You’ve sent out e-mails, text messages, posted on social media, called every possible contact you have, all to get warm bodies in a room for a small group Bible study.
Whoever shows up represents your entire ministry on that campus.
The greatest answer to your prayers for this initial meeting would be:
- That the hour you spend together would be encouraging and enjoyable enough that people would want to come back the following week
- That amongst those who attend this first meeting there would be at least two or three believers mature enough and committed enough to want to help you get the ministry going and growing.
Leading the study
Here are some things to keep in mind as you try to make this first small group successful:
1. Take care of all the small details that help people feel comfortable – e.g., the room, time, lighting.
2. Be there early to welcome everyone and introduce people to each other. Work hard to remember names.
3. Be enthusiastic, regardless of the turnout. If only one or two people come you may have to alter your plan but stay prayerful and full of faith.
4. You may not want to have a “lesson” the first meeting, preferring to spend time getting to know one another. However, some people might be coming to your group just to check it out and are expecting some kind of Bible study. Perhaps the most important thing is to ask some questions that allow people to share where they are at in their walk with God: some kind of snapshot of their spiritual journey.
5. Be careful to plan the actual group time. Give yourself extra time for flexibility so you end on time. You don’t want to run long the first meeting. You might plan your first group something like this:
- Introduce yourself. Be personable and real. (5 minutes)
- Pray. You do it. Keep it short. (1 minute)
- Have each member introduce themselves. (15 minutes)
- Icebreaker. (10 minutes)
- Communicate purpose of your group time. (5 minutes)
- Content. (15 minutes)
- Close (5 minutes)
6. Don’t put people on the spot by asking them to pray when they aren’t prepared.
7. Be real. Share with the group some of your own journey with with God – your ups and downs along the way as you follow Jesus. Put yourself in their shoes. Remember, they probably don’t know what to expect, so help them feel at ease.
8. Be positive when asking people to come each week. You might say something like, “You know, one of the things I’m looking forward to about this group is getting to know each other. I’ll be here every week and hopefully we’ll see each other regularly so we can really get to know each other and grow together.”
Launching your group
Phew! That’s over. By-and-large it went pretty well. But again, you are not just starting a Bible study, you are launching a group of disciples who multiply their lives. So here’s what you need to think about in light of this second objective.
BEFORE EVERYONE LEAVES
- Before anyone heads out the door, there are a few things you can do to help the group continue:
- Make sure you have you have everyone’s contact information.
- Encourage them to bring out any Christian friends they may know to the next Bible study.
- Cast a vision for what this small group could become. Help them to see that this isn’t just a Bible study but rather they are involved at the ground floor of what could be a major movement of God on the campus.
LOOK FOR LEADERS
During the first small group meeting did anyone strike you as someone who could help give leadership, even if it’s simply texting new contacts or putting up flyers? Usually there are at least a couple students who seem enthusiastic about your vision and seeing the group grow.
If you’ve been able to identify a few leaders, reach out soon after the first Bible study and suggest going out for some coffee to get their feedback and input on how things went.
MEETING WITH POTENTIAL LEADERS
Let’s say your first Bible study was on a Monday night. It would be ideal to reconnect by Thursday with those two or three students you thought could help you lead this group. Here are some suggestions and objectives for this time.
Get to know them.
As you meet with them at some cozy coffee shop on campus, just hang out and get to know them better. Ask about their relationship with God and how they live out their faith on campus. Try to discern where they are in their walk with God and if they are in a good place to help.
Feedback.
Get their feedback and input on your first small group meeting: what went well, what didn’t, what should be different for the next meeting.
Content.
Ask them what they think would be interesting for the small group to study. Don’t commit to anything, just listen and get a picture for what they want and need.
Vision.
Share your vision with them of what you are trusting God to do on the campus — how you hope this small group will grow into a group of multiplying disciples.
Involvement.
In light of the vision you just talked about, let them know that you would love their help in any way they feel they can be involved. Perhaps they would be willing to put up flyers or text the people who came the first week and invite them back.
RE-PUBLICIZE
Don’t stop publicizing your group after your first meeting. There could be other Christians on campus who didn’t know or hear about your small group.
To gather even more awareness, you might get permission to have an information table in student center or some other public space on campus. Here are some more ideas on how to get the word out and gather people.
Keep moving forward, keep showing up, and keep trying to find more students who are or want to become multiplying disciples.
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Adapted from content by Rick James