Gather ‘round, Gospel Moms—
let’s make this Book Club one for the *books*.
(See what we did there?)
We want to make it easy-peasy for you to invite your mom pals to your living room, backyard, or Voxer thread (gotta love technology) and talk all things gospel and motherhood. We’re already imagining the conversations that happen as you encourage one another in the unique gifts God has given you to shepherd your children.
Ready to dive in? Here’s your book-club-in-a-box, R|M style:
Psst! Wish you had everything below in one easy-to-file PDF? We’ve got ya covered.
book club time!
Order Your Copy of gospel mom Today!
We’ll walk you through every step of hosting a Book Club.
Here’s how to start:
Gather your friends:
No rules here, text your mom pals and see who’s in! All you need is a copy of Gospel Mom to get started, but we highly recommend snagging the Becoming a Gospel Mom workbook as well. It’s by far the most robust study Emily and Laura have pulled together, and you’ll probably find yourself referencing it again and again, even after Book Club ends!Make a plan.
Should you meet once a week on the same day, or different days each week? Morning or evening? If you can’t align childcare with everyone’s schedules, consider coffee in the cul-de-sac or popsicles in the park—let your kiddos play together while the moms talk! This is also a good time to determine the reading structure. We recommend tackling one chapter each week, but you can organize however is best for your crew!Bust out the snacks.
Okay, okay, you don’t HAVE to do this one . . . but let’s be honest, snacks make everything a little more fun and carefree. We’ve included some fun snack and refreshment ideas here to get the juices flowing, but who says this isn’t the perfect excuse to have chips and queso each week on repeat? (Invite us, please.)Share what you’re learning!
This is your safe space to process what applying the gospel to your motherhood looks like. The best part? It’s going to look different for everyone in your group! And that’s a good thing. Learn from one another, take what works and leave what doesn’t. In Christ, we have freedom to change our minds along the way.
LET’S DO THIS THING.
Book Club FAQs
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Nope! In the past we’ve had formal sign-ups for Risen Motherhood book clubs, but decided this year to give you the resources (AKA, the Gospel Mom book + Becoming a Gospel Mom workbook) and a few tips to get started, then let you and your mom pals decide what works best for you!
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Since the Becoming a Gospel Mom workbook is so robust and designed to work in tandem with Gospel Mom, we aren’t distributing any leader guides, discussion questions, or videos this time around.
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There is no minimum or maximum number, we’ve seen groups range anywhere from 3-75 people!
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The Becoming a Gospel Mom workbook is a huge asset for applying what you’re taking in through Gospel Mom, but it’s not a must! We’ve seen a lot of deals for when you order both Gospel Mom and Becoming a Gospel Mom together, so be on the lookout for those and you can snag them at a great price! (We try to share on Stories whenever we see them!)
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It’s up to you! Books will hit your doorstep beginning October 15, and Emily and Laura will kick off the Gospel Mom podcast mini-series on October 9! (Want an email when this drops? Make sure you’re signed up here!) After that, there’s no official start date, so discuss with your group what works best. Book clubs typically last for about 10-11 weeks, but can be shortened or lengthened based on time and personal preference.
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Unfortunately, we don’t have a way to connect you with other Gospel Mom book readers. We suggest asking a local church or posting your interest to your social channels. You’d be surprised where you might find a few people to read with!
Make It A Party.
Food just has a fun way of bringing people together, ya know? Here are a few recipes if you want to get creative! (And if you don’t, that’s okay too!)
Popsicles in the Park:
We love this idea, especially if you can’t find childcare. Set up near a playground and let the kiddos play while the moms chat! Popsicles are super easy to make, or grab a box from the store on your way there!
A few fun flavor ideas:
Coffee popsicles (cold coffee, on purpose?! Genius.)
Make-Your-Own Popsicles (our favorite guide for any flavor you can think of!)
Grab our fave popsicle molds here!
Coffee in the Cul-de-Sac:
Not only is this great to rally the kids, but we love the thought that another mom could see your crew and be encouraged to join the discussion. Also, who says you can’t show up to this in PJ’s if you do it early in the morning?!
Homemade Coffee Syrups (A fun–and easy!—spin on your average cup of joe.)
Grab our fave mugs for kids here and give them a fun drink to feel a part of the fun!
Want an alt for coffee? Here are a few teas we love:
Good Earth Sweet & Spicy Tea (strong but delish!)
Bigelow Lemon-Ginger Tea (a milder option!)
Snacks + Appetizers:
Popcorn + Poppi (Alliteration makes everything more fun!)
Fun Drinks:Ginger Ale + Favorite Juice (White Cranberry Peach is a winner!)
Add cucumber or seasonal fruit to plain water!
Dinner Crowd-Pleasers:
Pasta Bar - Cook your fave pasta and have everyone bring add-ins!
Grilled Naan Personalized Pizza (So many options with this one—ask everyone to bring a favorite topping!)
Desserts:
Ready to Jump In?
Here’s a PDF version of this guide so you can keep it handy as you organize your Book Club.
Happy reading, friend!