journey, a humble seeker like everyone else
Most of all, remember this: You are not alone—far from it. Simply trust the One who lives within you. Ask for His wisdom, and you will find the knowledge and spiritual growth you and others are seeking.
Before the First Meeting
Pray. Ask God to bring into your group the people of His choosing.
Determine the size of your group. Seeing Yourself Through God’s Eyes is appropriate for home Bible study groups, counseling and support groups, as well as for church and business groups. The optimal size of a group is 8 to 12 members. When a group has more than 12 members, it may be best to divide into two groups. People tend to share more freely and to develop greater intimacy in smaller groups.
Know the structure of the study. Seeing Yourself Through God’s Eyes is a four-week study featuring 31 daily lessons, with each lesson taking about 10 to 15 minutes to complete. You may want to schedule an introductory session in order to give an overview of the study. (Use pages 21-22 of the book as an example.) The recommended length of time for group discussion is approximately 45 to 60 minutes.
Schedule the dates and times. Contact group members far enough in advance so they can plan ahead to attend.
• Send out a reminder card or e-mail a few days prior to the first meeting
• Include dates and times the study group will meet, address and contact information, anticipated preparation time per week, and length of group discussion time allotted each week
State expectations. Give the following details:
• When members will receive their books and the cost of the book, if not prepaid
• What, if anything, members should do prior to the first meeting
• Supplies they will need to bring each week (a Bible, the book, notebook paper, and pen)
• Regular attendance and sharing
Get name tags. Attempt to learn everyone’s name beforehand so you can introduce them to each other at the first meeting.
Strategies for Successfully Leading a Small Group
Pray for the members of your group throughout the week. Acknowledge your dependence on the Holy Spirit, and trust Him to penetrate every person’s heart with biblical truths.
Start and stop on time. Be respectful of the group members’ time.
Welcome each person. Learn to address everyone by name.
Use “icebreakers” to get better acquainted. You may want to begin the first meeting with questions such as, “Why did you decide to join this group?” and “What do you hope to gain from this study?” Also, you may want to ask everyone to introduce themselves and tell something about their background or family.
Explain the question-and-answer format. Reassure members they are not expected to share anything that makes them feel uncomfortable. Make the main focus God’s Word. Since each daily reading concludes with three exercises, you may use some of these to stimulate discussion. Suggested questions are also provided in the following pages. Use them to help guide your discussion, but don’t feel confined by them—follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and adapt the study to best meet the needs of your group.
Be a facilitator, not a teacher. A teacher presents his or her own information in a clear, understandable way to others. A facilitator leads the group members to discuss what they have learned during the week. By asking thought-provoking questions and creating a reassuring environment, a facilitator helps the group members discover ways to personally apply the truths revealed in God’s Word.
Pace the meeting to cover the lesson in the allotted time. It may be helpful to write, in the margin of your workbook, the time you expect to reach the halfway point in the discussion. Pencil in other times, allowing about six to eight minutes for each question (some will be covered more quickly than others).
Encourage interaction. Most of the questions provided in this guide are structured to allow for
Most of all, remember this: You are not alone—far from it. Simply trust the One who lives within you. Ask for His wisdom, and you will find the knowledge and spiritual growth you and others are seeking.
Before the First Meeting
Pray. Ask God to bring into your group the people of His choosing.
Determine the size of your group. Seeing Yourself Through God’s Eyes is appropriate for home Bible study groups, counseling and support groups, as well as for church and business groups. The optimal size of a group is 8 to 12 members. When a group has more than 12 members, it may be best to divide into two groups. People tend to share more freely and to develop greater intimacy in smaller groups.
Know the structure of the study. Seeing Yourself Through God’s Eyes is a four-week study featuring 31 daily lessons, with each lesson taking about 10 to 15 minutes to complete. You may want to schedule an introductory session in order to give an overview of the study. (Use pages 21-22 of the book as an example.) The recommended length of time for group discussion is approximately 45 to 60 minutes.
Schedule the dates and times. Contact group members far enough in advance so they can plan ahead to attend.
• Send out a reminder card or e-mail a few days prior to the first meeting
• Include dates and times the study group will meet, address and contact information, anticipated preparation time per week, and length of group discussion time allotted each week
State expectations. Give the following details:
• When members will receive their books and the cost of the book, if not prepaid
• What, if anything, members should do prior to the first meeting
• Supplies they will need to bring each week (a Bible, the book, notebook paper, and pen)
• Regular attendance and sharing
Get name tags. Attempt to learn everyone’s name beforehand so you can introduce them to each other at the first meeting.
Strategies for Successfully Leading a Small Group
Pray for the members of your group throughout the week. Acknowledge your dependence on the Holy Spirit, and trust Him to penetrate every person’s heart with biblical truths.
Start and stop on time. Be respectful of the group members’ time.
Welcome each person. Learn to address everyone by name.
Use “icebreakers” to get better acquainted. You may want to begin the first meeting with questions such as, “Why did you decide to join this group?” and “What do you hope to gain from this study?” Also, you may want to ask everyone to introduce themselves and tell something about their background or family.
Explain the question-and-answer format. Reassure members they are not expected to share anything that makes them feel uncomfortable. Make the main focus God’s Word. Since each daily reading concludes with three exercises, you may use some of these to stimulate discussion. Suggested questions are also provided in the following pages. Use them to help guide your discussion, but don’t feel confined by them—follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and adapt the study to best meet the needs of your group.
Be a facilitator, not a teacher. A teacher presents his or her own information in a clear, understandable way to others. A facilitator leads the group members to discuss what they have learned during the week. By asking thought-provoking questions and creating a reassuring environment, a facilitator helps the group members discover ways to personally apply the truths revealed in God’s Word.
Pace the meeting to cover the lesson in the allotted time. It may be helpful to write, in the margin of your workbook, the time you expect to reach the halfway point in the discussion. Pencil in other times, allowing about six to eight minutes for each question (some will be covered more quickly than others).
Encourage interaction. Most of the questions provided in this guide are structured to allow for
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