Little Rock Scripture Study: LRSS Resources for Online Bible Study

“I highly recommend meeting online. It's comfortable, and everyone is so thrilled to see each other!”
Tina Delaney, LRSS Facilitator
Holy Family Parish, Davidsonville, MD

Plan Your Online Bible Study in 4 Simple Steps!

Step 1: How will you gather?

The first step is to select an online meeting platform such as Zoom and become familiar with how it works.
Find helpful info and links here. ►

You have several options when it comes to how you will meet online. While you can use services such as Skype, Facebook, or Google Meet, most of our groups have selected Zoom as the most simple and effective for online Bible study.

Zoom has very helpful “how to” information on their website, including basics such as:

• How to schedule a Zoom meeting
• How to join a Zoom meeting
• How to share your screen (for viewing online video lectures together)
• How to use breakout rooms (for small group discussions if you have a large group)

Zoom allows free meetings of up to 100 people for 40 minutes. If you would like to meet longer than that, your parish or group will need to purchase a Pro Plan.

Note: For members who are unable to join online, every Zoom meeting includes a phone number that allows individuals to join meetings by calling in.

Step 2: What will you study?

Choose a study based on your group's needs and interests.
See our recommendations here. ►

New Editions
If your group will meet for 4-6 weeks and would like to use a study that has video lectures, we recommend one of our New Editions studies. Each participant will need his or her own book. Each book includes access to free online lectures. These lectures can be viewed together online by sharing screen, or they can be viewed during the week at the leisure of each individual. Scripture, commentary, questions, and opening/closing prayers are included in each book.

Alive in the Word
If your group would like to meet for 3 weeks and focus more on faith-sharing than study, we recommend one of our Alive in the Word titles. Participants can read one chapter in advance of the group meeting, and a facilitator can select some of the discussion questions provided to focus the faith-sharing during the meeting time. These topical studies are a great starting place for groups new to the online experience.

Click here to view our recommendations for Fall or Advent Bible study!

Step 3: How will you distribute materials?

There are several ways to order and distribute books.
Here are a few ideas. ►

While members of your group are welcome to order books individually and have them shipped directly to their homes, you may wish to place a single order for your group to take advantage of our discounted bulk rates for both New Editions and Alive in the Word. Books can then be made available for pick-up at a central location (the parish office or a group member’s front porch, for example). Each member can drop off a check and pick up his or her book at least a week in advance of the first online gathering.

Order online or call 1-800-858-5434.

Step 4: How will you prepare?

You've made all of your decisions! Now it's time to get ready for your first gathering.
Here are some tips from our current online facilitators. ►

•  Have an online “social gathering” before your first Bible study session. This will be an opportunity for everyone to gain confidence in joining the meeting, muting and unmuting their microphones, and turning on their cameras. Share prayer intentions, catch up on life, and enjoy seeing each other’s faces!

•  Have a plan for keeping background noise to a minimum. Depending on the size of your group, you may need to ask members to mute their microphones when they are not speaking to cut down on background noise such as dogs barking and phones ringing.

•  Decide how you will pray together. Praying online is more challenging than praying in person. Think about what will work best for your group and give clear instructions at your first session (or by email beforehand). You may need to experiment a little bit to see what works for your group. Stay flexible for your first few sessions as you adjust to this new experience.

•  Prepare several co-facilitators for small groups if needed. If you have a large group and will be using breakout rooms for small group discussions, ask several people in your group to help facilitate these small groups. You can assign these facilitators to particular breakout rooms.

We are here to help!

Our customer service team is available at 1-800-858-5434, or you can reach the Director of Little Rock Scripture Study, Amy Ekeh, at aekeh001@litpress.org or 320-363-2081. We are here to support you!