I have mentioned before that one of the best ideas we have ever tried in our church is using books as curriculum for our Sunday School classes and small groups.

For the first time in my ministry, nearly everyone reads nearly every week. Discussions are richer. Participation is stronger. The level of learning is deeper. Most importantly, the potential for life change is greater.

When I look back on my own spiritual growth, few things have influenced me more than reading great Christian books. The Bible remains the foundation, of course, but God has often used gifted authors to help me understand and apply biblical truth in ways I might not have discovered on my own.

Still, some leaders immediately think, "That sounds great, but we can't afford it."

Let's do a little math.

I am currently finishing a study of the life of Paul using one of Chuck Swindoll's books. It follows the second half of Acts in a largely verse-by-verse manner. As I write this, the book is available on Amazon for $13.74 and contains 22 chapters.

That works out to about 62 cents per person per week for nearly six months of curriculum.

And that's assuming every participant receives a separate book.

In reality, many couples share a single copy. Some participants prefer to purchase the Kindle edition themselves. Others listen to the audiobook. A few people simply choose not to take a book. As a result, the actual cost per person is often much lower than the sticker price might suggest.

Every church is different, so run the numbers for your own situation. But before you dismiss the idea because of cost, compare it to what you are currently spending on curriculum. You may discover that books are not nearly as expensive as they first appear.

For us, using books as curriculum has been one of the most effective discipleship tools we have ever tried. If the goal is helping people think deeply, engage Scripture seriously, and grow spiritually throughout the week—not just during a one-hour class on Sunday—it has been worth every penny.