“I’ve alway wanted to host a Bible study…but I’m just not sure how to do it!”

“I really feel like God is prompting me to host a summer study…but I’m not sure I have the leadership skills to do it!”

“Several of my friends have asked me to start a Bible study…but I don’t know what to do!”

These are statements I’ve heard from a lot of girls over the years. Maybe you’ve said something similar.

They have the heart and passion for leading a Bible study, but they just don’t know where to start or how to make it happen.

If you have a desire to lead a study (maybe even this summer!) then this post will help you overcome the hurdle of uncertainty and equip you with the knowledge and tools you need! This is a follow up post to Bethany’s amazing recent article, “5 Reasons You Should Lead a Summer Bible Study.”

Consider this your step-by-step Christian Girl’s Guide to Planning, Hosting, and Leading an Awesome Bible Study!

1. Pray First.

Don’t just launch out without giving your idea some prayer. Pray and ask God to give you a humble heart and wisdom on whether or not you should lead a study. If all the lights seem green, go for it!

2. Create a List.

It’s hard to know what kind of study you want to do without first knowing WHO will be participating. Write down a list of all the girls you would like to invite. Think outside the box, too! One tip: Don’t make the group too large, or it will lose its sense of intimacy.

3. Pick the Book.

Now that you know who might be participating in your study, prayerfully decide what you want to study. As a first timer, I highly recommend using some sort of Christian study book to help guide your study along. Some great options for girls are  True Woman 101 and our upcoming book, Girl Defined: God’s Radical Design for Beauty, Femininity, and Identity.

I also encourage you to check out the Girl Defined LIVE summer webinar study which is taking place this June and July. This study is the perfect way to get your feet wet as you host a study alongside us in your very own home.

4. Choose a Location.

My personal favorite location is my very own living room! There’s just something about inviting people into your home that creates a very warm and welcoming study. However, if your home isn’t an option ask one of your friends if you can host the study in their living room.

5. Secure a Date and Time.

Decide how long you want your study to run (e.g. 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, etc.), then choose a day of the week that will work best for most people on your list. Next, choose the time of day your study will take place (e.g. morning, afternoon, or evening), then lock down on an exact time (e.g. 9am-11am, 2pm-4pm, 6:30-9pm, etc). Lastly, choose the official start date.

6. Invite Them to Join!

Now that you’ve picked the book, chosen a location, secured the day and time…you’re ready to send out the invites! There’s a few ways you can do this. If your friends are all on Facebook, create a Private Facebook Group or Private Event containing all the needed information about your study. Send each person on your list a “personal invite” through Facebook and communicate online.

Another great option is to create a cute email flyer containing all the information about your study and sending it to everyone on your list. And last but not least, you can always print up the info and personally hand out your invite in person (or mail it).

7. Collect Responses.

In my experience, people are not very quick to respond to invites. You may have to send them several reminders until you actually hear from them. This is normal. Don’t be discouraged. Do your best to get a “yes” or “no” answer from each person. Once you gather all of your “yeses,” you’ll be ready to start.

8. Create a Schedule.

Prior to hosting your first day, create a detailed schedule of how you want your time to run.

For example:

6:30 – 6:45pm – People start arriving

6:45 – Eat snacks and get drinks

6:50 – Play a fun ice-breaker game

7:10 – Open in prayer

7:15 – Sing a few songs (optional)

7:30 – Have each person share one thing that stood out to them during the past week of reading the study book.

7:45 – Dive into the study (this will look different depending on which book you’re going through. Most study books include questions and prompts. Always focus the study on learning and gaining personal application).

8:30 – Ask for prayer requests.

8:35 – Close in prayer

8:40 Give the group instructions and direction on what to read/prepare/study for the coming week.  

8:45pm – Mingle and hang out until the last person leaves.

9. How to Host.

The first day of your study will be the hardest. Your attendees may feel nervous and awkward because it’s an unfamiliar situation. Your job as the host is to make their “study experience” as easy and breezy as possible.

Here are some simple tips for being a good host: Greet your guests at the door and welcome them into your home. Have some light Christian music playing in the background to ease the “silence.” Prepare and set out simple snacks/desserts and drinks. Introduce people to one another if they’ve never met. Strike up conversations by asking good questions.

10. Ready-Set-Pray!

Now that you have the logistics under your belt, pray daily and weekly for your study. Pray for each girl attending and ask God to transform their minds, hearts, and actions as a result of learning His truths.

So there you have it!

The step-by-step Christian Girl’s Guide to Planning, Hosting, and Leading an Awesome Bible Study! There’s no perfect recipe…and things don’t always go as planned…but this simple guide should be enough to help you get started.

Now it’s my turn to personally invite YOU to join us for our summer study! You’re officially invited to join Bethany and me for the Girl Defined Summer Webinar Study! This 8 week study will take place on Wednesday nights from 7:30-9:30 (EST), and all you have to do it tune in from your computer!

Invite your friends over and watch the study together! It’s the perfect way to get your feet wet. You can reserve your spot here.

I hope you’ll prayerfully consider hosting a summer study this year!

As Matthew 9:37 tells us, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few…” If you’re willing, God will use you.

• If you have hosted a study in the past, what additional tips would you add to my list? Share below!

Photo Credit: Here