How to Host a Bible Study
Dear Lovely,
11 years ago when we viewed our home for the very first time, it was a new build, completely empty, and ours was the very first showing. I remember walking into the living room that day. There is a large stone fireplace surrounded by built in shelves, and the open concept floorplan called for the kitchen to spill right into the living room. It was stunning, inviting, and perfect for entertaining. The first thing I said to Brian was, “Is this a great house?” The second thing, though I only said it to myself was, If we get this house, I should host a Bible study in this room.
Last summer, I felt the Lord calling me to make good on that promise from 11 years prior. I no longer have little children. My work schedule is very flexible. I am in a good place mentally and spiritually to host something of this calibre. And, as strange as this might sound to some of you, I could feel the need of women around me craving a place to go that was safe, loving, God-centered, and comforting. Although I had never done something like this before, I knew now was the right time.
QUICK NOTE: When I say I’m in a good place spiritually to host a study, this doesn’t mean that I feel I have sufficient theological knowledge to lead. I absolutely do not. But I do feel obedient, and when we say yes, God takes the reigns. Please don’t feel like you have to be some sort of Bible expert to host a study. You just have to be willing.
When I made the decision to host the study, I felt such compassion for the women who would come—even though at the time, I had no idea who that would be. I prayed about it, told God I was willing, and asked Him to guide me as I put it all together. These are the steps I took after praying:
Chose a study from a minister whose works I had studied before. I liked her teaching style and the structure of her studies.
Made a little digital invitation on Canva giving the pertinent details, which included the study, time, day, and address.
Texted the invitation out to any woman I thought might be interested in a Bible study. I also texted women who I thought wouldn’t be interested, but I wanted to give them the opportunity to come anyway.
Made the decision not to ask anyone to bring breakfast. I wanted to provide a little morning snack and hot tea/coffee. My goal was to make Friday mornings from 9-10:30 feel like a comforting hug from the Lord. Food, Scripture, Friends. Yes, this meant more work for me on Friday mornings, but I felt led to serve in this way.
Once everyone had responded and I knew who wanted to attend, I created a group text for us. I send usually 1 text each week, just confirming Bible study is happening, however this group text has been a wonderful way to communicate different faith-based info with each other. A song, a conference, a book. We can all send it out in the text for anyone who might be interested.
And that’s it. So, let me answer a few questions you may have.
1.) What if the chosen study isn’t enjoyable? We’ve actually dealt with this. One of the studies we chose to do in the fall wasn’t really resonating with most of us. However, we finished the study and ended up having great discussions. It felt like the Lord was happy for us to be gathering and blessed us with insightful talks. Even though the study itself wasn’t a favorite, value and application can always be found when you are studying God’s word.
2.) Do you really cook a breakfast every week? Yes, I do. Now every once in a while one of the girls will offer, and I graciously accept that offer. If someone wants to bring something, I’m always happy for that. I just never wanted anyone to feel that irritance we have all felt when our turn to bring the meal falls on the most dysfunctional of mornings, and our Bible study time is shadowed by a burned casserole, tardiness, a little spat with the hubs, a crying child, a speeding ticket... Am I right? So, I am fully prepared to be the one providing breakfast, but when someone offers, I’m happy to pass the wooden spoon for that week.
3.) What do you make for breakfast? Usually I make a breakfast casserole. I’ve also been known to drive through Chick-fil-a early for a small platter of Chicken Minis. If you’re local, run down to Hugs Cafe and grab one (or a few) of their frozen homemade quiche. Last time I was there they had Bacon Tomato as well as Caprese, and they are so delicious! Support Hugs while also feeding your group. Not every meal you serve has to be homemade.
FYI: Hugs Cafe is a local nonprofit cafe that employees adults with special needs. It is an outstanding operation, and McKinney is so proud to claim Hugs as our own. 💜
4.) What do you do to make entertaining a group easier or more streamlined? Now, I am a seasoned host and love inviting people into my home, but here are a few things I do to make Friday mornings easier.
I make sure the kitchen and living room are completely clean and picked up the night before.
I use a juice glass to hold forks. I have a cute (thrifted) napkin holder where I put extra napkins from take-out or Door Dash nights. And I grab a stack of real plates, not paper. These 3 elements are the only things I sit out before they arrive. Knowing my guests just need a fork, a napkin, and a plate keeps things streamlined.
I have a little coffee station set up for people to help themselves. This includes mugs, demitasse spoons, creamer, and sugar.
5.) How do you know how to lead a study? A large part of this is taken care of in the study itself, the actual book you purchase. There is usually a Leader’s Guide in the back of the book that gives structure, sample questions, and discussion topics. Additional things I make sure to do as the leader are: 1. Respect everyone’s time by starting the video approximately 15 minutes after everyone arrives so we can be finished by 10:30. 2. I keep the questions moving during discussion time so we don’t get stuck on one thing. 3. I guide us away from what we don’t want in this study. For example, I nixed an option to do a study on marriage because I don’t want this to be a place for us to complain about our husbands. You may want to lay out some ground rules at the beginning of the study, ie: this isn’t a place to gossip, everything said here is confidential, etc…
6.) What if you want to do something like this but can’t commit to something every week? If you want to get some ladies together, why not host a little prayer coffee? Invite friends in the neighborhood, other moms from school, or work-out buddies over for coffee, cinnamon rolls, and prayer requests. Everyone gets to bring something they want to commit to prayer. Pray together for each request. And then maybe draw names to continue praying for one person until you can all meet again. You don’t have to be an expert, you just have to be willing.
Lovely, these are my thoughts on hosting a Bible Study. It took me 11 years to make good on a promise, but I’m so pleased to be doing it now. I feel blessed to have these women in my home, and what’s so incredible is that I didn’t even know three of them. They just heard about it through someone I had invited and joined us. Isn’t that wonderful!? When Jesus told me to honor my promise, he knew they would be here. I’m just so happy to open our home to these ladies so we can grow in our faith. I love stewarding the blessing of our home in this way. Thank you God for our home and these women. Thank you for your Word. Thank you for joining us each week.
