Many small groups, or "cell groups," hold open meetings available for anyone who wants to join, although regular attendance is encouraged. They discuss spirituality and Biblical passages, but typically pick a different topic each meeting so new members can easily participate. Others are formed from a close-knit group of friends or people from the same church congregation. These may only accept new members at specific times, develop intimate bonds with each other, and hold discussions that last for several meetings., Most small groups have between three and nine members, including the leader.Invite friends, fellow churchgoers, and other interested people to come to your meetings, if you do not already have an existing small group.
 Invite someone to help your run the group, to encourage the group to shift the focus away from a single leader, and instead work together to focus on God and Christianity. If your small group expands to more than nine or so people, having two co-leaders also makes it easy to split apart into separate groups., A snack at the beginning of the meeting can be a great way to encourage people to relax and talk to each other. The focus of the meeting shouldn't be the food, but if someone in the group enjoys contributing by bringing food, don't discourage him.
 During your first meeting, or whenever someone new is present, ask for introductions. Even if you all know each other, ask a question or prompt to get people to know each other better. This can be religious, such as "tell us about a time you felt connected to Jesus," or just something interesting to talk about, such as "where in the world would you most like to travel?"


If new people are present who may not be comfortable or secure in their religion, use more generic questions. The point of the introductions is to make everyone more relaxed and start them bonding with each other, not necessarily to dive into Bible study right away.
 Select a Biblical passage in advance of the meeting each week. Come up with open-ended questions that people can discuss in detail, and relate to their own experiences and emotions. A good, open-ended question doesn't have a "yes or no" or "multiple choice" answer, and should lead to a debate, not complete agreement.Here are a couple examples of good questions or prompts: "What would it be like to be one of the people described in this passage?"; "Let's compare these two passages and discuss what each of them suggests."; "Does this passage make you want to change your behavior in daily life? How would you change it, or why wouldn't you?"
Avoid questions with simple answers or that contain your own opinion, such as "Who is Jesus talking to?" or "What do you think about the brave and faithful actions of this figure?"

, As a leader of a small group, you are responsible for keeping the discussion moving and encouraging people to dig deeper. Ask follow up questions in response to other people, for instance by asking how they would tie the discussion to their own life. Politely interrupt people who are hogging the discussion, by thanking them and asking another person how he would respond. If the topic deviates from Christianity or spirituality, suggest the group gets back on topic., The focus of the group should be on God and the discussion, not on any one person.If people keep turning to you to settle disputes or answer Biblical questions, refer some of the questions to other members of the group. Encourage discussion and participation from all members, taking turns if necessary, rather than turning the Bible study portion of the meeting into a lecture.
 In many small groups, members have a chance of a more intimate discussion after the Bible study. In this, they get to know each other, and especially about hardships and changes in the members' lives. As the leader, ask if anyone has a prayer request, and set aside time for people to talk about prayers requested at previous meetings as well. Some groups prefer to split into smaller groups of two to four people, and promise each other more focused, one-on-one prayers.


Small groups can be run in many different ways, so feel free to organize your own spiritual activities or discussions.
Many small groups end with a closing prayer, but not everyone is comfortable with praying in a group. Ask the members how they feel about it before adding a closing prayer to your meeting.
 Dividing responsibilities encourages participation and strengthens the bond between group members. As the meetings continue, ask for volunteers to help select Bible passages, keep track of the members' prayers in a notebook, or simply help set up and clean up.
Decide on the purpose of your group.
Gather people together.
Ask someone to be your co-leader.
Offer food and drink.
Start with introductions.
Start a Bible study discussion.
Facilitate the discussion.
Don't act like an expert.
Talk about prayer and the members' lives.
Encourage people to take on roles.
{"src": "wikihow-all_validation", "title": "How to Lead Small Groups2"}