Small-group Bible/book studies can be an important part of Christian formation. They give people an opportunity to study Scripture, ask questions, and grow together in faith. Whether your church is starting a new study or looking to strengthen an existing one, a few simple practices can help create a group that is welcoming, engaging and sustainable.
Find a core group and set a time
Before planning a study, determine whether there is enough interest to sustain one. Ideally, begin with a core group of about a dozen people who are committed to participating. Having a group in place before the first meeting can help build momentum and give participants a sense of ownership.
Once you have a core group, find a meeting time that works for the people who will participate. The best time may depend on their ages, work schedules, and family responsibilities. Working adults may prefer a weeknight, weekend or even the Sunday school hour, while retired adults or those with more flexible schedules may prefer to meet during the day.
Choose a study together
Once the core group is formed, give participants a voice in choosing what to study. Ask if there are particular books of the Bible, theological topics, or issues of Christian living they would like to explore.
Look for resources that fit the interests and needs of your group. Cokesbury Bible studies and Upper Room Books offer a variety of studies, and many publishers provide accompanying leader guides, participant materials or videos.
After researching several options, share them with the group and pick one together. Some Cokesbury studies include free introductory videos featuring the author that can help the group get a sense of the material before choosing it.
Once you have selected a study, decide how long it will run and whether you will need breaks for holidays, vacations, or other church activities. To maintain continuity, consider choosing the next study together before the current one ends.
Develop an easy rhythm
A good study is both structured and conversational. Leaders should come prepared with a lesson plan and questions to ask the group.
Remember that a small-group study is a discussion, not a lecture. Encourage participants to share their questions, observations, and perspectives while making sure the conversation stays focused on the material. A skilled leader creates space for everyone to participate without allowing one or two people to dominate the discussion.
These studies are also spiritual practices, not simply educational activities. Begin and end each meeting with prayer. Invite participants to share prayer requests and, when appropriate, encourage them to connect the biblical material with their own experiences and lives of faith. Prayers can be led by the person teaching that week or by another volunteer within the group.
A typical meeting might follow this rhythm:
- Casual conversation — 5 minutes: Give participants time to catch up and welcome anyone who is new.
- Opening prayer — 5-7 minutes: Invite God to guide the group's conversation and study.
- Recap — 5 minutes: Briefly review key points or questions from the previous meeting.
- Discussion — 20-30 minutes: Explore the week's material through questions and conversation.
- Closing prayer — 5-7 minutes: Share final concerns and close the meeting in prayer.
The exact schedule can vary, but having a predictable rhythm helps participants know what to expect.
Share leadership and develop new leaders
Bible/book studies can also be opportunities to develop lay leadership. Rather than having the same person lead every week, consider rotating leadership among members of the group.
Depending on the size of the group, the length of the study, you might have a different leader each week or rotate leadership every few weeks. Sharing responsibility gives more people an opportunity to develop their leadership skills and helps prevent the study from depending too heavily on one person.
It is also helpful to identify a backup leader who can step in when the scheduled leader is unexpectedly unavailable. This keeps the group from having to cancel when someone has a last-minute conflict.
Know when to multiply
As the study grows, continue welcoming people who want to participate. At the same time, be attentive to the size of the group. For many studies, about 12 participants is a manageable size. Larger groups can make it more difficult for everyone to participate meaningfully and can make discussion harder to facilitate.
If more people want to participate than the group can comfortably accommodate, consider multiplying rather than simply making the existing group larger. Invite some of the group's emerging leaders to help start additional studies.
This approach allows more people to participate while creating new opportunities for fellowship, discipleship, and leadership.
Conclusion
A strong Bible/book study creates a space where people can ask questions, deepen their faith, build meaningful relationships, and discover new ways to serve their church and community. By starting with a committed group, sharing ownership, establishing a sustainable rhythm and developing new leaders, your congregation can create a study that grows beyond a weekly meeting into a lasting community of discipleship.
This content was produced by ResourceUMC on August 28, 2026. Philip J. Brooks is a writer and content developer at United Methodist Communications. Contact him by email. This article was creating with assistance from AI.