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So you’ve decided to start a Bible memorization club. You’ve set a goal, begun to get organized, and prayed for God’s blessing. Now you just need some members—and a plan to keep them enthusiastic and involved.
Finding members
If you want to establish a local club only, you could start by spreading the word among your family, friends, and church group. Or simply write a letter of invitation to anyone you think might be interested—near or far. Your invitation letter could be something like this:
Would you like to be part of a movement to memorize Scripture? Then join our Bible memorization club and reap the benefits. I am inviting you to join me in memorizing the book of (James). You commit to memorizing (one) verse a day, with a weekly review day. At this rate, we can memorize the entire book in less than five months!
As a member of the club you will receive the following:
- Monthly memorization calendars adapted to your individual goals.
- A monthly newsletter with Bible memorization tips, quotes, testimonies, and encouragement from others.
- Bible memorization club meetings [if your group is local].
- Accountability via a memorization partner.
Our group will begin on ___________. If you would like to join, please let me know as soon as possible. I hope to hear from you. The privilege of hiding God’s Word in our minds is one of His greatest blessings.
Welcoming the members
As soon as someone joins the group, welcome them and let them know when you will begin, and when they can expect their first calendar.
As your group grows past three or four members, assign partners. Give each person contact information for their partner and suggest that they get together on at least a weekly basis to share how they are doing and to test each other. They can do this by phone, Skype, or in person (for local groups).
Nurturing the group
Encourage your club members to take advantage of memory aids. Young Disciple offers Bible memory bookmarks that help make memorizing easy. If you have an Android smartphone or tablet, you can download a great Bible memory app free of charge. For details, go to play.google.com/store/apps and search for “Bible Memory: Remember Me.” This is also available from iTunes for a minimal fee. Scripture Typer, although not free, is also an excellent app. After you join, you can connect with memorizing groups from YD and GYC (Generation of Youth for Christ). Get it at scripturetyper.com.
Keep in frequent contact with your members, asking them how they are doing with their memorization project and praying with them. If they have a testimony of how their memorization program has blessed them, jot it down to use in your monthly newsletter.
Each month, send out a newsletter either by mail or e-mail. Fill it with reports of what members are memorizing and how God is blessing their efforts. It’s a good idea to share some of the blessings coming up in the verses you will be memorizing in the next month. You should also include Bible memory tips you have come across, quotes about Bible memorization, and anything that might inspire club members to press on. Don’t be shy to tell what the Lord is doing in your life through memorization! For example, I was able to share with my club that when I have a memorization goal, I find worldly distractions less interesting. I memorize instead of wasting time. And the more I memorize, the easier it becomes.
Getting behind can be very discouraging. If this happens to a club member, act quickly so that they don’t give up. You might suggest that they add an extra verse to their schedule each day until they are back on track. Or, if they simply can’t keep up with your schedule, help them make a schedule that works better for their situation.
Realize that members will sometimes need to take off time for vacation, a mission trip, or something else that is temporarily taking all their time and energy. If this happens, don’t be too hard on them. Simply encourage them to resume their memorization program as soon as possible.
Be sure to have the next month’s calendars ready several days ahead of time.
If you have a local group with just friends and family, plan on having a periodic Bible memorization club meeting—actually getting together to encourage one another, repeat verses, and pray for each other.
It’s quite a challenge to memorize consistently, so don’t get discouraged if some members drop out. Instead, encourage the remaining members, and you yourself will be blessed. If you determine to persevere, God will see you through. You’ll discover that it’s well worth the effort!
(Series concluded.)
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