same group! Fun Fact: Online Members and leaders represent 120 different countries and 14 different languages!
BSF Online is for adults 18 years and up. Local BSF classes offer Preschool and School programs that serve over 50,000 children worldwide!
We hope and pray this brings clarity around BSF Online. We are ALL BSF. Our prayer is for leaders and members to determine which BSF option works best for them. We are grateful for the options available for people to love and serve one another in Bible study community, whether meeting onsite, online temporarily (COVID-19), or online for the entire study year.
Know someone who wants to join BSF Online? Go to www.bsfonline.org to Find A Group today.
Know a leader who needs to transition to BSF Online? Click the Recommend an Online GL for Genesis link on the TL home page.
Use our guest login:
Email: ogl4genesis@gmail.com
Password: myogl4genesis
HQ Communication Strategy
Do you need help understanding how HQ communicates with you? Click here.
BSF Mini-Studies
BSF is offering an exciting way to invite people to meet God through new resources we call “BSF Mini-Studies.” We need your help!
What is a BSF Mini-Study?
A 3 to 5 week sample study to share with anyone you would like to invite to BSF. Each BSF Mini-Study will be highlighted on social media for you, your leaders and class members to share with your circle of friends.
Timely postings about the mini-studies by BSF social media help to:
Kindle readers’ interest to try BSF. Telling part of the story in a post leaves readers to seek ongoing discovery through the lessons, great discussions in groups and lectures!
Attract a wide variety of people – including those having never participated in Bible study or considered that the Bible truly connects to daily life.
Relate directly to modern, messy and often difficult life. We avoid “Christianese” language that may exclude prospective members and highlight the reality that we are all desperately flawed and in need of a Savior.
Please partner with us to cast vision to your leaders and members for the purpose and potential of the mini-studies. (The Abraham mini-study is also available in Mandarin and Cantonese at www.bsfinternational.org/trybsf.) NOTE: Because the Abraham mini-study was shortened to 4 weeks, we strongly encourage you to invite mini-study attendees to continue exploring Abraham’s life by registering and downloading the lessons from mybsf.org.
We pray that God uses these mini-studies to draw men and women into a deeper relationship with Him through ongoing Bible study.
BSF Mini-Study Schedule
Noah Lessons 5-7 (Genesis 5:1-11:9)
Abraham Lessons 8-11 (Genesis 11:10-18:15)
Jacob Lessons 17-21 (Genesis 27-33)
Joseph Lessons 23-27 (Genesis 37-47:12)
Booklets and podcasts for the mini-studies will be available online closer to the time of the study.
Genesis Summit Translation
Because of limited capacity, we will not be providing Spanish subtitles for the videos of the extended, complementary teaching related to this year’s Summit, as we had originally planned. Spanish subtitles are available for the primary sessions. If any leader was unable to participate in this year’s Summit, or would like to watch again, all the videos are still available here. (Password: summit2020)
Save the Date – Future AP Training Sessions
Two additional training sessions are scheduled for early 2021. Each training session will be offered twice (45 minutes per session). More information, including how to sign up, will come in early January 2021. For now, please save these dates:
Building Relationships Through Collaboration
February 4, 2021 at 7:00 am CST and 7:00 pm CST
Building Relationships for Restoration
March 11, 2021 at 7:00 am CST and 7:00 pm CST
D-OT Orientation and New Resource
D-OT Orientation: February 21-23, 2021
Application Deadline: January 22, 2021
A Staff Manual for D-OTs and D-AOTs is now available in your Downloads
AP Validation
Thank you for sharing the oversight of the TL Checklist and completing its validation, as required. IT has updated the database to simplify and accelerate the validation. Please remember to validate the TL Checklist upon each visit to a class.
You are up to date and doing great work!
Monthly Reports
Reminder: Submit a monthly attendance and financial report each month, even if there is no class bank account activity.
These reports are due to HQ within two days of the last class day of the month.
Identify Distance SDGs
Indicate that an SDG is Distance (leaders never attend a physical LM, only online LM) from within the Edit Satellite Location screen. Designate an SDG as distance by setting the Distance SDG indicator to YES. Click here for sample image.
Incident Report – G105
The Incident Report has been revised to include online incidents. The form revision is in the Class Forms Book in your downloads.
Regathering Requirements
Recertification using Regular Volunteer Information – CP111
As classes regather, please remember that all regular volunteers must complete a CP111 to recertify before volunteering with children and students. Remember to update the TL Checklist with the recertification date.
Parental Permission – I 104b
Children and students attending a physical class with someone other than a parent or guardian must have a completed I 104b.
New Resource
A Staff Manual for D-OTs and D-AOTs is now available in your Downloads.
D-OT Orientation
D-OT Orientation: February 21-23, 2021
Application Deadline: January 22, 2021
Save the Date – Future AP Training Sessions
Two additional training sessions are scheduled for early 2021. Each training session will be offered twice (45 minutes per session). More information, including how to sign up, will come in early January 2021. For now, please save these dates:
Building Relationships Through Collaboration
February 4, 2021 at 7:00 am CST and 7:00 pm CST
Building Relationships for Restoration
March 11, 2021 at 7:00 am CST and 7:00 pm CST
Online Passage Discovery: A Tool to Go Deeper
In the October confab, there was discussion about Passage Discovery tools for online leaders. All online leaders are encouraged to engage with one of the Passage Discovery tools each week in their lesson preparation. (Leaders may find these tools on the Helps and Resources page.) OTs and AOTs, consider highlighting one of these tools in your OLM monthly. Take this opportunity to target heart work and not homework by encouraging leaders to deepen their relationship with God by going deeper into His Word.
Silence: Deafening or Welcoming
Is silence a way to create engagement? Silence can be uncomfortable for some and welcoming to others. In a group setting, silence can be an opportunity for members and leaders to engage with the group.
As a leadership team, keep track of who is sharing/speaking for a few weeks to see what you can learn about your OGLs.
To allow a gap, slowly count to 10 after someone shares.
Pray with your leaders about allowing the Holy Spirit to invite others into the conversation.
Recognize that some may share freely and others will need to be invited. Leaders can rest in the silence to allow the Holy Spirit to shape an engaging online conversation.
Creating Online Connection
BSF Online brings together members and leaders from many different time zones. It may be morning, afternoon or evening depending on where you join a group. As a leader, acknowledge these different time zones by modifying your greetings and your questions.
Instead of “Good morning” say “Hello to everyone, welcome!”
Instead of “this morning” say “today or right now.”
Be intentional in your questions.
Ask those evening time zone members how their day was.
Ask the morning time zone members/leaders what their plans are for the day.
Changing the way you greet your members and leaders can make a difference in their shared experience and create a more connected online community.
BSF Online Group Naming
All online leaders have the option of naming their area, online class, or online group. Click the Area/Meeting/Group Settings in the Navigation menu at www.bsfonline.org
In naming your group or class consider these suggestions:
Keep it simple (e.g., Abraham’s Group)
Study specific (e.g., Genesis Gents)
Convey a tone (e.g., His Humble Servants, Yielded Vessels)
Use a Bible phrase or verse (e.g., Living Hope or Tree of Life)
We recommend that you do NOT use day, time or location as this is different for each member that joins.
Since day and time are first considerations when choosing a group, the name of your group may have an impact as well.
Tips
Unity during Uncertainty
Romans 14 and 15 help us respond to one another when we disagree over “disputable matters.” During this season of stress and uncertainty, disputable matters must not divide us! Fight for the unity of the body of Christ in your BSF class staff and leadership! Pray the words of Romans 15:5-6 for your BSF class and leadership: “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
– Suzanne Wells, BSF Regional Director
Creating a Culture of Warmth and Welcome
The upcoming mini-study classes may experience an increase in the number of guests attending. While physical classes meet online, guests will not have the opportunity to interact with class staff. A good best practice is to have guests log into the Class Zoom Room to meet class staff – TL, STL, CA and CS, if possible. TLs and STLs may tag team to welcome and answer questions about BSF, briefly pray with them and send them to their respective Zoom groups. A class in Hong Kong did this for the James mini-study, during the study of Acts, creating a culture of warmth and welcome.
– Maureen Law, BSF Regional Director
Passwords
Our BSF Helpdesks receive many inquiries regarding problems with passwords. Please remember that whenever you create any new account online, always use a unique password. Consider using a password management system to help you keep track.
HAPPENING
SOON
- January 22, 2021: D-OT Orientation Application Deadline
- February 4, 2021 at 7:00 am CST and 7:00 pm CST: AP/OAP Training Sessions
- February 21-23, 2021: D-OT Orientation
- March 11, 2021 at 7:00 am CST and 7:00 pm CST: AP/OAP Training Sessions
PRAISES
- Praise God for our Online Mandarin Men’s class with six OGLs serving over 80 members.
- Praise God for our Online Mandarin Women’s classes with twenty-five OGLs serving close to 350 members.
PRAYER
REQUESTS
- Pray for needed leaders to continue to meet the demand for groups in BSF Online.
- Pray that members can find a place in a BSF Online group.
- Pray for more leaders to meet the demand for Mandarin and Cantonese groups.
- Pray for the School Program Redesign project, including the new School Program Advisory Panel. May God guide this team to design a curriculum that engages students and leaders around the world to know Him better.
- Pray that RDs will lead with wisdom, courage and love resulting from their own vibrant relationship with the Lord.
- Plans for Summit ’21 are underway! Please pray that God will direct the Summit team to bring HIS plans to fruition in a way that blesses each and every leader in BSF around the world.
Inspiration
Promoting BSF Vision
Encountering God
T he little boy waved wildly as the car sped past. A friend, who was driving the other direction, waved in return. The delight of unexpectedly seeing a friend brought a smile to his face, and then the boy went on with his day.
W as this passing moment an encounter? Did the boy learn what his friend was thinking or feeling? Did he discover where his friend was going and why? Considering these questions leads me to conclude that waving at a passing friend does not qualify as an encounter. Encounters connect people, fostering learning and discovery. Encounters impact what comes next.
Read More
I s it possible to pass by God in a Bible Study passage and wildly wave at Him, delighted to have recognized Him, without having an encounter with Him? Recognizing God often lifts the mood for a time after the pass by, but what more could be gained by an encounter? Imagine the increased delight of pausing where God was spotted and looking more closely at what He might be thinking or feeling. Imagine the impact of discovering what God is accomplishing and why.
W hat lasting transformation may we experience as we press beyond passing by to “Encounter God, as He has revealed Himself in the Bible – the Creator and Sustainer of all, sovereign in history and in the salvation and perseverance of the saints”?
– Lea Compton, BSF Regional Director
BSF Online Trainer
Receiving a Gift
K ali Cochran, a BSF Online Trainer, substituted for her OGL, and God blessed her with a gift. It was a group of young women in their 20s, together doing the hard work together of confronting sin. Kali shares, “There was such authentic and good conversation about confronting sin in ourselves and others.” This diverse group of young women attend college, work full-time and attend Law school. Some are former BSF School program students. They are finding encouragement in one another, and certainly gave the gift of encouragement to Kali.
Grow and Go
A Mandarin Men’s Group in Action
J ohn Zhang, a new OGL started a BSF Online group called “Grow and Go” in Chinese/Mandarin. At the beginning, he was worried about people joining and prayed for God’s provision. Brothers were added to the group daily, just before the Genesis study began: A young brother from Taiwan, others from Canada, and another in California visiting his daughter. “We have learned a lot from our lessons so far, and shared our Christian life and God’s amazing work in our everyday lives,” John says. “I enjoyed spending time with our diverse group: two brothers are my father’s age, and some are my daughter’s age, but we are all in Christ, and growing together in Him.”