We had just moved to Bloomsburg, PA that summer and I was looking for a ladies’ Bible study to join. I missed my small group in Florida, and I knew I’d feel more at home once I got connected in our new community. Problem was that most ministries were on hold until fall.
That summer, I reconnected with a friend from college, and she too was looking for a small group. She called me one day and said, “If you’ll lead a study, a friend and I would like to come.”
And so was born my first experience leading a small group. Our little collection of three friends soon grew to be a regular weekly meeting with ladies from the neighborhood and from different churches. Dedicated child care workers volunteered to minister to our little ones as we met week after week.
I had been looking for someone to lead me, and instead I found that I was called to lead.
If you feel called to lead a small group, perhaps there are opportunities within your circle of friends. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Read a book of the Bible together
Choose a short book of the Bible like Philippians in the New Testament. With only four chapters, you can share teaching responsibilities with other members of your small group. For each chapter, try preparing the following:
- What are the key concepts in this chapter?
- How do these concepts apply to my life?
- Are any of these applications particularly challenging for me right now?
Download a sermon series
Several well-respected pastors have sermon series available online free at www.oneplace.org. One example is Pastor Colin Smith with Unlocking the Bible and his series entitled, Momentum: How to Make Progress in Your Christian Life. This is a great series that explores what it means to be blessed the way Jesus taught in Matthew.
Use the Serendipity Bible
This handy resource has several outlines for use with small groups. The margins of the Serendipity Bible have additional discussion questions to use in a small group. Though you may not find you want to discuss all the questions in the margins, you will probably find a few questions that can serve as discussion starters for your small group.
Join the conversation
Leave a comment and share an idea for those who feel called to lead but are just getting started.
