Want to start a Bible study group? Ingenious! Then just start. Take the first step and learn as you go. It is an adventure.

Simple recipe:

• Find some people interested in the Bible
• Choose a day, a time, a room for the joint meeting
• Everyone brings their own Bible and something to write with.

That’s all for the start. Of course, many questions still arise, but these things mark the core for a new Bible study group. Keep it simple. Keep it open. The desire to exchange something is more important than fixed ideas about how it “should” go.

Clarify concerns. Not everyone thinks the same, not everyone wishes for the same.

Some are really hungry to learn more about the Bible. You would like to deal with the text intensively. Others, however, would rather talk about everyday topics and draw encouragement from the Bible. Still others may just want answers to very specific questions. The earlier you know the differences, the easier it is to discover the focus of a new Bible study group.

Such clarification is important because if the concerns of the group do not match the personal concerns, it will be difficult to maintain focus in the long run. I have participated in very many different groups and have led many myself. Today I know quite well what I myself expect from a Bible group. I also know that there are many different groups. Therefore, everyone should be free to choose what kind of group he or she wants to join. People are inclined to take their own understanding for granted in others. Of course, that’s not true – everyone thinks differently.

Speak openly about the ideas and wishes. Maybe even two different groups will emerge from the initial conversations?

This point clarifies “how” you want to do something, not “what” you want to do.

If you start a new group, you can of course express your own thoughts first. Maybe that’s even helpful. You can make it clear from the beginning what you are looking for. This automatically tells other people whether the idea fits for them or not. It’s like a pre-selection of possibilities.

However, if one finds together, it is about alignment and perhaps minimal structure. Who is responsible for what? Some people lead very naturally, while others prefer to keep a low profile. That’s why it’s important to talk about how you want to organize and no one gets “lost” in the deliberations (sometimes typical leaders just want to participate!).

• Where do you meet?
• How to communicate? When. How often?
• How do you decide what to do next?

Also talk about how to see it now and maybe in the future. You will notice that there are people who want to take responsibility and those who prefer to hand it over. For a realistic assessment of the resources in the group, one should always stay in conversation about these things and perhaps periodically make a site assessment.

Once you have found each other as a group, it is a matter of implementing the common concern. One desires a Bible study group, home group, or other meeting for a specific reason. This reason should be able to give approximately the theme.

Insofar as one wants to deal with the Bible, the question often arises as to who can introduce one to the Bible. There is not always someone there who has already studied the Bible in depth. How to deal with it?

• Find answers in a joint conversation. It’s often amazing what you can pull together!
• If necessary, look for someone to contribute ideas who already has experience.
• Don’t look for perfection, because it doesn’t need it. Be prepared to “stumble forward” together.

If you always talk “among yourselves”, you will know each other’s opinions and preferences after two years at the latest. However, growth requires new input. This is a great way to get new input:

• Investigate a new topic together
• Alternately, someone from the group prepares
• Invite someone to give an introduction
• Read a book together on the topic and discuss
• Watch videos together and discuss
• Go to a church service or lecture together and discuss afterwards.

Every community is in a process. All learning is processual. Perhaps one may discover that it is not a matter of “right or wrong,” but of growing toward Christ, as they say:

“But if we are true, we should make all things grow in love, into Him who is the Head, Christ, from whom the whole body is

(joined together and united by each incorporation of the presented according to the effectiveness according to the measure of each individual part)

the growth of the body, for its own edification in love.”
Ephesians 4:15-16 (Concordant New Testament)

Growth is alive. Growth is the goal of every group. The edification happens in love and everyone not only has something to contribute, but they help each other to keep the goal (Christ) in mind. Being an authentic Christian always has to do with being an authentic human being. The form that is sought for this in the group is always only one of many possibilities. However, it is never about the group, but about what you want to achieve with it, as Paul describes here above.

If the group functions, one has found an inner stability. This also makes the group sustainable for each other and for others. It’s about social relevance and whether you can imagine making a difference for other people.

Evangelical-minded Christians are often told that they must always think of “evangelizing” so that people will be “saved from hell. Every encounter resonates with a hidden agenda. This is counterproductive. Such views are not found in the Bible. It is ideological imprints that are not helpful, but rather stand in the way of authentic human encounters (and thus authentic conversations about God and the world).

Healthy human encounters are based on recognizing in the other person a fellow human being, not merely an object that needs to be converted. God has made us human. Let us celebrate this in gratitude to God, and without looking at the person. God already knows how to reach the goal with me, with you and with everyone else.

How can you make a difference for others as a mini Christian community? It’s simple: share in the human experience, invite for a meal, a hike, or an exchange over coffee. Do you have a hobby? Meet with other like-minded people. That’s how you get to know each other.

Many people like to help. The neighbor may be a barbecue specialist. Maybe he just wants to show us how to grill properly one afternoon? Interest connects. This is true for many other things. If you pay attention to each other, everyone wins. Who knows what precious encounters will result!