SSJ Director Training Preface Part 2: How to Begin

Hosting an In-home Bible Study Part 2

So you’ve decided to accept God’s challenge & host a Bible study in your home. Congratulations! Only now you’re having second thoughts. How do I begin? Actually, it is easy. The first thing to do is sit down & create a plan. No matter what eventI am preparing for, I always sit down with paper & pencil so I can create a plan. Just writing down all the things I think need to be done to prepare helps me gain control of the situation. Some of the items on my list don’t even need to be done but I will never know that if I don’t take the time to write them down & study them.

The second thing you need to do is prevent yourself from over thinking things. It doesn’t have to be perfect right from the beginning. In fact, perfection right off might be a bad thing! Imperfection gives you room for growth. It also forces you (& your members) to constantly re-evaluate your groups to determine ways to improve.

Third, you must always remember that your Bible study is a living entity. It should develop, evolve & change over time. I know some Bible study groups stay together for years. However, I believe the best groups have people coming in & going on over time. You want to help your members grow spiritually & personally, encouraging them to begin their own groups. Remember, the first church would never have grown if members hadn’t taken what they learned in their original group & moved on to begin another group. These in-home churches sprouted up like toadstools after the rain as people felt encouraged & led to take the Word into the world.

That being said, here are a few tips to help you prepare for your first meeting. It doesn’t need to be a Bible study the first time. Just an opportunity to get women together, tell them what you want to do & watch God begin to work.

-Make a list of women to invite to join your group;

-Invite potential members personally, either by phone or in person;

-Hold initial meeting as soon as possible to discuss specifics, including:

-Selecting a name for your group;

-Describe group roles (more on this in an upcoming post) & have members sign up to serve;

-Day of the week to hold celebrations;

-Assign meeting roles (these change from one gathering to another) for the first 2 celebrations;

-Determine whether or not to include children;

-If including kids, discuss childcare.

-Have fun!