How do we use our time in Bible study sessions?

How do we balance time for Bible study discussion and personal connection when we gather?

Anyone who has tried to plan a coffee date with a group of three or more knows how difficult it is for womens’ schedules to align. The concentrated time we have together with our small groups is precious. 

So how do we make sure to use it well?

Many of us have experienced the kind of bible study where women sit down, are spoken to, and then part ways without much interaction. There are other scenarios where personal check-in time seems to dominate the entire session, leaving no room for actual Bible discussion. What you plan for and what is achieved will depend on a few different factors.

TIME

What you plan for your group will depend on how long you are meeting. Is it a workplace bible study during the lunch break? You may need to be more careful about sticking to the study content. Is it a 90-minute session on a Wednesday evening? There may be more room for sharing prayer requests and praises from the week. 

EMPHASIS

Consider whether the emphasis of the time is on Bible training or fellowship. While a focus on fellowship shouldn’t mean gathering without opening the Bible, it may mean you spend more time in application of a text rather than observations. 

Clearly communicating the emphasis may require coordination with other ministry leaders. What do the shepherds of the church prefer the balance to be? How can you make sure that expectations are clear for the women of your church so that each group has a similar experience and sisters can receive what they hope for?

NEED

Within each small group there is room for flexibility. Perhaps a crisis event has occurred that warrants spending more time in prayer for a woman in your group. Or maybe there is confusion about a theological nuance that requires more in depth discussion that runs into your prayer request sharing time. Be sensitive to the needs of the women in your group, and give leaders respectful feedback if you feel the current setup isn’t serving them best. 

Whether your time is planned to focus on training or fellowship, one of the most useful tools for using the time intentionally is to ask good questions. You might be surprised how much personal connection can happen when answering questions related to the text. Additionally, women may not be ready to answer some kinds of personal questions without having had time to build trust amongst the group. 

We’re looking forward to discussing How to Ask Good Questions in our next blog article for Small Group Leaders!

Are you looking for more information about training others to study the Bible, our short courses talk about just that! All short courses are free for our Bible Equipping Community.