Leading a Small Group Bible Study on a Busy Schedule

Leading a small group bible study is hard work and takes a lot of time and effort. For some, the load of leading is daunting and they don’t know where to start or what to do. Having had many times of crazy, busy schedules myself, I’m completely there with you.

Managing A Small Group on a Busy Schedule

Thankfully, there are some things that we can do to help ease the load of leading a small group.

Invite Only as Many as You Can Manage

This is probably a ‘duh’ statement, but it can be difficult to know when you need to turn interested people away or not. Some have found that leading a small group of 4-6 people is easier to manage then larger groups. With a smaller amount of people, there is more of a community feel to the group and a feeling of oneness. The smaller the group the easier it may be to stay in contact while juggling a busy schedule.

On the flip side, there are some who think that having a bigger group is easier. A bigger group can be easier to manage because there are more people there to help the conversation along. Also, it is more natural to delegate when there are more people to pass the load along to.

Use a Pre-written Curriculum

Using a curriculum is also another tool that can come in handy when leading a small group. Some good studies to consider might be:

• The Case For Christ
• Walking as Jesus Walked
• The Prayers of Jesus
• What on Earth Am I Here For?

If you have any studies that you have found to be good for your small group, please let us know in the comments section below.

Another alternative that may come in handy is pre-writing your own bible study curriculum. Even if you don’t use it right away, pre-writing your study is an awesome way to have a better understanding of what you are going through.

Curriculum aside, what about the actual leading and getting the group together part?

Share the Load

Learning to share the load when you need to can be hard. Some may even feel defeated because they were not able to do it by themselves.

I’m here to say; it’s alright to need help. Asking for help when you need it is actually a great quality of a leader.

Stop trying to prove yourself by working harder, longer, faster, or better than everyone else.

How to Avoid Burnout as a Ministry Leader
Ryan Schaible

Try this. Take a step back from your small group for a minute. Are there things that are not needed, or are just making leading harder? Things like making a meal at every meeting, or the need for childcare that never gets met?

Maybe it is time to leave out some stuff or even ask someone else to take it over. If your small group is struggling to provide childcare, try meeting somewhere where the children can play. This may be in someone’s backyard or even the McDonald’s play area. It is also not always necessary to have a meal every time. Maybe have a week where you ask everyone to bring their favorite snack, or put someone in charge of the meals so you can focus on the leading part. If weekly meals are difficult, maybe try having a meal only once a month.

Another way to share the load is to let others take the role of leading now and then. Choose a few people to lead the group every so often. It will let you have a break when needed, and it is good training for those who might want to start their own small group. This can also be good if your group is getting too big and you need to create another small group with a new small group leader. Being able to see others lead can help you know who would be a good leader of their own group.

Encouraging others in your small group to get involved gives them a chance to use their spiritual gifts. Share the load with others and members of your small group will feel a closer connection to the group.

Ask for Help From Your Leaders

Everyone runs into times where they just don’t know if they can do it. Take time to talk to your leaders or others who you trust. This may include talking to a spouse, calling up a friend, or just meeting with your pastor.

The people around you want to help, so let them! But, don’t forget the One who will give you the perfect and unerring advice, God. Pray often, and take time for yourself to dig into God’s word.

Being a small group leader is a high calling, and comes with so many things that can become overwhelming. It’s normal to feel like everything is falling apart around you, but it’s important to learn during these times the different approaches you can take to ease the stress and hand off the part of the load that is unnecessary.

For more encouragement on your leadership journey check out our blog post Top 5 Books for Small Group Leaders.