INTENTIONALLY LEAD A BIBLE STUDY

Read on for specific pointers and download a FREE Bible Study Prep handout at the end of the blog!

NOTE: This blog does not cover how to write your Bible study questions but how to prepare to lead a pre-done study. However, if you need Bible study questions that work with most passages, click here!

BEFORE YOU LEAD

Anyone who has been facilitating Bible studies long enough will tell you that a lot of preparation goes into leading a group. 

A good rule of thumb before any group is to:

• Spend time in prayer. Thank God that He chose to use you to present His Word. Then ask Him to empower you with His Holy Spirit and to give you insights and creativity in your planning that will bless those you lead. 
• Study the scripture(s). Read the passage you plan to lead the group through. Make sure you understand the context and be able to summarize the selection in your own words. If you have questions about what you read, find the answers by consulting a study Bible, credible online resources, your pastor, or a mentor. In addition, go through the prepared questions for your study and ensure you understand them well enough to restate them if needed. If the question does not fit, consider re-writing it or tossing it. 
• Create a plan. Creating an intentional plan helps the group to get the most out of the study because they have a clear direction. Review the “When You Lead” section and then write out a plan. Remember, even the most prepared people also need to be flexible and ready to adjust to best serve their specific group. So, be prepared with a direction for your group and ready to pivot and adapt at any time. 

WHEN YOU LEAD

When you lead, you should have some direction for your group. Use the categories below to help you create a plan to follow when leading.

1. PRAYER. Always begin in prayer. It is God’s Word you are guiding participants through, and you need His help to equip His people for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). 

Some ideas for leading prayer are:

• Ask for praise reports and take prayer requests for the first 5 minutes. 
• Ask for a volunteer to pray. 
• You lead the prayer. 
• “Popcorn” prayer {This is when multiple people pray at random, and one person is assigned to close the prayer time.}
• One-sentence prayer. {This is especially good for those who are nervous about praying out loud. Explain that each person will say one sentence thanking God for something, and then they will request something from God in one sentence. For example, someone might say: God thank you for my family. God help me stay focused on you.} 
• Have participants write a prayer. (This is especially useful at the end of the study). 

2. ICEBREAKER. This is optional, but depending on your group, you may want to have a silly or random get-to-know-you question (perhaps before prayer time) or an icebreaker that connects to the lesson. For example, if the passage focuses on suffering, you might ask: What would be the worst type of suffering for you? 

3. REVIEW. It is ALWAYS a good idea to set up the context of the scriptures you will be reading. You can get creative with how you do this (i.e., creating a game) or prepare a short context summary by explaining to the group what type of book you are reading, who wrote it, why they wrote it, or what happened right before the passage. 

4. STUDY. Create a plan for reading and asking questions. 

Some things to ask yourself about reading the scripture(s):

• Will you read, or will volunteers help you read the passage?
• Will you read the whole passage and then re-read smaller sections as you answer questions, OR will you read some of the passage, pause and ask questions, and repeat until finished?

Some things to ask yourself about asking questions:

• Will you ask the questions and allow for a free-flowing discussion? (This is great for talkative groups.)
• Will you have participants write out their answers and then respond? (This helps quieter people because it gives everyone time to think before answering and helps them not “hide” behind the talkers.)
• Will you have participants toss a ball to each other as they answer questions? (This works best for a younger demographic.)
• Will you call on someone to read a question and then have the person to their left and right answer? 

5. CONCLUDE. You will want a wrap-up word and end in prayer (see the prayer suggestions above). 

Some conclusion ideas are:

• Have good application questions or a challenge. 
• Thank the group for their participation. 
• State something meaningful that came up during the discussion. 
• Have a prepared conclusion statement that connects with the study. 

AFTER YOU LEAD

Believe it or not, there is still more work to be done after you lead a study. An intentional Bible study teacher will follow up with their group members and evaluate their leadership. 

1. Follow-up ideas:

• Send a message reminding participants of what they studied. 
• Call or message your group members that you were thankful they were in your group.
• Check-in with members about prayer requests sometime during the week.

2. Evaluate your leading by: 

• Spending time thanking God and asking for His help in growing you as a leader.
• Thinking through what went well and what areas need improvement.
• Brainstorming ideas to improve.
• Asking a mentor for advice.