Small group Bible and book studies have become a vital component of many thriving churches. The more informal and intimate atmosphere fosters transparency and allows mentoring relationships to grow and flourish. I’m sure no two of these groups—even within the same church—are identical in their operation, yet I’m also certain their similarities far outweigh their differences. The flavor of leadership no doubt varies widely. Some may default to lecture and teaching, while others tend to sit back and listen, moving the group forward when necessary but mostly passive in the conversation.
Like you, I’ve attended many such meetings and had the opportunity to do my share of discussion leading. If you’re a seasoned discussion leader, I’m sure that you’ll be able to add your own insights to my list. But if you’re in your rookie season as a discussion facilitator, or you’re not sure why you can’t seem to get discussion moving, here are a few tips that I’ve gleaned.
1. Ask thoughtful questions.
This is probably the most basic piece of advice, but a discussion group is often only as good as the questions that the leader (or a thoughtful student) asks. Maybe the book or study that your group is discussing will provide these for you. But you may need to come up with a few more. When you do, consider these factors:
- Know your group. Most likely your group will be comprised of various ages, education levels, and Bible knowledge. If so, include a variety of questions.
- Mix up the types of questions. It’s okay to have a few that are basic and lifted right out of the text you’re discussing. But don’t stay there.
- Make your group think. Good questions for discussion will make the group think about what they’ve read and what they know and apply one to the other. These questions won’t have one easy answer. Every person in the group may have a different but equally valid answer. Your question may lead to more questions, but that’s not a problem. The point of the group is to learn and grow together.
- Ask questions you know the answer to—usually. With a few exceptions, you should have a good answer to the questions you ask. However, occasionally, it’s right to humbly admit that you didn’t know the answer to the question. Maybe someone else understood, or maybe it was a bad question.
2. Communicate the questions ahead of time.
I’m a teacher by profession, so I’m well aware that you cannot make students do their homework. However, you will give your discussion a better chance to thrive by giving the group a heads-up about what questions you’re going to answer. A crowd that has been primed to think about the answer will be much more apt to discuss than one that is just trying to wrap their minds around the question itself.
3. Avoid monologuing.
Like I said, I’m a teacher, and, what can I say? “Teachers gonna teach.” So, I must admit that I break this rule way too often. However, if you want good discussion, try to stay off the soapbox and give your groupmates ample time to respond. If they feel like you’re just going to say all the words anyway, they may think it’s not really worth their time to chime in.
4. Don’t take just one answer.
When you ask one of your well-thought-out and given-ahead-of-time questions, don’t move on after just one response. Maybe the first answer given will match your thoughts exactly. But chances are, one or two other people will have answered a little bit differently. Give those who are slower to speak and slower to process an opportunity to share their thoughts. I’ve found that these people usually have some of the most profound insight to offer—if I don’t stifle them by monologuing or moving on too soon.
5. Don’t be afraid of silence.
Give your group time to think about the question and to put their answers into words. Silence feels awkward, but don’t run away from it. Let your question linger in the air a while to let the juices flow.
6. Redirect a hijacked discussion.
Maybe you read the last tip and thought, “Ha! I would love some silence! Just for a few seconds, please!” Some groups are more reticent than others, some have lovely back-and-forth discussion, and others have a discussion hijacker—the person who inevitably dodges the question that was asked and finds a way to jackknife the discussion in another direction. It’s jolting, confusing, and downright irritating. But what do you do to stop it? Here are a few ideas to try.
- “Wow. That’s really interesting. Can you tell us more about that after our discussion?”
- “I hear what you’re saying, but I’m not sure it quite answers the question. We’re trying to think about . . . ”
- “That’s a really [big, important, interesting] situation. But I think we’ve lost sight of the original question. It was…”
7. Keep your purpose in mind.
What is the purpose of your small group? Is everyone learning the same thing together? Or are they all there to learn from you? Are you learning to defend your faith? Share the Gospel? Interpret the book of Revelation? The purpose of the group (or particular study your group is doing) may change the way you facilitate.
If you’re working on defending the faith, you might play an atheist from time to time. If your group is focused on evangelism, you might facilitate some role play. If you’re interpreting the book of Revelation, you need to ask good questions of the text first, consult commentaries or study guides, and then of your students. Let the purpose of your group guide your style as leader.
8. Be prepared.
We’ve all had those weeks when nothing seems to go quite right, and every day you’re flying by the seat of your pants just to get dinner on the table. When that happens, your preparation may suffer. However, as a rule, take the time you need to be ready to lead the discussion well. Master the material for that night. Be an expert on the chapter you’re covering today.
You may not have mastered the whole book yet, and that’s fine. An unprepared leader will either end up filling the time with her own jumbled thoughts or fail to direct the discussion in an organized direction. Your prep will vary, depending on your own style, ability, the subject matter, and the other members of the group. It may take minutes; it may take hours. The point is, whatever it takes, be prepared.
Hopefully one or more of these tips will help your small group meetings be as profitable as possible for all involved and will grow you in your confidence and ability to lead. You can do this!
Join the Discussion