Bible Study Fellowship (BSF): How It Works and How to Join

The short answer: Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) is a free, interdenominational Bible study that runs for 30 weeks each year. Every week you answer daily questions on one passage at home, discuss them in a small group of roughly 8 to 18 people, hear a teaching from a trained BSF leader and read written lesson notes. You can join an in-person group or an online group at any point in the year. The 2026–27 study is Romans: From Guilt to Grace.

This guide explains how BSF actually works week to week, what it costs, the difference between in-person and online groups, and who it suits best. Everything factual here comes from BSF's own pages (linked below); where we give an opinion, we say so.

What is Bible Study Fellowship?

BSF started in the summer of 1952, when five women in California asked Audrey Wetherell Johnson, a former missionary, to teach them the book of Colossians. That group became the model for the ministry, which BSF's history page says now reaches "more than 500,000 men, women, and children" in nearly every country.

Three things set it apart from a typical church small group:

• Everyone studies the same book at the same pace. Groups around the world work through the same passage each week, so the material is consistent wherever you join.
• It is verse-by-verse and structured. BSF describes its study as in-depth and "verse by verse", built around written questions and notes rather than open-ended chat.
• It is not a church. BSF says all of its leaders are active members of a local church, and it presents itself as a support to the church rather than a replacement for one.

The study is open to people from any denomination, and to people who are simply curious about the Bible. If you want to check where BSF stands doctrinally before you join, read its statement of faith; that is the honest way to decide whether it fits your convictions.

How a BSF week works

BSF studies each passage "four ways". On its What to Expect page the rhythm looks like this:

1. Answer the questions. Each lesson has questions for each day. You work through them on your own before the group meets. BSF's own advice is to answer as many as you can and not to worry if you cannot finish at first.
2. Discuss in a small group. Groups of about 8 to 18 people share their answers, guided by a group leader who is trained each week.
3. Listen to the teaching. A trained leader gives a teaching on the passage. In an in-person class this is a lecture during the meeting. In an online group you listen to it on your own after the group meets, at a time that suits you.
4. Read the lesson notes. Notes written by BSF staff and reviewed by theologians add historical and doctrinal background, and they also prepare you for the first day of the next lesson.

BSF lessons use the New International Version (NIV), but you can bring any translation. For your first meeting you need a Bible or Bible app and something to write with. Your group leader normally contacts you in the week before you start with the details and access to materials.

Our view: the daily questions are what make BSF work, and they are also why people drop out. If you can give 15 to 20 minutes a day, you will get far more from the group discussion. If your weeks are unpredictable, a shorter format (see WordGo below) may be a better first step. Our guide to starting a daily Bible reading habit has practical tips for building that daily slot.

What does BSF cost?

BSF describes its study as free and open to all. The ministry is funded by giving, and its site invites donations, but there is no fee to join a group. The WordGo app is also free, and BSF says it has "no hidden costs or subscriptions".

The real cost is time: one group meeting a week (plus the teaching, if you are online) and a little time most days for the questions, across a 30-week year.

In-person or online: which group should you choose?

Both formats follow the same lessons. The difference is mostly about how you meet and when you hear the teaching.

	In-person group	Online group
Where	A local meeting place	Video call with people from your area or around the world
Teaching	Live lecture during class	Listen on your own after the group meets
Children	BSF Kids (0–5) and BSF Students (5–18) while you attend	Check what your online group offers
Best for	People who want local friendships and a set weekly outing	Shift workers, rural readers, parents at home, people abroad
How to find one	BSF in-person group finder	BSF Online

BSF runs groups for women, men and young adults (ages 18 to 35), according to its groups page. If you have young children and want to study in person, the children's programmes are a big practical advantage: the kids study Scripture at their own level while you are in your group.

If you already watch church online, an online BSF group is a good way to add real conversation to what can be a solitary routine. We cover that wider problem in how to actually worship from home.

How to join BSF online, step by step

1. Try a sample first (optional). BSF offers a free sample lesson from the Romans study by email on its study page. Do one day's questions and see whether the format suits you.
2. Pick your group type. Women, men or young adults, and in-person or online.
3. Use the group finder. For online, go to BSF Online and choose a group whose meeting day and time fit your week.
4. Register and wait for your leader. Your group leader will contact you with access to the lesson, the meeting details and where to start in the study.
5. Start where the group is. BSF says you can join anytime, so you do not need to catch up on earlier lessons before taking part.

WordGo: the lighter option

If 30 weeks feels like too big a commitment, BSF's free WordGo app offers short courses you can start anytime, on your own or with friends. The course library includes studies on Genesis, Philippians, Jonah, James, Ruth, the Sermon on the Mount and a course on Christ's incarnation, most running two to seven weeks.

WordGo is a sensible trial run: if you keep up with a four-week course, you will probably cope with the full BSF rhythm. It also works for a church small group that wants structured questions without signing everyone up to BSF. If you lead such a group, our guide on how to lead a small group Bible study covers the leading side.

Who BSF suits, and who it may not

BSF is a strong fit if you:

• want to go through a whole book of the Bible carefully, not just pick favourite verses;
• like having homework and a clear structure;
• want to study with people from other churches;
• are a parent who would value a children's programme running alongside your study.

It may not be the right first step if you:

• are completely new to the Bible and want short, visual introductions first. Start with our list of Bible study videos for beginners, then come back to BSF;
• want free-flowing discussion rather than prepared answers;
• cannot realistically give time to the questions most days;
• are looking for a church family. BSF can sit alongside a church, but it does not offer worship services or pastoral care the way a local church does.

Videos to watch before you decide

BSF's weekly teaching is delivered inside the study, so most lectures are for group members. You can still get a feel for the ministry from what it publishes openly:

• "Welcome to BSF" (embedded above), a short overview of the study.
• The BSF YouTube channel, @WeAreBSF, which posts short talks and stories from members.
• "65 Years of God's Faithfulness" and "One Willing Servant", both on BSF's history page, which tell the story of the ministry and its founder.

If you want sermon-length teaching alongside a study of Romans, our pick of online sermons worth watching is a good place to look.

Frequently asked questions

Is Bible Study Fellowship free?

Yes. BSF describes its study as free and open to all. It is funded by donations, and giving is optional.

What is BSF studying in 2026–27?

The book of Romans, under the title Romans: From Guilt to Grace.

Can I join BSF partway through the year?

Yes. BSF says you can join anytime, in person or online, and start with the lesson your group is on.

How much time does BSF take each week?

One group meeting, the teaching (live in person, or on your own if you are online), the lesson notes and the daily questions. BSF does not set a fixed daily time; we suggest planning 15 to 20 minutes a day for the questions.

Is BSF a church or a denomination?

No. It is an interdenominational Bible study ministry. Its leaders are active members of local churches, and it encourages members to belong to a church.