I.  What is Bible study in a small group setting?

At CCBSG, we believe that we need to learn God’s words within the body of Christ.  Each one of us knows His words limitedly; however, a group of us could see His revelation and light more thoroughly.  The goal is to associate God’s words with our daily life and to experience that Jesus Christ is the bread of life together!

We believe that each junior believer could pair with a senior believer to lead Bible study, and each believer will be equipped with God’s words through leading Bible study.

We believe that the pre-study and advanced preparation will lead to a quality study.

II. What is not a bible study?

1.  Bible study is not a bible class, where one teaches, and the rest listens and    meditates.

 
2.  Also, nothing is further away from the true meaning of a bible study, than free sharing.  Dr. Walter Kaiser Jr. once said the following, "80% of Christian bible studies, people come in, the leader ask them to share what they think about some verses, they talk, the leader summarizes, and everybody goes home.  Nobody is paying attention to what God has to say through the bible verse, everybody shares what 'I think'..."  Though from time to time sharing has values, it is not the emphasis of a bible study.  A bible study studies the Bible, so the bible has to be the emphasis of every attention.  If a sharing walks away from today's verses, the tour guide has to find his guests back to the track.

 
3.  Bible study is not a grammar exam.  It is not through the blank words, but through meanings of the words that we grow.  Do not ask what a word means exactly unless it is essentially attached to your goal.  Needless to say, a bible study is not a secular party.  Let us not waste too much time enjoying each other's presence, than God's presence.

 
III. What does a bible study leader do?

1.      Let the God’s words shine only!

As Christians, we believe in the transforming power of God's words.  It is our great privilege to lead the participants to perceive what God has to say to them through the verses.  Each Bible study is a battle to win souls and minds for the Lord.  Therefore in a bible study setting, God's word has to shine, not the bible study leader, but it is through the leaders' efforts that the power of the bible could be disseminated.

2.      A leader is to lead not to teach!

Watch out!  Teachers teach, but leaders only "lead or facilitate".  We should never be the one giving all the answers and our interpretations to the study verses.  In fact, in a successful bible study, we do not need to give any.  I believe that since the bible is God's words to people, our role is only there to lead people to hear from the bible, and to guide them into the depth of God's words (well, as deep as how much we can get).  In that perspective, the bible study leader is more like a tour guide.  Consider yourself a tour guide from now on, not a movie star.  If you think that you are there to educate people of your interpretation, be careful, it is not the right attitude of a servant.  As a servant, we let God do the work, through the Bible and Holy Spirit.

IV. How does a bible study leader prepare and lead?

1. Method:

It could be done by “asking questions”.  Questions are designed as a pointer, directing people to look for answers in the bible that they normally would not think about, and offering perspectives that people normally would ignore.  Our goal is not to impress anybody with those questions, but to encourage people to meditate on God's words.  Therefore, questions should only be designed such that the answers lie right in today's verses.  Never ask questions about backgrounds, it is the leader's responsibility to research when the book is written, by whom, under what circumstances, and to what kind of readers, etc, and to share them with the participants.  The goal of background introduction is once again to help people understand the verses a little more, a little bit more "in the context".

Above all importance, questions should be designed specifically.  For example, on Songs of Solomon 2:1 "I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys."  The question such as "What do you think God is like?" is too general to be right on.  Instead, ask "Why would the psalmist use lily and rose to describe the Lord?  What are the similarities?"  The more specific questions are designed, the more polarized to reach a final conclusion in a bible study, and the more active people will hunt for answers in the bible.  If the answer to your question is not in today's verses, you have not understood point 1 yet, go back to 1 and think for a moment, then redesign the questions.  There are enough treasures to be dug out in every bible verse, than to look somewhere else, unless absolutely necessary.

2. Formulating the goal for each study:

Why does the leader need to formulate a goal for each bible study?

Thoughts need to be organized.  So is how to write a paper, or a thesis, or a diary.  Do not scatter your thoughts everywhere, it is not going to help anybody, be focused, find a theme, think of a goal, then use other observations to assist in the goal.  Without a clear goal, you can not serve as a bible study leader.  You will get lost.

3. Evaluation:

What could a leader use to evaluate success / failure?

Not by how actively people talked, but by observing whether the original goal has been attained.  Also, by feedbacks.  Feedbacks like "You said very good things" or "You really know a lot about the bible" are failure comments, which means people did not appreciate God's words more than the leader's interpretations.  As a leader's ultimate goal, we are there to glorify God, to lead people into his appreciation, not the leaders'. Remember, it is always God's words that have transforming power, not our lips.

V.  Sample format:

Keeping the goal in mind, would you please meditate and prepare an outline in the following format?

While meditating on the verses, ask yourself many questions as to "When" "Where" "Whom" "What" "Why" "How", eventually a picture would form in your mind.

VI. Leading tips: 

1. Adjust your leading style between believer and seeker’s groups
1. Seeker group: put yourself in seekers’ shoes while leading discussion
2. Believer group: include different levels of questions if the level of maturity is very diverse, then most participants could participate 

2. Be a listener:
1. Listen carefully to each point
2. What does each imply in spirit?

3. Be a bridge:
1. Connect each point to our theme or scripture
2. Help the study relevant to each participants but keep the study focus on our theme 

4. Be flexible:
1. You don’t have to finish all the verses if time insufficient
2. The depth of study is more important than the length.

5. Engage the audience into the setting in scripture actively:
1. Our top priority is to focus on the life of “audience or participant” touched by God’s words!
2. The goal is to get audience into the light of God’s words and to make each word relevant to their life.
3. Don’t judge audience’s points are not important but lead to the right direction of God’s teachings.
4. Encourage the participation

 i.      Praise the relevant points

ii.      Say it’s an interesting point for the irrelevant comments.

 iii.      All points are relevant to our study!