It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Well, yes, Christmas is coming soon, very true – but before stores begin to stock their shelves with stockings and ornaments, they stock their shelves with a few of my favorite things. Notebooks, pens, colored pencils for under a dollar, binders, paper, erasers – all of that fun stuff! And you know what that means? Of course! It’s the beginning of a new Bible Study year!
So what are your plans for this fall? Do you have a group you regularly meet with? Has your church posted its study offerings yet? Have you possibly considered starting a group of your own?
Me? Lead a Bible Study?
Chances are if you clicked this post, you’ve been feeling that nudge in your spirit. I remember when I first felt that prompting from the Lord over a dozen years ago. 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,” the Lord broke in and had the last word. He made it clear that I had to quit plagiarizing all of Moses’ excuses and simply obey. Thirteen years later it’s amazing how the Lord has grown and used this not-so-compliant servant of His!
So you’ve felt the nudge, and you’re ready to take that step of faith. 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. Remembering that this is ultimately the Lord’s work will equip you to persevere. 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 study, you will have some important things to discuss with Him 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 is ordained by the Lord and given 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’ll go into this in more detail in a future blog post, so keep your eyes open for that. Of course, any Treasuring God’s Word study would be fantastic (shameless self-promotion!) 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 something like Google Forms 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? If you are meeting in a home that has the space and you have access to a sitter, childcare can be a wonderful blessing to the moms. I’ve found though that it can be a challenge to coordinate if the resources are not readily available.
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 – Advertise
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 advertise 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 get the word out 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. If you are familiar enough with Facebook you can even create an event that will help you get the word out. 4
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. The Lord will be the one who nudges individuals to join your study. You give the invite, but it is the Lord who gives the call.
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 weeks 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 a week’s study is going to look like. If there’s time we’ll work through a day 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 response to HIs nudge to lead all the way through closing your final meeting – and even afterward.
Remember that you are doing all of this in the power of the Holy Spirit. He is guiding you every step of the way. He will never leave you, or forsake you. In the thirteen years I’ve been leading Bible studies, He has NEVER let me down, even when I felt extraordinarily weak and incompetent, He has always faithfully come through. Depend on Him!
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)
Are you looking for a study that will take your group deep into the Word? One that allows God’s Word to speak for itself, focusing on the text of the Bible, guiding your group through the process of transformational in-depth study? Check out Treasuring God’s Word Inductive Bible Studies! Flexible, engaging, challenging, designed for new believers and experienced students alike, with a heart for God’s Word to take center stage!
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Do you have any thoughts to add? Any wisdom that you’ve picked up over the years of leading studies about how to get them going? Questions that I didn’t answer? Share your insights or questions in the comments!
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