Because I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want friends.

But I know lots of women who worry about being unfriended. Or misunderstood. Or hurt or judged or left out or taken for granted by their friends. I’m one of them.

So they stop trying. They stop risking. They stop starting over. Because they’ve stopped believing there’ll be a seat saved for them at the table. At the book club. At the PTA meeting, the Bible Study, the office break room, the retreat, the lunch date, the church pew, or the living room sofa of the woman who used to be their best friend.

That’s what my first ever Bible Study is about.

We Saved You a Seat is about not giving up on friendship. Even when we’re frustrated by it. Even when we’re tired of it, confused by it, or disappointed in it.

WSYAS_SharedSquare2_FriendshipIsNotEasy

This Bible Study is a chance to change that.

This is a practical guide to finding and keeping lasting friendships.

This is believing that there really is a seat saved for you at the table. And it’s also about becoming the kind of women who will always save a seat for the women around them.

Together we will unpack what that kind of friendship takes — seven practical ways to take Jesus up on His invitation to love other people. To be friends who go first, who make the first move, and sometimes the hundredth move of starting over. This is the meat and potatoes of life — figuring out how to get along with the people we love as well as the ones who rub us the wrong way. This is the whole shebang. Explored in seven simple steps.

Let’s do this together.

Join in on your own, as a group of women, a group of teen girls, a woman mentoring the special teen girl in your life, or a woman leading a group of teens! Whatever model works best for you. All you need is the right Bible study book and you’ll get to watch the entire video teaching free of charge*!


ALL THE DETAILS:

– The We Saved You A Seat online Bible study will be seven weeks long.
– We’ll begin studying on August 3 and there will be a new video session on the LifeWay women’s blog each Thursday morning at 5am CT.
– If you are a woman, order this Bible study book.
– If you are a teen girl (ages 12-18), order this Bible study book.

TO PARTICIPATE:

1. Click this link and fill out the form (just your email address!) to sign up.
2. You will receive a welcome email from churchresources@email1.lifeway.com if you want to add them to your contacts.
3. Weekly emails will begin August 3. The emails are simply reminders to watch the video for free on the LifeWay Women’s blog and participate in the comments.
4. You’ll need to grab a copy of the We Saved You a Seat Bible study book for WOMEN or TEEN GIRLS.

Our hope for the online Bible studies is not that they’ll replace community in real life. Grab a friend or two or ten and do this study together, using the online videos as a fun addition to your study! If you are studying alone, that’s okay! We are so glad you’re here and hope you find friends and fellowship as we learn together.

Teen girls, we are so excited to have you here! Your book is basically the same as the women’s book, except it’s been edited to speak directly to where you are right now. One difference to note—the teen book does not have video session viewer guides like the women’s book does. But you can still watch the videos each week. We’ll ask the same questions of you on the blog, and we’d love to hear your perspective!


If you are a woman doing this study with teen girls (your daughter, or niece, or young girls at church), we recommend you get the Bible study book for women while they get the Bible study book for teens. You’ll be able to follow along together just fine.

*A note about the videos: For We Saved You a Seat, we will be offering the entire Bible study videos online for free for a limited time. Videos will remain up until October 1, 2017, allowing some breathing room for those who join in late or miss a couple of weeks. After that time you can purchase or rent the video sessions here.

Ready to join in? Enter your email address over here and click “Sign Up.” It’s that easy!

So amazed and thrilled and surprised and honored to get to do this with you all!
Can’t wait till August 3rd!

Love,
Lisa-Jo (your accidental Bible Study writer)