Leading a Bible study Feedback: Part 1

Last month I published a series entitled Leading A Bible Study. I wrote those posts for two reasons. The first reason was to clarify in my own mind some of the lessons I had learned from leading various church groups. The other reason was to provide a resource for those beginning similar endeavours.

Upon completing the series, I sent out requests for feedback. I contacted friends, other Bible study leaders, as well as some random people on the Internet!

In response to the feedback I received, I decided to write a few follow-up posts on this subject. I will devote a post to each area of feedback, quoting the feedback received and offering my own comments in RED.

Location & Environment

One area I neglected in my original series concerned the Bible study’s location. This topic therefore received a good deal of attention in people’s feedback.

TimothyH said:

Do it in your home. You will not regret it. There is nothing wrong with doing it in a classroom at the Church, but doing it in your home means that you will practise hospitality and self sacrifice, opening your home to strangers. People will get to know you better in your native surroundings, and those strangers will become your friends. Its also a great excuse to finally clean the house.

Speaking from personal experience, I know this to be true. During my days attending a non-Catholic congregation, my “small group” (sometimes known as a “house group” or “cell group”) operated in this manner.  The more intimate setting of someone’s home really did alter the dynamic, encouraging honesty and vulnerability within the group.

However, as I see it, there are two potential problems with meeting in someone’s home…

1. When attending a Bible study for the first time, it can be intimidating going into someone’s home. In contrast, the parish is familiar, “safe” and the chances of accidentally joining a cult are substantially reduced!

2. When a Bible study is run on parish property it immediately becomes “official”. It has the visible support and blessing of the clergy. The danger of the group being viewed as a clique is substantially reduced and it can be better monitored for orthodoxy.

As much as I would love to run the JP2 Group from my home, I know it is both safer and more politically expedient to operate out of a parish building (plus, we have Adoration available afterwards in the church).

Make it a social occasion. Have popcorn and coffee, cheese and crackers and a bowl of M&M’s. Invite people to come a little early and just socialize for fifteen minutes. I sometimes invite a couple or someone to come an hour early for dinner. We had a barbeque night one night last summer while studying the Gospel of Matthew.

This is really good advice. The more academically inclined people simply want to get down to the business of Bible study, but the discussion will flow much more easily if placed within a social, community setting.

Pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray….

Good advice, but I still don’t think that’s enough praying… 😉

Ask people what they want out of the study during the first session, and make that the basis for your prayer, that the Holy Spirit give them what they desire – closeness to Jesus, a better understanding of the Mass readings, ability to defend the faith against Evangelicals – whatever. Pray for what they ask for.

This is a really good way of ensuring the group meets the needs of those who attend. I would also add, however, that when asking people what they would like to study, it is advisable to have some suggestions prepared, in case ideas are not forthcoming from the group.

jmcrae said:

I would just add a few comments about environment. Make sure it’s comfortable. Don’t put out more chairs than you need – it makes the room feel empty. Don’t worry about not having enough chairs in case extra people come – you can always get out more chairs as needed, and the action of getting out more chairs will make the meeting feel exciting and popular. 🙂

Great stuff. This confirms TimothyH’s suggestions.

Make sure there’s time for a break, and have simple snacks available.

If you keep the snack simple, this will encourage people to volunteer to bring the snack for the next meeting. Nobody wants to upstage a brilliant cook, but anybody can buy a box of cookies from the store on their way in to the meeting. (If someone surprises you by bringing something elaborate, allow it to unfold that the next volunteer will fail to bring the snack the following week, for fear of not being as good as the brilliant cook – the person following him will be praised and thought brilliant, then, even if he only brings a box of cookies, and you will be back on track.)

The subject of food and snacks is something that I am wrestling with at the moment within our parish’s Bible study. I think the suggestion of keeping the snacks simple is a good one. If someone occasionally wants to produce a culinary masterpiece, that’s great, but I think the prospect of simple snacks is a good expectation to maintain.

If you are running the Bible study under your own auspices, it’s fine to have it at your house, but if it is meant to be open to all members of the parish, then it should take place on parish property, to avoid the appearance of a “clique” being formed.

As I pointed out above, although not always ideal, I think this is a wise course of action.

That was all the feedback I received concerning “Preparation”. Tomorrow I’ll discuss some of the feedback I got concerning the “Discussion” aspect of leading Bible Study.

Original Series | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3