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WELCOME!
Welcome! I’m thrilled to meet you! My name is Laura and I’m a proud baptised Jehovah’s Witness sister from the UK. If you want to understand why I started The Family Bible Study Club, let me take you on a little journey through my life and share why family worship means so much to me.
Growing up wasn’t always a walk in the park. My childhood was quite turbulent—definitely not the happiest. From the age of 8, one of my favourite escapes was attending church on my own every Sunday. I tried every local congregation but none quite filled that yearning in my heart, although there was a strong drive to find God and His purpose.
Due to my childhood trauma, I moved in with my Auntie from the age of 13. I remember a particularly eye-opening visit to The British Museum on a 'Bible Tour'. I was struck by the real evidence surrounding me; “so the flood actually happened and there is evidence… those fire marks on the castle walls, the places and kings mentioned in the Bible—could it all be real?”
One evening, as I chatted with my aunt, I had so many questions for her that were never answered in church: “Why the cross if we’re told not to worship idols? What happens when we die? Why don’t you celebrate Christmas? Why do they say Jesus died for me when he didn’t know me?” Thankfully, as she was a baptised Jehovah’s Witness, she answered all my queries using a little brown book and her Bible. At that moment, I knew I wanted to be a Witness too but I wasn’t quite ready to pursue a study.
At 16, I was asked to move out permanently from my family home as it was far too volatile and that’s when Jehovah started to truly pursue me. For six years, I felt His spirit time and again. Eventually, at 23, I moved to Essex. I was returning to the house I had moved out from the day before as I had forgotten an item from the garden and I was approached again by the Witnesses who handed me a book called What Does the Bible Really Teach? I couldn’t put it down! I reached out and requested a study right away.
Over the next ten years, I studied, grappling with feelings of inadequacy. But I realised that Jehovah isn’t looking for perfection—just our best effort. It clicked: I couldn’t achieve perfection alone; it required me putting complete and full trust in the sacrifice that Jesus made – that I would not be perfect until it was Jehovah’s time after Armageddon, whilst in Paradise.
So, in May 2020, I was baptised by an Elder in a beautiful garden in Leeds; ok, so I was one of those who needed to be ‘dunked’ twice (thank you, inflatable spa!) My heart sang as I made my dedication to Jehovah in front of my closest family, including my dear Sister Rita on Zoom (who had been my study partner in Essex) and my two Sister Aunties.
Now, let’s talk about family worship. Living in a home where I was the only one studying, I found myself very lost after the book study groups were discontinued. I had no idea how to proceed, especially without any spiritual head at home. I tried reaching out to other baptised families to join their studies, but many were understandably reluctant to disrupt their routines. I felt incredibly alone and clueless. Fast forward to 2016 when I welcomed my own daughter. I had to get creative with family worship, using the catchy songs and cartoons from JW.org to guide me, but I still found it hard as there was very little to access for all ages online.
In 2020, I qualified as a primary school teacher, and my approach to studying and family worship changed dramatically. I now plan study materials almost every hour of my life and have been privileged to teach many young publishers in my classroom over the years. I’ve taught children from ages 4 to 18 (which is VERY RARE!) and even served as an exam board examiner marking English GCSEs and Maths/English and Reading SATs. In 2023, I started to teach students with complex educational needs, further enhancing my scaffolding skills.
This venture, The Family Bible Study Club, is my way of supporting my family. Due to various disabilities and a heart condition, I can no longer stand for more than ten minutes at a time. I take a lot of medication, but I’m determined to help others even when I can’t lead a class myself.
I understand that every family is unique. Whether you have a study-oriented household or a mixed one like mine, I’m here for you! I know the pressure parents face, especially when time is tight. Sometimes we all need a little help to enjoy quality time with our loved ones while navigating life’s challenges.
I hope my heart comes through in my work. Before you go, don’t forget to check out the ‘Study Plans’ page for more information on what I do here and how it all works and why you should trust me to plan for your family in order to ‘run the race of life’ with endurance, save valuable time and strengthen your existing bonds.
Much Christian love and blessings to you all, Laura x
