I recently had the chance to ask members on a Facebook group what they called their Bible study groups. I got quite a few ideas and will be sharing them with you below.
The Bible study group name depends greatly on the purpose of the group. Many of these names can be used for more than one type of group so don’t be surprised if you see one or two multiple times.
There are many different types of groups but I am going to focus in on the main 3 categories:
Topic Groups
Topic groups are ones that meet together for the reason of discussing a certain topic. It may be a book or section in the Bible or a theme (such as The Names of God).
These groups are one of the most common and can meet as a Sunday School or a small group in someone’s house. In most, but not all cases, these groups typically end when the study they are going through ends.
Here are some examples of Topic Group names people are using:
- Small Group
- Bible Study
- Growth Group
- Community Group
- Home Group
- Semester or Connex groups
A lot of churches start their small group ministry with topic groups. They are easy to start if you have a well-trained leader. One drawback is that they can tend to feel shallow if the leader is not at least familiar with the topic.
Something that your Church can do is to first go through the study with just the leaders. That way the leaders have a good understanding of the topic and will have good input on it.
StudyChurch is a great way to help these kinds of groups with discussion during class and throughout the week. The study can be uploaded to the StudyChurch platform. This is where users can access it, answer questions and more! With our Leader accounts, a small group leader can manage multiple groups, send out assignments, write studies, and help with the discussion.
Discussion Groups
Discussion Groups are exactly what they sound like! They are a group that comes together for a discussion. These groups meet together often and are focused on creating a community and helping one another.
Some things that these groups may discuss are the day-to-day life or the weekly sermon. Discipling each other is typically this group’s focus.
Examples of Discussion Group names are:
- Small Group
- Life Group
- Growth Group
- Community Group
- Journey Group
- Home Group
- Link Group
- Fellowship Group
- Care Group
- Affinity Group
Discussion groups are a lot of fun to be a part of. It’s an effective way to get to know people and urge one another on. The discussion group that I am apart of currently goes through questions that my Pastor gives out. We talk about each other’s week, discuss the questions and end with prayer requests.
How can StudyChurch help with these types of groups? I recommend the Church account for discussion groups and here is why:
Church accounts can have multiple admins, the Pastor can create a study and name it something like “Discussion questions”. Each week he can add a new chapter with the name of the Sermon and the questions for his groups. Each leader/admin can then add this Study to the groups they are leading and every time they meet as a group the questions will be waiting for them!
Active Groups
A group where the sole focus is reaching out to other people together can be classified as an Active Group. Whether it be reaching out to a community, city, or newcomers, this group is on a mission!
Examples of names for Active Groups are:
- Small Group
- Missional Communities
- City Group
- Journey Group
- Community Group
- Life Group
These groups can profit from StudyChurch by using it as a communications hub. Use the Discussion area to contact others, ask questions and engage in each other’s lives. Any type of lesson or sermon that a leader might want to prepare can be made as a study and shared with the members of the group.
Summing Up
Small Groups are sometimes thought of as the backbone for outreach – not just for members in the Church but also to the lost world. Let us help your small group with that outreach!
Do you have a different name that you use for your small groups? We’d love to hear about it if you comment below.
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