Have you ever sat in a Bible study and thought, I’d really like to know more about how this teacher learned all of this? Or maybe you’ve considered going to seminary, but you’re not sure you can commit to homework, a class schedule, or working toward a diploma at this time. Or perhaps you did go to seminary, but it’s been a few years and you’re feeling rusty when it comes to theological terminology and practices.
We hear from many women like you! We know women want to grow deeper in their understanding of God’s Word and learn more about the God we worship. We know for many Lifeway Women this means doing our Lifeway Women Bible studies. For some Lifeway Women, this means going to seminary. But for many, they are somewhere in-between. You love our Bible studies, but you want to learn how to study the Bible yourself. You may want to learn how to study so you can teach others, or you may want to learn how to study to grow personally in knowledge and Christlikeness.
Lifeway Women exists to serve churches and fuel ministry. We saw an opportunity here to fuel the ministry of women just like you in churches around the world by helping you to treasure biblical truth for yourself. In response to this need we saw, we are launching Lifeway Women Academy.
What is Lifeway Women Academy?
Lifeway Women Academy consists of online, on-demand courses for women by women to equip them to study and teach the Bible. Let’s break down that definition.
Online and on-demand. You’ll access the courses through the internet, so you can do them wherever you have an internet connection. We’ll have some downloads available, but the majority of the course content will be video lectures. You will have unlimited access to the course once you purchase it. If you want to complete it all in one marathon-style weekend, you can. We’d probably recommend spreading it out, though. If you want to rewatch a lecture or revisit one lesson the next day or months down the road, you can.
We know life is busy, so we wanted to make these courses as flexible as possible. You go at your own pace.
For women. Lifeway Women Academy is designed for you. Whether you are a Bible study leader, a student, a mom, a corporate boss-lady, a friend, a teacher, or all of the above, you are welcome at Lifeway Women Academy. No experience or degree is required. We want these courses to be both accessible and helpful to you. We want to equip women to use their giftings to know God, lead others to Him, and glorify Him in everything. This brings us to:
By women. Our courses will be taught by women. We know so many gifted and knowledgeable women, and we want them to use those gifts and knowledge! Seeing other women just like you on the other side of the screen is a powerful experience. Knowing how other women use their interests and talents to grow in Christlikeness and share God’s love with others will help you see how you can do the same.
To study and teach the Bible. These courses will not lead to a degree, but they will be a little nerdy—they’ll have an outline, some recommended reading, a glossary, and probably some quizzes for you to verify what you’re learning. Whether you fully embrace Bible-nerd status or not, Lifeway Women Academy will have you nodding along when you hear words like hermeneutics, eschatology, or exegesis (full transparency: we had to look up how to spell that last one).
Our very first class will be How to Study the Bible: Hermeneutics 101. We’ll learn from teachers like Jen Wilkin, Dr. Julia Higgins, and Elizabeth Woodson all about God’s Word and what it means to thoughtfully and faithfully read, study, and interpret Scripture. It will be available in October.
We have plans to add more courses as soon as we can—courses on theology, teaching God’s Word, understanding the Old and New Testaments, and more. We can’t wait to hear how women are growing in their love of God through their knowledge of Him and His Word.
What is Symposium?
October 14–15 of this year, we plan to launch Lifeway Women Academy in a big way! We want to see you in person for a Lifeway Women Academy event at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. We’ll have two days of teaching from Jen Wilkin and other leading female theologians all about the Bible. Learn study methods, tools of the trade, historical and cultural context, and more.
You don’t have to sign up for a Lifeway Women Academy course to attend Symposium, and you don’t have to attend Symposium to sign up for a course. We thought it would be fun to kick off this new initiative by getting together to learn, worship, and grow in community. We’d love for you to join us.
Learn more at lifeway.com/academy.
