Guidelines For Leaders
GUIDELINES FOR LEADERS
MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU.
2 CORINTHIANS 12:9
If leading a small group is something new for you, don’t worry. These sessions are designed to be led easily. Because the Bible study questions flow from observation to interpretation to application, you may feel as if the studies lead themselves.
You don’t need to be an expert on the Bible or a trained teacher to lead a small group discussion. As a leader, you can guide group members to discover for themselves what the Bible has to say and to listen for God’s guidance. This method of learning will allow group members to remember much more of what is said than a lecture would.
This study guide is flexible. You can use it with a variety of groups—students, professionals, neighborhood, or church groups. Each study takes forty-five to sixty minutes in a group setting.
There are some important facts to know about group dynamics and encouraging discussion. The following suggestions should equip you to effectively and enjoyably fulfill your role as leader.
PREPARING FOR THE STUDY
1. Ask God to help you understand and apply the passage in your own life. Unless this happens, you will not be prepared to lead others. Pray, too, for the various members of the group. Ask God to open your hearts to the message of his Word and motivate you to action.
2. Read the introduction to the entire guide to get an overview of the topics that will be explored.
3. As you begin each study, read and reread the assigned Bible passage to familiarize yourself with it.
4. This study guide is based on the New International Version of the Bible. It will help you and the group if you use this translation as the basis for your study and discussion. The New Revised Standard Version is also recommended.
5. Carefully work through each question in the study. Spend time in meditation and reflection as you consider how to respond.
6. Write your thoughts and responses in the space provided in the study guide. This will help you to express your understanding of the passage clearly.
7. It may help to have a Bible dictionary handy. Use it to look up any unfamiliar words, names, or places. (For additional help on how to study a passage, see How to Lead a LifeGuide Bible Study from InterVarsity Press, USA.)
8. Take the “Apply” portion of each study seriously. Consider how you need to apply the Scripture to your life. Remember that the group members will follow your lead in responding to the studies. They will not go any deeper than you do.
LEADING THE STUDY
1. Begin the study on time. Open with prayer, asking God to help the group to understand and apply the passage.
2. Be sure that everyone in your group has a study guide. Encourage the group to prepare beforehand for each discussion by reading the introduction to the guide and by working through the questions in each study.
3. At the beginning of your first time together, explain that these studies are meant to be discussions, not lectures. Encourage the members of the group to participate. However, do not put pressure on those who may be hesitant to speak during the first few sessions.
4. Have a group member read aloud the introduction at the beginning of the discussion.
5. Every session begins with an “open” question, which is meant to be asked before the passage is read. These questions are designed to introduce the theme of the study and encourage group members to begin to open up. Encourage as many members as possible to participate, and be ready to get the discussion going with your own response. These opening questions can reveal where our thoughts or feelings need to be transformed by Scripture. That is why it is especially important not to read the passage before the question is asked. The passage will tend to color the honest reactions people would otherwise give because they are, of course, supposed to think the way the Bible does.
6. Have a group member read aloud the passage to be studied.
7. As you ask the study questions, keep in mind that they are designed to be used just as they are written. You may simply read them aloud. Or you may prefer to express them in your own words.
There may be times when it is appropriate to deviate from the study guide. For example, a question may have already been answered. If so, move on to the next question. Or someone may raise an important question not covered in the guide. Take time to discuss it, but try to keep the group from going on tangents.
8. Avoid answering your own questions. If necessary, repeat or rephrase them until they are clearly understood. Or point the group to the commentary woven into the guide to clarify the context or meaning without answering the question. An eager group quickly becomes passive and silent if members think the leader will do most of the talking.
9. Don’t be afraid of silence in response to the discussion questions. People may need time to think about the question before formulating their answers.
10. Don’t be content with just one answer. Ask, “What do the rest of you think?” or “Anything else?” until several people have given answers to the question.
11. Acknowledge all contributions. Try to be affirming whenever possible. Never reject an answer. If it is clearly off-base, ask, “Which verse led you to that conclusion?” or again, “What do the rest of you think?”
12. Don’t expect every answer to be addressed to you, even though this will probably happen at first. As group members become more at ease, they will begin to truly interact with each other. This is one sign of healthy discussion.
13. Don’t be afraid of controversy. It can be very stimulating. If you don’t resolve an issue completely, don’t be frustrated. Explain that the group will move on and God may enlighten all of you in later sessions.
14. Periodically summarize what the group has said about the passage. This helps to draw together the various ideas mentioned and gives continuity to the study. But don’t preach.
15. Conclude your time together with conversational prayer, adapting the prayer suggestion at the end of the study to your group. Ask for God’s help in following through on the commitments you’ve made.
16. End on time.
Many more suggestions and helps can be found in How to Lead a LifeGuide Bible Study and The Big Book on Small Groups (both from InterVarsity Press, USA) or Housegroups (Crossway Books, UK). Reading through one of these books would be worth your time.