How to start a Bible study group

Step 1 — Decide the shape before you invite anyone

• Who it's for: neighbors, coworkers, young parents, men, women, couples, students, or simply 'anyone who wants to read the Bible'.
• How often: weekly beats biweekly. Momentum dies in the gap.
• How long each meeting: 90 minutes, ending on time, every time.
• How many weeks: commit to eight, then re-evaluate. An open-ended group is easy to quit.
• Where: a home, a library room, a break room, a coffee shop, or a recurring video call.

Step 2 — Invite five people personally

• Text or ask five people face to face. Broad announcements produce interest; personal asks produce attendance.
• Say exactly what you're asking for: 'Eight Thursdays, 7–8:30pm, my place, we're reading Mark.'
• Ask each person to bring one friend — this is how a group of five becomes a group of nine.
• Tell people they don't need a background, a study Bible, or the right answers.
• List the group publicly too, so people searching for a study in your area can find it.

Step 3 — Pick a first study that actually finishes

• Mark — 16 fast-moving chapters, the clearest introduction to Jesus (8 weeks).
• Philippians — 4 chapters on joy and contentment (4 weeks).
• James — 5 chapters of extremely practical faith (5 weeks).
• 1 John — 5 chapters on identity, love, and assurance (5 weeks).
• Avoid Revelation, Leviticus, and Romans for a first study. They are worth doing later, with more trust in the room.

Step 4 — Run the 90-minute meeting

• 0–15 min — Arrive, food, an easy question everyone can answer.
• 15–25 min — Recap last week, one prayer request per person, 60 seconds each.
• 25–45 min — Read the passage aloud twice, slowly. Note repeated words.
• 45–75 min — Discussion: What does it say? What did it mean to the first readers? What does it mean for us?
• 75–90 min — One specific application each, closing prayer, end on time.

Step 5 — Keep it alive between meetings

• Tuesday: text the passage and one short question.
• Friday: text one verse, no commentary.
• Follow up personally with anyone who misses two weeks in a row.
• Rotate who reads, who prays, and who brings food — shared ownership is what makes it their group.
• Celebrate at week eight with a meal, then decide together what's next.

The five mistakes that kill new groups

• No end date — people can't commit to forever, but they can commit to eight weeks.
• The leader talks 80% of the time. Aim for under 30%.
• All venting, no Scripture — or all teaching, no discussion. You need both.
• Starting with a hard book and losing half the group by week three.
• Never inviting anyone new after launch. Add one person every six weeks.

Already have a group? Get found

If you'd rather join something than launch it — or you want people in your city to find the group you just started — use the Bible study finder to search local churches hosting studies, browse open online groups, and list your own group so nearby searchers can join.