Small Group Leaders and Ministry Blog

Small group Bible studies play an essential role in the life of any church. The idea is simple, it takes a large group of people (the church) and connects people within that large group to other members of the congregation where they can create deeper, more meaningful relationships. Find out 5 reasons your church should have a small group ministry.

We can learn so much from how Jesus valued and treated women! Let’s study Jesus’ interactions with seven women in these studies by women, for women.

February is Black History Month in the United States, when we focus on the contributions people of African descent have made to this country. You can embark on a personal Bible study for Black History Month, or lead your church or small group to collectively understand the plight of a people made in God’s image, and acknowledge God’s goodness at work in their remarkable achievements. To help guide the conversations of a church group, here are five Bible verses about diversity, justice, and equality that can help frame the discussion, then five Bible studies to help you think more deeply about the important principles Black History Month spotlights.

The Easter season is a special time of the year to remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us, and to be thankful for the gift of grace and salvation he ...

We won’t often admit this, but we like being angry. We don’t like what caused the anger, to be sure; we just like thinking we’ve “got” something on someone. So-and-so did something wrong, sometimes horribly wrong, and anger offers us a sense of moral superiority.

That’s why we call it “righteous anger,” after all. It’s moral and good, we want to think.

But inconveniently, there’s this proverb that says, “You may believe you are doing right, but the Lord will judge your reasons” (Prov. 16:2 NCV).

Why do so many resolutions fail after the first couple of weeks? Often, it’s because of a lack of planning, accountability, and commitment…and because we’ve left God out of the solution!

What if this year you made a commitment to your goals by engaging in a Bible study that will help you?

Start by downloading our free Bible Study Goals Planner!

At StudyGateway.com, the world's leading subscription service for streaming video Bible studies, 2022 has been a very exciting year for new Bible studies! Of the top ten most-watched studies of ...

The first study in The Jesus Bible Study Series, Beginnings, is designed to usher you through the first act of God’s story, which is revealed most fully in the opening two chapters of the book of Genesis. Later biblical authors also wrote about God’s creation and the purposes behind his work, so we will pull from those portions of Scripture as well as we go along.

Christmas video Bible studies are the perfect way to bring together your people during the month of December, prepare your heart for the season, and study the birth of Jesus with fresh perspective! Can’t decide which Christmas video Bible study to do? Here’s your viewing guide to four popular Christmas studies to help you choose the best one for your small group.

We ask God for something, and seemingly nothing happens. We want Aunt Martha healed, but she remains sick or even dies. We want that promotion, but someone else gets it. Instead of getting the answer we want, we often get silence. We struggle like Job. “I cry out to you, God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me” (Job 30:20 NIV).

Studies show that 1 out of every 4 adults in America will be affected by mental illness at some point in their lifetime. 

I decided to dedicate Season Two of our podcast, Study Gateway’s First Listens, to this universal and timely issue of mental health. I have curated a collection of sessions from seven Bible studies that speak to different aspects of mental health.

Special Note to the Reader: The purpose of the Gospel of John is explicitly stated at the end of the Gospel (20:30–31). Because that passage is so important to understand how this Gospel works, we begin with it. The purpose is to enhance faith in both believers and to promote faith among those who are not yet believers. If we keep this in mind as we read the Gospel, we will read the Gospel as John wants us to.

The struggle of the introvert who is leading a small group is real. We tend to script the personality and traits and even physical stature we think a leader should possess. And, they might feel the pressure of expectations, expressed or assumed, that they will perform as a leader the same way a charismatic people-magnet person would. But the most extroverted person is not always the best small group leader.

These five daily devotions are based on Randy Frazee and Phil Collins' Bible study, The Abide Bible Course. will walk you through five innovative practices that will take you beyond ...

Right now, we’re in a sort of global denial about the actual cost of these hard years (which are not over). We just want to get past it all, so we’re currently trying to comfort ourselves with some sense of recovery and relief. But folks, we haven’t yet paid the psychological bill for all we’ve been through. We would never tell a survivor of abuse that the trauma must be over now that the abuse has stopped. And yet that mentality is at play in our collective denial of the trauma we’ve been through.

Need a prayer reboot for your church small group? Get creative + designate prayer champions! By Shelley Leith, Study Gateway  Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused ...