Small Group Leaders and Ministry Blog

Five Reasons Your Church Needs a Small Group Ministry

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.

Jesus and Women Bible Study Watch List

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.

5 Verses + 5 Bible Studies for Black History Month

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.

Top Video Bible Studies for Easter on the Life of Jesus, His Death, and Resurrection

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 ...

Being Unoffendable: The Ridiculous Idea

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).

Set and Reach Your 2023 Bible Study Goals with This Planner

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!

    Study Gateway’s Top 10 Bible Studies for 2022

    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 ...

    In the Beginning...

    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.

    Your Viewing Guide to Christmas Bible Studies for Small Groups or Families

    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.

    Waiting for God’s Timing

    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).

    Mental Health: Could Your Small Group Use Some Help to Support Each Other?

    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.

    Reading the Gospel of John: Believing in Jesus

    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.

    5 Keys to Success for the Introverted Small Group Leader

    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.

    Abide Bible Course: Five Practices You Can Use to Engage With the Bible

    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 ...

    The Strength That Prevails - Resilient

    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.

    5 Ideas for Inspiring Your Small Group Prayer Time

    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 ...

    Free Resources

    Using How (not) to Save the World with your church or small group?

    Using How (not) to Save the World with your church or small group?

    Here are some tools to help: 

    The Small Group Tool Kit includes two mobile-friendly invitation cards, reflection cards to enhance your small  group experience, and a worship song playlist curated by Hosanna Wong that can beplayed during small group meetings or personal Bible study time. 

    The Church Tool Kit includes a downloadable poster, bulletininsert, invitation card, and Power Point slide.

    Is your church talking about anxiety, depression and mental health issues? You should be.

    Is your church talking about anxiety, depression and mental health issues? You should be.

    Shawn Johnson, lead pastor of Red Rocks Church, gives a
    searingly honest portrait of anxiety and depression and shows readers how to fight back and live free. He also has put together three free tools pastors can use to help their congregation have a productive conversation around mental health, including a discussion guide, sermon notes and key Scripture verses.