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Are you looking for a way to help the women in your small church grow in their faith, while at the same time, building connection and community among them? Then starting a women’s Bible study could be just the thing for you.
So where do you begin? Keep reading for a basic overview of how to start a women’s Bible study.
What To Expect When Starting A Bible Study For The First Time
First things first, find out the interest level for hosting a Women’s Bible study in your small church. Surveys are a great way to gather information such as how many women are interested in participating. Other key questions like what day and time would work best and ask for suggestions on what books of the Bible they would like to study or what kinds of subjects would they like to learn about. These can help you form a plan!
Prepare yourself as a leader.
Will you do the teaching or would you like to take a team approach?
Have different women doing sections of the study, one to do a mixer or welcome game, one to do the teaching segment, one to lead the discussion time and close out in prayer.
How much time will it take to prepare each week? Do you have the time to do it?
If you feel that God is leading you to be the leader then ask Him for direction about getting others involved. Ask Him to open your eyes to who that might be. As other women get to participate it helps them grow in their service and leadership skills. These studies are not just a time for deeper Bible discovery, but also for maturing and developing our faith.
Start With The Most Important Thing
Before you start planning, take time to pray and ask God for direction. Consider your vision for the study and how it can best serve the needs of the women in your group. Prayer is also a great way to invite the Holy Spirit’s guidance as you choose the right materials and structure for your group.
Beginning with the right heart. A heart-centered in prayer is crucial. Prayer should guide both the leader and participants, and it will set the tone for the study as well as emphasize the fact that God is the ultimate leader of your group. Establishing an example of prayer at each meeting encourages the group and fosters spiritual focus among your participants.
How To Start A Women’s Bible Study
1. Get Your Leadership On Board
Meeting with your pastor and church leadership is helpful to make sure you understand any criteria or guidelines that the church may have for starting small groups.
Here are some practical questions to ask your leadership:
- Is there a budget for purchasing study materials and how much would that be?
- If you plan on meeting at the church, where would you meet and what days are open?
- Will you be able to promote this to women in the church announcements?
- Is there a regular reporting process that needs to be made for church records or annual reports (i.e., attendance/milestones/steps in faith professions)?
Finally, asking them to join you in praying for the group is an important way to foster unity and give your leadership confidence in your focus on the true heart of the ministry.
2. Consider The Study Options
There are numerous options for Bible studies available today, from several resources both online and in brick-and-mortar Christian Bookstores. If you belong to a denomination, they may have resources available. Do some research and explore what’s out there.
Here are some questions to consider as you decide:
- List some of the goals you hope to accomplish through this study, like knowing the Bible better, deeper relationship and appreciation for God, better connection within your group, and discovering how to serve God.
- Will this Bible study be for the women in the local church or will you invite Christian women in from the community?
- Will you use a book for your guide that provides study questions and/or video content?
- Would studying a Book of the Bible fit your group better or doing a topical study?
- Are your group attendees new to Bible study? Perhaps you should do an overview of Bible study basics and how to use Bible study tools.
- Will you have homework that the participants will do during the week?
- What portion of the meeting will be for discussion and questions?
Determining these items will help you to be organized and prepared to lead your group.
3. Promotion & Invitation
Getting the word out about your small church Bible Study is important. Use multiple sources to do this– church bulletins, email blasts, social media pages, and announcements in the church service– but remember to be creative and be excited! If you are excited about the ministry others will be too.
Don’t forget the impact that a personal invitation can have on someone. Think about those women in your church who might not normally come out to such events, if you show them that you see them and desire for them to come and be a part, it might just give them the courage they need to take that step.
4. Make Your Lists & Check Them Twice!
No, not Christmas lists, but practical to-do lists, setting goals, giving yourself deadlines to get things done, i.e., ordering books, sending out emails, doing follow-ups, etc. These are all skills that help to develop good leaders and to keep organized.
You want to be able to lead your group in a prepared manner. Dedicate the time to having your notes ready, your discussion questions in hand, your icebreakers and mixers picked out, or a person in charge of them.
For your first meeting together, name tags are a good way to get people to know others they may not see as often and put everyone on a ‘first name’ basis! It’s welcoming. Have prayer sheets ready for the women to fill out with their requests and follow up with them about answers to prayer. This is encouraging to members as they see that they are being prayed for, seen, and valued, which is one of the key elements for having a successful small group.
5. Kick Off Your First Meeting With A Celebration
Whether you have special refreshments or have an extended time of fellowship, make your first meeting special. Make participants feel welcomed and excited about the possibilities of what will happen in this study.
Have a brief overview and introduction of the study, the goals that you have set, expectations like homework or reading, etc, and what you hope they can learn from this study. Distribute any materials they will need to participate. Go over the schedule of your meetings so that participants will arrive knowing what will take place and how long it will last.
Discuss Group Graces (or rules) like cell phones off when entering the building. Please don’t hijack the discussion. We want to allow time for everyone to share. Be kind and polite, and have conversations seasoned with grace. This is a safe place to share prayer requests and concerns. Print up a pretty poster to hang in the room as a reminder.
If money needs to be collected for a book or other materials, make sure that this is made known prior to your meeting and have someone in charge of collecting funds and turning in the money.
Have a list of items that should be brought to class: a Bible, a notebook, a pen, a water bottle, etc.
If you are going to serve refreshments at the meeting, have someone take the lead on signing up volunteers each time you meet, keep it simple.
Make it FUN! Spend time getting to know each other, and play an icebreaker or mixer game. This is such a creative and low-key way to get people to share about themselves. Ask the group to share why they came and what they hope to get out of this study. You could invite someone prior to the meeting to share a testimony of their own faith journey and what part Bible study has played in that. All simple ways to inspire and excite the women in your small church to be an active part of the Bible study.
Close out your time with a round of thanksgiving and praise prayers for God’s Word and the ability and gift that we have to gather as a group to study it.
Good Topics To Pick From For Your Women’s Bible Study
Where to start? Here are just a few of the most popular topics for women’s bible study, choose one that fits the needs and personality of the women in your small church. There are three basic Bible study types, Scriptural (studying a specific area of the Bible), Character (people in the Bible), or Topical (a subject matter about faith and life). The following is just a glimpse of popular subjects for Women’s Bible Studies:
- Profile Studies of Women in the Bible & What They Teach Us
- Seasonal Studies (Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, etc.)
- Creation and the God Who Spoke It Into Being: Starting From the Beginning
- How to Grow In Our Faith: Steps to Develop Spiritual Disciplines & Habits
- Prayer: How To Develop A Deeper Relationship With God
- Studies On How To Stay Strong in Difficult Times (Using biblical characters like Daniel, Paul, Esther, etc.)
- Creative Bible Journaling (Taking a passage & responding with art, words & praise.)
- Specific Books of the Bible (An in-depth study or basic overview.)
A Quick Review
So are you ready to start that Bible study? A quick review of the steps:
- Gather your information and do your research.
- Gather prayer support.
- Determine your subject, time, and meeting place.
- Organize and prepare.
- Make your lists and deadlines.
- Promote and invite the women of your church.
- Make that first meeting memorable!
Remember, Bible study is not just a time of giving information, it’s an opportunity for ‘transformation’ as you see the Holy Spirit working and developing the participant’s relationship with God. This is a chance for connection and building relationships with the women in your small church and for them to successfully live out their faith.
We would love to hear when you have your first meeting and how it goes. Snap a picture and post it on our Facebook Community, we’d love to celebrate with you. The Small Church Ministry exists to encourage, inspire, and equip people in small churches everywhere to do God’s work to the best of our ability!
Read More:
9 Meaningful Tips To Strengthen Your Women’s Ministry
