Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Stuck

Stuck. A jar lid that stubbornly refuses to turn. A highway of immobile traffic during rush hour. A zipper refusing to budge.  A car that won't start--again.  An impossible math problem eluding a solution.  A relationship on the same old rutted path.  All of us get stuck at some point in our life. 

We can get bogged down by habits, thinking patterns and pathways that keep us stuck. Stuck in despair, sin, suffering or depression. So stuck that we may feel like there is no hope for any other kind of life.

Jennie Allen knows what it is to be stuck and she wants to help other women get unstuck. Her new DVD Bible Study, aptly titled, "Stuck" is a comprehensive learning experience that draws women out of the stuck places in life to the freedom of God's grace and forgiveness.

Meet Jennie Allen and get a taste for what this study is all about:


The study kit comes with the following:
  • See: DVD with Jennie Allen offering instruction
  • Study: Participant's guide to the study
  • Lead: Leader's guide
  • Ask: set of conversation cards
My husband and I viewed the videos and while it is marketed to women, my husband found the study insightful and convicting.  So while the material may have been written with women and their struggles in mind, I think men will also be challenged and encouraged by the material.  The video lesson is very down-to-earth in which the author shares the struggles that she is all too familiar with. She serves as a guide on this journey toward becoming unstuck--a fellow pilgrim just a bit farther along the path.

The study materials are in a fresh full color style of glossy, magazine-like pages.  Each lesson provides an introduction to the lesson along with a study on a selected portion of Scripture. This is followed by a section entitled, "Who are you, Lord? & What do you want from me?" with space to journal thoughts and action points derived from the lesson. Each lesson then closes with a project that gently helps the participant probe into their "stuck" places. 

Following the introductory segment, the lessons cover the following topics:
  1. Broken
  2. Mad
  3. Discontent
  4. Scared
  5. Overwhelmed
  6. Sad
  7. Unstuck
The author makes it clear in the leader's guide, that the leader's job is not to counsel and she encourages leaders to make referrals to qualified professionals when someone needs additional help. The teacher's guide was very user friendly with very good suggestions for making discussions flow smoothly.

One very unique aspect of this study is the deck of conversation cards. There is a set of open-ended questions for each lesson. The idea is that the questions are laid out among a small group (one kit is recommended for 8-12 people). Each person can select the question they would like to answer (more than one person can choose to answer the same question). I like the fact that people have some control over what they feel comfortable sharing. This also provides a fun way to guide discussion from the lesson.  I thought this aspect was a really clever and innovative part of the study.

The holidays can be an incredibly stressful time and often our stuck places become magnified. Why not do something for yourself and order this study to help you work through some of the stuck areas in your life?   Or if the holidays are too hectic, then plan ahead to begin this study as a part of turning over a new leaf in 2012.  Whether done alone, with a small group of friends, or as part of a small group church study, the time you invest will be well worth the effort.

Purchase Information
This study is published by Thomas Nelson and can be purchased directly through them for $39.99. This includes the complete curriculum: DVD, student and leader's guides as well as the conversation cards with all the contents packaged in a sturdy box.

For a limited time, you can purchase the curriculum kit from Christian Book Distributors for the incredible price of $24.99 (no idea how long that price will last so I suggest you act quickly!).  Additional study guides can be purchased separately from either retailer (ISBN 9781418548742).

You can read what other bloggers thought about this study here.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Stuck from Thomas Nelson publishers as part of their Book Sneeze program for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

No comments:

The Ghost in the Garden by Alisse Lee Goldenberg

  Sophie Madison, 12 years old, is moving to the small town of Stratford, Ontario. She can't help compare her new small town to all the ...