As another year of Bible Study begins at my local church I look at myself and feel so unworthy of  speaking of God’s Word.  I fear I will fail Him.

This led me to look over the second Knit and Crochet Bible Study Book.  It is a look at the Proverbs 31 woman.

The class at my church, and I believe many others that host a Knit and Crochet Bible Study, is multi-generational. 

Becoming the Proverbs 31 woman is a journey, a road traveled with twists and turns and even a few detours. It is not a journey you need to take alone.  Working alongside women of all ages helps us to grow emotionally and spiritually. Titus 2:1 tell us “Your job is to speak out on the things that make for sound doctrine.”    It is my prayer these studies lead you to that sound doctrine.

Then verses 3-5 says “Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness.  By looking at them the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives.” 

But the older woman can also learn from the younger. Sitting side by side, many find their lives are woven together through their crafting,  through God’s love, through life experiences. With one simple shared gift, knit and crochet, they open a dialog with each other; one that may not have opened in other circumstances.

The Proverbs 31 woman is not born the perfect woman you read about. She grows into that woman through work, friendships, prayer, experience, learning from others.

Perhaps in your local group you see a woman you look upon as “The Proverbs 31 Woman”’ you admire her emotional strength, her family love, her ability to knit or crochet without even looking at her work.  Talk to her. Learn about her life and how she came to this place in her life; the struggles she endured; the losses she has experienced; how she learned to look to God in all things.  She is not now the woman she used to be.  “But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me – and not without results.. yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.” 1Corinthians 15:10 NLT

Why are we doing all this? Read Titus chapter 2 verses 12 and 13 in the Message. “We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears.”

You are a beautiful woman, beauty that radiates from inside. “What matters is not your outer appearance-the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes-but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in.” I Peter 3:3-4 MSG    With the passage of time you have grown from youthful vanity to honorable womanhood.   Use this time together in the presence of other women to learn how to be obedient to the Lord.

Though I fear failing Him, I continue on, demonstrating God’s love as He allows. He is still working on me to become the woman He desires me to be. I am an older woman to some, who watch me from afar as a witness to demonstrate God’s command. I am also younger woman to others as I watch them and learn how to walk pleasing to God.

“You knit me together in my mother’s womb” Psalm 139.13 says. God has not put down his knitting needles yet. There are panels to complete, seaming to be done, a decorative crocheted edging to be added. He is still stitching you and me  into a tapestry of life of which we are not even aware.

So, I will continue to knit, to crochet and demonstrate God’s glorious love with those around me.  I thank the Lord every day for accepting me as His child and allowing me to speak of His greatness.

 “Show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom.” Matthew 5:19 MSG

Now take a look at the knitting or crochet group. Everyone sits around, project in hand, with conversation and laughter around. The ease of the setting makes it easy to talk and share.

Let’s combine the two. Take the ease and comfort from the knitting/crochet group setting and add the conversation guidelines of the Bible Study which is to be focused on the Lord. While the others are working on projects, one person reads the lesson and scripture. Discussion questions are stated.

With the relaxed atmosphere and hook or needles in hand, a sense of sharing instead of studying prevails. For many having the project in hand makes it more comfortable to join in. Insights are made with in depth discussions into how the Word has affected the lives of those involved.

That is a “Knit and Crochet Bible Study”. A few guidelines are stated up front:

All conversation must be God honoring. This is not a “stitch and bitch” session. Are you mad at your husband or children? You can speak but no demeaning words may be spoken. Male bashing will not be allowed.

You must be respectful of all persons whether in the room or not.

Prayer requests are confidential. They are not to be discussed outside the group. They are not to be forwarded with email.

Prayer requests must not be something that would be harmful information about another. Every family has secrets. Honor those secrets. Seek counsel from your pastor or another trusted person on a one-to-one basis.

Respect each others’ view. Don’t argue the gospel. Don’t speculate on the gospel. Use the Word as written.

There is only one gospel, but when it comes to knitting and crochet, there are many techniques. Just because someone doesn’t do the stitch or hold the yarn the same way you do doesn’t make them wrong. Work together without criticism of needlework abilities.

And there you have a Knit and Crochet Bible Study.

With that that in mind, grab your Bible, yarn, needles and/or your hooks; let’s get started.

When I started working on the lessons for the Knit and Crochet Bible Study we discussed fees and the idea of putting out the book as a PDF file quickly proved the most cost effective, especially in these economically challenging days.

Whether you purchase one or both current books, you receive a notification with a link., From here, download the files to your computer. But that’s not the best part.

Have you participated in Bible Study which required each person involved to buy the book and maybe even the  additional workbook? This can run into considerable expense with each individual possibly running from $10 – $25 or more.

Once you purchase from Knit and Crochet Bible Study, you have copyright permission to print as many copies as you need for your local group. So the breakdown looks like this:

Purchase one of the books: cost $27   ($37 if both are purchased together)

Now, you want to offer up a class at your local church. You have 10 people sign up so you can legally print 10 copies.  You can choose how to bind them. One suggestion I like is to print these on front and back, 3 hole punch, place in a binder.  You can charge each participant $5 if you choose, whatever the cost of printing is.  Then when you do the 2nd class, copy the second book front and back page, 3 hold punch, add to the same notebook as previous class.

You have full control of the fees.  Now you want to offer the first class again. No need to order any more books, you still have permission to print for your local group, so copy again.

No extra books to keep in storage or return to the publisher. Printing cost whether you go to Kinkos or print at your local church, are all predictable.

The cost effective method and low key format allows women to learn new trades, share their craft knowledge with others and expand their abilities. It also allows for less threatening setting allowing someone who has never participated in a Bible Study.

This is a great opportunity for intergenerational learning. A Titus 2 setting is created.

Additional class studies can also be created from the stories in the monthly e-newsletter “Purls and Chains of Wisdom”.

If you’d like more information on the books, click here.

One day I found an old knitting project I had abandoned years before. I picked it up and started again.  Working on the project helped calm me and despite the pain factor I found I was able to focus a bit more. When I completed the project I felt a sense of accomplishment I hadn’t felt in some time.  I had been unable to do so many things I was becoming depressed and discouraged. Then there would be something else I couldn’t do and more depression and discouragement would pile on my already frazzled self-esteem.

During this time I would reflect and pray. I pulled out a skein a yarn that was a complete tangled mess.

As I pulled, tugged, unwound and mumbled under my breath I started to think how my life felt like that at the time.  I wrote a journal entry and found myself relating the tangled mess of yarn to God untangling my messy life. Anyway, I wrote a few word picture stories and asked a couple of friends to join me. We knitted together and I read the “lesson” for the night. This led to our conversation and discussion.  I then presented it to my church leaders and we are now about to begin the 3rd year of Knitting Bible Study.

I have edited the first lessons and they are now available for PDF purchase.  Purchase one copy and you have copyright privilege to copy for your local group.  Sign up for the e-newsletters and get a FREE sample lesson to try out.

I am editing for a second book release now and will be posting different Knitting Bible Study ideas as well as working on a way to host an online study.

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May your hearts be encouraged, being knit together in love. Col 2:2