HELP FOR LEADERS

The following pages are designed to help a discussion leader guide a group in an edifying time centered on God’s truth. You can appoint one person to lead each session, or you can rotate leadership.

PREPARATION

Your aim as a leader is to create an environment that is conducive to study. You want the group members to feel comfortable with one another and to find the setting congenial. You want the session to be free from distractions.

Personal Preparation. As the group leader, your most important preparation for each session is prayer. You will want to make your prayers personal, of course, but here are some suggestions:

After prayer, your most important preparation is to be thoroughly familiar with the material you will discuss with the group. Make sure you have answered all of the questions. You will also find it important to read the chapters that are covered by each lesson. Decide which questions you want to discuss as a group. You may not have time to cover all the questions. Think about which questions are most important for your particular group to discuss. Questions in the Going Deeper section can be used in place of some of the questions in the Exploring Grace section. When a question is about a Scripture passage, it will be helpful to read the passage together. When there are a number of passages, you may want to choose ahead of time which ones to discuss.

Group Preparation. Choose a time and place to meet that is consistent, comfortable, and relatively free from distractions. Make plans to deal with children, pets, and ringing telephones. Refreshments can help people mingle, but don’t let them consume too much of your time.

THE FIRST SESSION

You may want to begin with a potluck supper. In this way, group members can get to know one another in the context of a meal, which is a good way to break down barriers. Then after dinner you can have your first session.

In this session, be sure to set aside adequate time for people to share who they are. It is amazing how much more productive and honest a Bible discussion is if the participants know each other.

At some point in the evening (probably toward the end), go over the following guidelines. They help make a discussion more fruitful, especially when you are dealing with issues that truly matter to people.

Confidentiality. No one should repeat what someone shares in the group unless that person gives express permission. Even then, discretion is imperative. Be trustworthy. Participants should talk about their own feelings and experiences, not those of others.

Attendance. Each session builds on the previous ones, and you need each other. So, ask group members to commit to attending all eight sessions, unless an emergency arises.

Participation. This is a group discussion, not a lecture. It is important that each person participate in some way in the group.

Preparation. Decide as a group whether everyone will read the material and answer the questions before the group meets. Your discussions will be more interesting if group members have prepared in advance. In addition, group members will get far more out of the study if they have spent time thinking about the questions and meditating on the Scriptures before meeting. If group members are prepared, it will not be necessary to take group time to read the excerpt or to look up all the Scripture references together.

Honesty. Appropriate openness is a key to a good group. Be who you really are, not who you think you ought to be.

LEADING THE GROUP

Each session is designed to take sixty minutes:

Work toward a Relaxed and Open Atmosphere. This may not come quickly, so be a model for the others of acceptance, openness to truth and change, and love. Develop a genuine interest in each person’s remarks, and expect to learn from them. Show that you care by listening carefully. Be affirming. Sometimes a hug is the best response.

Pay Attention to How You Ask the Questions. Don’t ask, “What did you get for number 1?” Instead, by your tone of voice convey:

The group will adopt your attitude. Read the questions as though you were asking them of good friends.

If the discussion falters:

Ask Only One Question at a Time. Often, participants’ responses will suggest a follow-up question to you. Be discerning as to when you are following a fruitful train of thought and when you are going off on a tangent.

Be Aware of Time. Don’t spend so much time discussing that you run out of time for application and prayer. Your goal is not to have something to discuss, but to become more like Jesus Christ.

Encourage Constructive Controversy. The group can learn a lot from struggling with the many sides of an issue. If you aren’t threatened when someone disagrees, the whole group will be more open and vulnerable. Intervene, if necessary, to be sure that people are debating ideas and interpretations of Scripture, not attacking each other’s feelings and character. If the group gets stuck in an irresolvable argument, say something like, “We can agree to disagree here,” and move on.

Don’t Be the Expert. People will stop talking if they think that you are judging their answers or that you think you know best. Let the Bible be the expert, the final say. Let people candidly express their feelings and experiences.

Don’t Do for the Group What It Can Do for Itself. With a beginning group, you may have to ask all of the questions, do all of the outside research, plan the applications, etc. But within a few meetings you should start delegating various leadership responsibilities. Let members learn to exercise their gifts. Let them start making decisions and solving problems together. Encourage them to maturity and unity in Christ.

Encourage People to Share Feelings as Well as Facts. There are two dimensions of truth: the truth about how people feel, and the truth about who God is and what is right. People need to face both their real feelings and the real God.

Summarize the Discussion Frequently. Help the group see where the discussion is going.

Let the Group Plan Applications. The group and individual action responses in this guide are suggestions. Your group should adapt them so that they are relevant and life-changing for members. If group members aren’t committed to an application, they won’t do it. Encourage, but don’t force.

End with Refreshments. Have coffee or soft drinks plus some cookies or cake, so that people will have an excuse to stay behind for a few extra minutes and discuss the subject informally. Often the most life-changing conversations occur after the formal session.

AFTER THE DISCUSSION

Use these self-evaluation questions each week to help you improve your leadership next time:

  1. Did you have the right number of questions prepared? Should you add to the next session’s questions, or delete some?
  2. Did you discuss the major issues?
  3. Did you know your material thoroughly enough to have freedom in leading?
  4. Did you keep the discussion from wandering?
  5. Did everyone participate? Were people open?
  6. Was anyone overtalkative? Undertalkative? Disruptive? Think about how you can handle these problems next week if they occur again.
  7. Was the discussion practical? Did it lead to new understanding, new hope, repentance, change?
  8. Did you begin and end on time?
  9. Did you give the group the maximum responsibility that it can handle?