How To Lead A Small Group: 8 Practical Tips for Success

Do you want to lead a small group Bible study?

Whether you’re starting fresh or stepping into leadership for the first time, learning how to lead a small group effectively can make all the difference in creating an engaging, Christ-centered community.

Define Your Purpose: Why Do You Want to Lead a Small Group?

Leading a small group of any kind is an incredible responsibility. It should be undertaken with great care, as you have the opportunity to encourage and influence the spiritual growth of other people. You will become a sort of mentor and example for the people in your group. It is important to decide what kind of example that is going to be.

At its heart, the point of any small group is to create community and encourage growth in Christ. You can do that even through a group that gets together for coffee once a week. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does take intentional discipline and forethought to be successful.

Don’t underestimate the power of the community you are creating. One of the biggest reasons people (and especially women) struggle with depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues is the feeling of isolation and loneliness.

When we have more perceived social support, we feel less alone and like we have others we can lean on. When we are isolated, we begin to feel lonely, unloved, and unwanted.

This is the breeding ground for the lies of the enemy to take root in our lives. As a small group or bible study leader, you are creating a place for women to belong; a place for them to replace lies with truth and a place to find encouragement and relationship.

This is your opportunity to show them the love of Christ and remind them that they are not alone.

So, how do you lead a small group Bible study effectively? Let’s dive into 8 essential tips to help you lead a small group with confidence and purpose.

1. Begin With Vision and Purpose for Leading Your Small Group

Don’t just start a small group because it sounds like a fun thing to do.

Your group should have a specific purpose and a vision behind it. This purpose and vision will inform all other decisions you make regarding your group, so take time to pray about it and seek direction from God for your group.

• Are you leading a women’s Bible study?
• A small group for young moms?
• A discipleship group focused on spiritual growth?

Having a specific demographic is important.

There should be some common denominator, such as age, stage of life, relationship status, etc. This will help your group members to form connections to one another and become more trusting, leading to more conversation and cohesion.

It is difficult to lead a group of people to an unknown destination. Know where you are headed, and your group will follow.

2. Choose the Right Study or Topic for Your Small Group

For conversation and connection to flow, you’ll need to give your group something to talk about. There are a lot of options for content for your group. If you are leading one within your church, you may have materials provided for you or a selection of materials to choose from.

If you aren’t being provided materials, you have options. You can:

• Read through a book together
• Study through a book of the Bible together
• Discuss a specific topic (i.e, Identity in Christ, Anxiety, etc.);
• Choose a blog post or podcast episode to discuss each week.

You can find free options for Bible studies in my post 101 Free Bible Studies For Women!

3. Why You Shouldn’t Lead a Small Group Alone

It is possible you may have to lead on your own, but try to find someone to co-lead your group with you. There are a few reasons this is important. One is simple math. If you have two people leading, not all of the work is on your shoulders.

Benefits of leading a small group with someone else:

• You share the responsibilities (hosting, preparing content, etc.).
• Your group sees a model of Christian friendship & teamwork.
• If one of you is absent, the group continues smoothly.
• You have built-in encouragement & accountability as leaders.

When you have two leaders, there is a connection already present, and other members can feel safer because of the established relationship you have with your co-leader.

Connection combats awkwardness and gives the group an example to go off of. The way you interact with your co-leader will set the tone for everyone else.

4. Set the Tone: Leading by Example in Your Small Group

Speaking of setting the tone, as the leader of a small group, you are an example for your members.

• If you’re open, authentic, and transparent, your group will follow suit.
• If you shut down tough conversations, your group will struggle to be vulnerable.
• If you handle conflict with grace, your group will learn to do the same.

You also set the tone for what is allowed in the group. How you respond to discord, conflict, or uncomfortable silences shows others how to handle it as a group member.

You are discipline with your content and discussion, but how you lead your small group is also discipling your group members.

When you respond lovingly to an overbearing personality, they will know that gossip and exclusion is not allowed in your group. When you are intentional about speaking with each person and not gravitating to only the members you know, this shows the group that cliques aren’t tolerated.

Your members will learn how to behave in your group from you and your co-leaader, so be intentional.

5. Understand Small Group Dynamics & Stages of Growth

It takes time for groups to become trusting, thriving units.

The first few weeks of your group may be awkward or a little weird while everyone is getting to know each other. Your group is NOT going to be best friends right away; you may have some people who do not click or get along, and that is okay.

There are 5 basic stages of group formation:

1. Forming – Everyone is polite and getting to know each other.
2. Storming – Differences surface, and minor conflicts may arise.
3. Norming – The group finds a rhythm and starts to connect.
4. Performing – Deep discussions and strong relationships form.
5. Transforming – The group thrives, and members may start leading their own groups.

The first stages of your group will involve getting to know one another. The second stage will involve some sort of pushing of boundaries, conflict of personalities or challenging of norms within your group.

This stage is necessary in order to move the stage where connections begin to form and the group starts to form cohesion and trust.

Your group will begin to form and perform, sometimes reverting back to storming as any new members come in or the dynamics of the group change.

6. Prepare Your Home: Creating a Welcoming Environment

Plan for food and seating in your home to make sure people are comfortable. You don’t need to have a huge space with fancy food to have an effective meeting. All you need to do is be welcoming and genuine. People would rather sit on the floor in a welcoming space than be in a fancy, huge home with no hospitality.

• Plan for comfortable seating so everyone feels included.
• Don’t stress about perfection—authenticity matters more than a spotless home.
• Have substance of some kind! You can provide a full meal or light snacks with coffee to create a relaxed setting. (Just be sure to communicate what you will have so you members can plan accordingly!)

You don’t have to serve a full meal every week, but you can have a meal together as a group if that is important to you! In previous groups my husband and I have lead, we plan for a potluck-style meal or rotate who brings food each week.

This spreads out the responsibility and keeps you from paying for and cooking food for 15 people every week. It also prevents people from starving because all you served was coffee and cookies (Yes, I did that once, oops).

7. Embrace the (Awkward) Silence in Your Small Group

It is very normal for there to be pockets of silence in your group, especially near the beginning stages.

Sometimes, people need a few seconds to mull over your question and form an answer in their mind. Some people (like me! ha) need to give themselves a quick pep talk before they become vulnerable in front of other people.

Do you best not to panic when silence happens, because it will. Here’s how to handle it:

• Make warm eye contact
• Keep your own compsure
• Give it about 30 seconds. If no one responds, share your own thoughts, call on your co-leader and then move on.

If you appear comfortable and unbothered by the pocket of silence, this will ease the anxiety of your group members. Moving on from silence may feel clunky and unfinished but if you let it go, your members will too.

An advanced skill would be to call on a member to answer. This should only be used when the group has formed and there is established connection within your group.

You may have more silence in the first few sessions of your group. Do not be discouraged by this. It will get better as time goes on.

8. Strengthen Your Faith as You Lead a Small Group

Keeping your faith strong is essential to your success with leading a small group.

Your group sessions are a time for you to pour into others so you need to be sure your cup has been filled as well.

Here’s how to stay spiritually strong as a leader:

• Prioritize your personal Bible study & prayer time.
• Surround yourself with mentors & accountability partners.
• Remember: Leading a small group makes you a bigger target for the enemy. Stay rooted in God’s Word so you can lead from a place of strength.

You have the ability to help other women grow in their faith and be challenged to grow stronger in yours. Satan does not want to see you succeed in that endeavor. You will need to seek the Lord more than ever and cling to His truth.

Want More Guidance on Leading a Small Group?

📥 Grab my FREE Step-by-Step Guide to Leading a Small Group!

• Plan & prepare meaningful discussions
• Troubleshoot common challenges
• Create a thriving, Christ-centered community

Do you feel better equipped to lead a small group? How have you been successful? What areas do you struggle with? Tell me in the comments!