Starting a study
A study is how you work through a Bible book, topic, guided course, or module from your mentor’s track over time. When you start one, you pick a study method and focus (the book, topic, or course). Garrison then sets up a step-by-step plan for you to follow.
Open the new-study flow
Section titled “Open the new-study flow”From the dashboard, choose Start a study, or go to Studies → New study.
The form has three main areas:
- Suggestion (optional) — shuffle random study ideas and apply one to the form.
- Study method — pick how you want to study.
- Focus — the book, topic, word, scenario, character, or guided course that defines this study.
Garrison previews an auto-generated title from your method, focus, and spiritual phase before you submit.
Study methods
Section titled “Study methods”Methods unlock as your spiritual phase increases. Methods above your phase are not shown on the new-study screen.
| Method | Minimum phase | Focus field |
|---|---|---|
| Book | Milk | Bible book (a curated list for Milk; more books at higher phases) |
| Topical | Milk | Topic text (up to 255 characters) |
| Word | Milk | Term to study |
| Hypothetical | Transition | Short scenario (up to 500 characters; editable after create) |
| Character | Transition | Person name |
| Guided | Transition | Guided course from the catalog |
Guided studies list only courses that match your spiritual phase. Book studies in Milk list only books available for your phase.
Mentorship intro and checkup studies are not created here — your mentor assigns those from the mentorship hub.
Milk users need a mentor for book studies
Section titled “Milk users need a mentor for book studies”If you are in the Milk phase and do not have an active mentorship, the new-study form is replaced by a notice: book studies require a mentor first.
- Open Mentorship → Invite.
- Invite someone who is Meat phase or higher to be your mentor, or accept an invite they sent you.
- Return to New study once the pairing is active.
The dashboard also shows a mentorship banner while you are in Milk without a mentor.
On your own vs with a mentor
Section titled “On your own vs with a mentor”When you create a study, Garrison decides whether you study on your own or with a mentor:
| Situation | Typical mode |
|---|---|
| Milk, study involves a mentor | With a mentor (requires active mentorship) |
| Transition or meat, no mentor | On your own when the study allows it |
| You have a mentor and the study supports both | You may be able to choose with a mentor; otherwise on your own |
The study page shows which applies. Studies with a mentor show your mentor’s name; studies on your own use a single notes area per step.
This does not change after the study is created.
After you create a study
Section titled “After you create a study”Submitting creates the study and opens its detail page. There you will find:
- Method, focus, start date, and whether a mentor is involved
- Current steps — what to do next (see Study steps)
- Log entries — activity log for this study (see Notes and logging)
You can rename the study or edit hypothetical focus from the study header. Use End study when you are finished or want to close it — remaining steps are cancelled; your notes and log entries stay.
Studies from your mentor’s track
Section titled “Studies from your mentor’s track”When a mentor assigns a track, studies from that track appear in your study list like any other. You work through them with your mentor’s guidance. Your mentor chooses the track — you do not browse a full catalog yourself. See Mentorship as a mentee.
List and resume
Section titled “List and resume”All studies lists every study with started and ended dates. Open any study to pick up where you left off — your progress and notes are saved.