Community Bible Study

The following is an overview of the process for starting a Community Bible Study Class. After reading the overview, if you would like to know more about beginning a Community Bible Study class in your community, we will send an Information Kit containing additional CBS materials. In it you will find booklets on Community Bible Study, the CBS Children's Ministry, samples of the adult and children's lessons, and a list of courses. Included you will also find a sample of our It’s in the Book lessons. This material is ideal for small group studies and is used by many CBS Prayer Groups as their preliminary Bible study. You may order It's in the Book lessons on our website at www.communitybiblestudy.org under the CBS Marketplace tab.

To receive an Information Kit, e-mail your address to Joyce Hall by clicking her name. After you have had an opportunity to review the material in the Information Kit, you will receive a follow up call or e-mail to discern your interest level in beginning a CBS class.  If there is continuing interest, an Area Director will be assigned to assist you with the process of starting a class.

Every Community Bible Study Class begins with prayer, so the first step in developing a CBS class is to form an informal community prayer group made up of people from various church backgrounds who want to form a Bible study in the area. A CBS Area Director will be in touch with the group to support and nurture it.  The group should pray for the Lord’s will in starting a class and for the following leaders: a Teaching Director, an Associate Teaching Director, a Coordinator, and a Children’s Director (for classes that plan on having a Children’s Ministry).  All those involved should feel called by the Lord to launch the new class. The group will meet regularly to pray and may begin an informal Bible study when appropriate.  

When the Area Director feels the group is ready, and when the key leaders who must come from different churches have been identified, they will be recommended for Leadership Training. Before the team attends Training, the Area Director will also determine if the locality will be able to meet the CBS requirement of 60 class members. It is not necessary to have 60 members before the team attends Training but there must be the potential to reach this goal. After the class begins there is a grace period to build the attendance numbers. If there is the potential for 60 or more class members and the leaders are approved by the Area and the Regional Director, they will attend Leadership Training in Colorado Springs, CO.  At the conclusion of Training, the team will be commissioned and will return home to continue the process of starting a class by:

•  Selecting a church facility to host the class
•  Holding informational events to interest prospective class members
•  Training Core Leaders and Children’s Teachers
•  Beginning to meet as an official Community Bible Study Class

We thank you for your inquiry regarding the start of a new CBS class.  We are eager to serve and encourage you as together we seek God’s will for another strong and vibrant CBS class dedicated to making disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ in our communities through caring in-depth Bible study available to all.

Click here for current Prayer Groups available or Select a state below for existing classes