How to Start a Small Group Bible Study

I remember when I was first challenged to lead a group of young people in a Bible study. I wish I could tell you that I immediately responded with a “Here I am – Send Me!” That would be the “right” answer, the “spiritual” answer.

But no, instead I was face down on the floor telling the Lord all the reasons why it was an absolutely TERRIBLE idea for me to start a Bible study. Who am I to do such a thing? Why would anyone want to do a study with me? I have such a hard time putting thoughts into words, how can I possibly lead others?

And when I got to the “surely someone else can do this so much better,” immediately my mind went to Exodus 3 and 4. I realized that I had been plagiarizing all of Moses’ excuses and needed to simply obey. Thirteen years later it’s amazing how the Lord has grown and used this not-so-compliant servant of His!

Maybe a friend has asked you to do a study with her. Or perhaps a leader at your church is asking you if you would be willing. Or your Bible study leady is challenging you to take what you’ve learned and share it with others. Where do you begin? To be very honest, all you really need to start a group is a book to study, some people to study with, and a time and place to meet! It doesn’t have to be complicated. But if you want a little more detail on how to get something going, here are four simple steps you can take to organize a small group Bible study.

Step 1 – Begin in PRAYER (and CONTINUE in prayer!)

Sometimes the most important steps are the ones most easily skipped! Prayer is absolutely essential as you begin this process of organizing a small group study. Whether what you are planning is very informal, or whether you are organizing a formal study through your church or another ministry, prayer is key.

In prayer, you recognize your weakness and God’s strength, your need and His supply, your ignorance and His wisdom. This is not a work you are doing FOR Him. In prayer, He reminds you that what you are undertaking is actually His work that He is doing through you. It’s a fundamental, essential mindset difference. You are entering into a fierce battle, and there are struggles to come. Remember that this is ultimately the Lord’s work. Hold onto the sweet knowledge of the privilege you have been given in working closely alongside Him.

Step 2 – Make some Key Decisions

As you seek the Lord’s guidance for this Bible study, you will have some important things to determine about the logistics of the study.

• Will it be formal or informal?
• What study will you choose to do?
• Where and When will you meet?
• How will participants acquire their materials?
• Will you have childcare?

Decide on the Formality

Will you be formally leading this study through a church or other ministry that has leadership that you will need to contact and work with? Or will this be a personal group study, something you are doing more informally and independently? Each has its advantages and challenges.

Leading informally will give you some more freedom as you plan your study as you will not need to get approval for what you are doing. This is a great option particularly if you intend to keep the study to a small group of friends, or if you are intending to reach a specialized audience such as a moms group or coworkers. The downside to an informal study is that you will be relying on your own resources to facilitate the study.

Going through your church or ministry may help with resources such as material purchases, meeting space, built-in advertising, and other logistical considerations. Every church has its own procedures about how things like small group studies are offered, so check with a ministry leader to see what might be required, and work with your leadership as you make your plans.

Keep in mind that the leadership of your church has a vision for the direction of the official ministry of the church, so be prepared to follow your leader’s guidance regarding if and how your ideas for a study will be carried out.

Choose a study

There’s much to consider in choosing a study! I’ve shared more detail about this in How to Choose a Bible Study for Your Group. Of course, any Treasuring God’s Word study would be fantastic, but there are many, many options available to you.

As always, prayer is key! Get recommendations from your ministry leader or pastor, or a trusted mentor who tends to have a similar taste in studies as you do.

It’s important that you are comfortable with the content of whatever study you choose. Is it solid and Biblical? Does the study lead you into studying the Bible? Or does it have you studying someone’s thoughts about the Bible, or even their personal opinions peppered with Bible verses? Is the author trustworthy as far as you can tell? Does she have a theological leaning that you can work with?

Sometimes the best place to start is with a study that you have already worked through and found to be meaningful in your life.

Work out logistics: who, when, where, how

You’ve chosen the setting, and you know what study you will be working through. Now you are ready to work out some basic logistics.

Who

Who are you planning to meet with? Know your audience. It’s almost cliche, but knowing who you are intending to reach will help you choose a study and make plans that will work for them. Will it be a ladies’ group? Men’s? Co-ed? Are you planning to reach a specific group of people – such as coworkers, neighbors, etc.?

When

When are you planning to start, and what day and time will you meet? For an informal study, usually a month or so lead time is more than enough. For a formal study, you will need to work with your church’s or ministry’s schedule as far as timing, and may need to have your plans formalized further in advance of your start date.

A word of caution regarding choosing a meeting time: It can be very easy to get bogged down in trying to make something work for as many people as possible. It’s tempting to try to please all the people all the time. Unfortunately, it is simply not possible to find a day and time that works for everyone.

Ultimately you need to choose a time and day that works well for your meeting place and within your own schedule. That time may not be ideal for everyone. But without you, the study isn’t going to happen!

Where

Speaking of a meeting place, do you have a meeting place in mind? Often your church will let you use a space, even if you are not formally hosting through the church. I’ve also done studies in coffee shops, although this limits the size of the study to about a large table’s worth of people. Perhaps you can meet at your home, or better yet, perhaps you have a friend with the gift of hospitality who would love the opportunity to host a study.

How

Another thing to consider is how participants will purchase materials. Will you pre-purchase them, or will you have them each purchase their own?

Will there be advance registration, and if so, how will you facilitate that? You can simply collect names and contact info, or you can use an online form to create a more formal sign-up. Make sure you know how to reach each person who has expressed interest in the study so that you can follow up with reminders and any updated information that comes up.

What about the kids?

If your intended group includes moms with young children, will you offer childcare? Offering childcare can be a wonderful blessing to the moms, even making a study possible that would otherwise not work for them. I’ve found though that it can be a challenge to coordinate if the resources are not readily available.

A word of caution that gets easily overlooked: Be aware of any potential liability when it comes to childcare, especially when inviting people outside of your friend-group. This is where doing a study through your church can be helpful as they likely already have policies, background checks, insurance, and a safe space.

Don’t allow these considerations to overwhelm you – my intention here is simply to give you some things to think about. Remember that you can keep this as simple as you want it to be, or make it as formal and detailed as you like.

Step 3 – Invite

You’ve spent time in prayer, you’ve made your key decisions, and you know what the logistics are going to look like. How will you get the word out about your study?

Personal Invitation

The absolute best way to get the word out is through a personal invitation. You’ve already identified the group of people who are hoping to reach with your study, so find a way to connect with them individually, if possible. Let them know what you are planning to do and when, and invite them to join you.

Don’t underestimate the power of the passion that the Lord has put in you for His Word. It is contagious! Share your excitement. Let them know what you are hoping to get from the study – or what you got from the study if you’ve already worked through it and want to share it with others.

Social Media

Another way I’ve used to let people know about a study is through a simple Facebook post. Take a picture of the study cover, share a little about the study, and ask friends to join you.

This is where it is key to remember who you are intending to reach with this study. If it is your friends or mostly people who you already know, stick with a simple post. If you are wanting to reach a broader circle, then an event may draw in some new people that you may not otherwise have access to.

Get Creative

I’ve known of small group leaders who were planning to reach their neighborhood, so they created a flyer to share with their neighbors. Perhaps there is a bulletin board at your church or community center that you have access to. You can check with a local Christian radio station to see if they have a community events calendar that you can register with.

Get creative! But don’t get pushy. I’ve found that giving people the chance to say “no” guilt-free allows their “yes” to be far more solid.

Step 4 – Prepare for your first meeting

As your group begins to take shape, you need to be ready for your first meeting. In advance of that first meeting, you’ll want to familiarize yourself well with the study itself. Read through the study quickly to get an idea of what is to come in the study. Personally, I like to work a few lessons ahead, although I know other leaders who prefer to work through the study at the same time as their group.

As you prepare for your first gathering begin to pray for each of your group members by name. You’ll be amazed at how your love for each one of them will grow as your pray for them!

The Introductory Meeting

Your first meeting will likely be an introductory meeting. I tend to keep it informal, a time for the group to get to know each other, chat a little, and find some connections. Sometimes we will play a fun ice-breaker-type game to get everyone laughing and chatting.

In that first meeting, I’ll remind the group of the logistics of the study – when we will be meeting, if we will be taking any breaks, how we will handle cancellations, things of that nature. I’ll also walk the group through the study, showing them where to find different features of the study, and guiding them through what each lesson is going to look like. If there’s time we’ll work through a portion of the study together so they can get started well.

Keep Praying!

You are still praying through all of this, right? Yes, prayer is step one, but remember that you will need to continue to depend on the Lord throughout your study, from the initial invitation to lead all the way through closing your final meeting – and even afterward.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, 
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
(Proverbs 3:5-6)

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