Faith is often a crucial component of people’s lives. It can help people to get through hard times or find meaning in their lives. For people of faith, maintaining faith practices is often vital to supporting mental health and quality of life.
As an organization founded as a faith-based non-profit, Bethesda Senior living Communities understands this well. Part of our mission to serve seniors includes trying to provide ways to nurture and enrich their spiritual health. One of the best ways this can be done is through encouraging Bible study.
Whether Bible study is through one of our scheduled group studies or through individual efforts, it's important. Bible study brings you closer to God, and taking the time to dedicate to reading and understanding His word pays dividends in many ways. Here are some tips for keeping up with Bible study.
Keeping a routine is important. It provides stability and can work as a framework for you to organize your time. Part of that routine refers to the activities contained within it, and it’s important to maintain that routine when moving into a new environment like an assisted living community. Whether to take part in an activity you enjoy doing or to ease your transition, keeping up with your Bible study can be beneficial to your routine in a number of ways.
Our minds are similar to our muscles in that we have to use them to keep them working right. It doesn’t matter if you’re 4 or 104; if you aren’t exercising your brain, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Reading is a great way to give your brain a workout, and studying God’s Word takes that a step farther. You’re reading for comprehension as well as engaging in deep thought on what these passages mean to you. Plus, if you’re in a group study, you’ll be discussing the passages you’ve read, which forces you to articulate your thoughts, taking your brain workout to a completely different level.
One of the best ways to get more out of reading the Bible is to get a study guide of some kind. Some of the most popular are devotionals that have daily themes and verses that correspond with that theme. Devotionals make it extremely easy to do a focused study on specific topics or verses, and that can be a perfect solution for Bible study.
There are also books that correspond to the books of the Bible. Many faith leaders and Bible scholars have written excellent companion books to help you understand some of the concepts within the Bible chapters you read. These companions might cover a few books, just one book or even specific stories within a book. They can be broad overviews or detailed breakdowns.
Another way to do a Bible study is in a group setting. You can find friends or existing studies and gather together at a specific time to read and/or discuss what you’ve read. These can be tailored to what best suits you as well. If you want to read on your own and then show up to discuss what was read, that's an option. Or you can read and discuss together. At our Bethesda Senior Living Communities, there are many such groups happening already, and you can also start one of your own.
This is becoming increasingly popular. Many churches have resources available online to assist you in your Bible study. Some of these can be fairly involved with interactive videos and chats to really broaden your horizons.
Also, if you have a smartphone or tablet, there are tons of Bible study apps you can download. There are dedicated Bible study apps as well as Bible apps with studies and plans within them. Some of these are extremely well developed with input and direction from pastors and scholars with years of experience.
Another option would be to have a distance Bible study with friends and family using your phone or video calling like FaceTime. Digital meeting applications like Zoom have become popular for distance working, so why not put that to use for gathering a group to do some Bible study? This could be an especially helpful option if you want to study the Bible with family members or longtime friends that live farther away. It’s also really handy if you have someone specific you like to study with who can’t make it due to an illness or injury.
An added benefit of doing a Bible study like this is that you can make it part of a routine with friends and family. You can spend quality time with children or grandchildren, bonding over Bible study. A weekly Bible study with family can really bring everyone closer, even if you’re not in the same room.
Bible study is a big deal for any faith-based member of a community. Being able to keep up with it while in an assisted living community can help you get settled in, keep you doing something you loved to do and benefit your life in general.
