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FOR GROUP LEADERS

You can lead a group. Here's everything you need.

Simple, practical guides for starting and leading a Faith Roots group, even if you have never led before.

Start with the quick-start
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Leader guides

Tap a topic to jump to it. Every guide can be printed or saved in your language.

Quick-start

Lead your first group in five steps.

Starting a group

Gathering people and building trust.

Preparing a lesson

Get ready in about 20 minutes.

Leading a lesson

The four steps, with timings.

Asking good questions

Help people discover the truth.

Group dynamics

Talkers, quiet members, and hard moments.

Growing and multiplying

From one group to many.

Staying safe

Wisdom where faith is costly.

QUICK-START

Lead your first group in five steps

  1. Pray and invite: Ask God to show you 3 to 6 people. Invite each one personally.
  2. Choose a study: If you are not sure, start with Philippians, John or Psalms.
  3. Prepare: Read the passage and answer the questions yourself before the group meets.
  4. Meet and follow the four steps: Connecting, Comprehending, Committing, Communicating, then close in prayer. It takes about 25 minutes.
  5. Follow up: During the week, check in on each person’s commitment. Then tell us how your group went.

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GUIDE

Starting a group

Start small, so the group is a safe place to share and grow.

  • Pray first: Ask God to show you 3 to 6 people who need encouragement in their faith, such as family, neighbours, or believers facing hardship.
  • Invite personally: Meet one-on-one and explain how the lessons help people grow in their knowledge of God and his Word.
  • Keep it simple: Meet in a home or a quiet spot. You need no special setup, just willing hearts.
  • Be consistent: Suggest a weekly time, but be flexible for busy lives and safety concerns.

Building trust

Trust helps everyone open up and apply the truth without fear.

  • Go first: In the first meeting, share a simple story of your own faith struggles. It shows that honesty is safe.
  • Agree on ground rules: Listen without judging, keep what is shared private, and encourage one another.
  • Be patient: Trust grows over time. Celebrate small steps of honesty.

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GUIDE

Preparing a lesson

Good preparation takes about 20 minutes and makes the lesson flow.

  1. Pray: Ask God to speak to you first, and pray for each group member by name.
  2. Read the passage twice: Read slowly. Notice repeated words, people, and what God does.
  3. Answer the questions yourself: Lead from your own growth, not from notes.
  4. Think about your group: Which questions will matter most to them this week? Where might they struggle?
  5. Adapt: Use simple words. If reading is hard for some, plan to read aloud slowly and explain the questions.
  6. Gather the basics: A Bible in your language, the lesson (printed or on your phone), and paper for notes.

Many lessons have a short recap voice note. It can help you prepare, but listen to it after you have first reflected on the passage yourself.

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GUIDE

Leading a lesson step by step

A lesson takes about 25 minutes. The timings below are a guide, not a rule.

  1. Connecting (5 minutes): Pray together. Thank God for his Word and ask for open hearts. Read the passage aloud twice, then ask someone to retell it in their own words. If you met before, ask how last week’s commitments went.
  2. Comprehending (10 minutes): Work through the questions. Let the group find the answers in the passage rather than telling them.
  3. Committing (5 minutes): Ask each person: what is one simple step of obedience I will take this week? Keep it specific and small.
  4. Communicating (3 minutes): Ask each person: who will I share this with this week?
  5. Close with prayer (2 minutes): Let each person pray a short prayer of thanks or commitment. Pray for one another.

Remember: the goal is life change, not just knowledge.

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GUIDE

Asking good questions

In a discovery Bible study, you are a guide, not a preacher. Your questions help people find the truth in the passage for themselves.

  • Ask open questions: “What does this show us about God?” works better than a yes or no question.
  • Wait: Silence is fine. Count slowly to ten before you rephrase or answer.
  • Point back to the text: “Where do you see that in the passage?” keeps the Bible at the centre.
  • Ask follow-up questions: “What else?” “Why do you think that?” “What would that look like at home this week?”
  • Answer last: If you answer every question, people stop thinking. Let the group answer first.
  • It’s fine not to know: Say “I’m not sure, let’s look into it together,” and come back to it next week.

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GUIDE

Handling group dynamics

Every group has its challenges. Here are common ones and simple ways to respond with love.

  • Someone talks a lot: Thank them, then say “Let’s hear from someone who hasn’t shared yet.” Later, ask them privately to help you draw others in.
  • Someone is quiet: Start with easy questions anyone can answer. Invite them gently by name, and never force them to speak.
  • The discussion goes off topic: Say “That’s a good question, let’s come back to it after the lesson,” then return to the passage.
  • Someone gives a wrong answer: Don’t embarrass them. Ask “What in the passage shows us that?” and let the Bible correct gently.
  • People disagree: Keep it respectful and return to what the text says. Not every question has to be settled today.
  • Someone shares something painful: Listen, pray for them right then, and follow up privately. Keep it confidential. If someone is in danger, get help from a trusted pastor or leader.
  • Someone stops coming: Reach out personally, with care and without guilt. Let them know they are missed.

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GUIDE

Growing and multiplying

This is an ongoing discipleship journey. Focus on growth, not just on finishing lessons. The goal is disciples who make disciples.

  • Meet regularly: Meet at least once a week, and begin by reviewing last week’s commitments.
  • Encourage time alone with God: Between meetings, encourage each person to read, pray, and carry out their commitments.
  • Support one another: Pray together and share burdens. Look for ways to serve your community.
  • Choose an apprentice: Ask one member to lead Step 1, then a whole lesson, while you support them.
  • Send them out: When they are ready, encourage them to start a new group with family or friends. Keep meeting with them to encourage and pray.

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GUIDE

Staying safe

In many places, following Jesus is costly. Use wisdom and follow the advice of trusted local believers.

  • Meet discreetly: Keep groups small, and focus on heart change over big displays.
  • Be careful with phones: Think before naming people or places in group chats. Don’t post photos of your group or its location online.
  • Share stories safely: When you share a testimony, use first names or initials only, and leave out places.
  • Grow trust slowly: Invite new people personally, and be wise about who you share details with.
  • Point back to God’s love: When fear or hardship come, encourage one another with God’s promises and pray together.

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How to use these studies

These lessons are designed as short, 25-minute studies based on Bible truths, and meant for self-learning or small group study. The study sets systematically cover different books of the Bible. 

Each lesson follows a simple structure:

  • Introduction (Including the outline and objectives)
  • Step 1: Connecting
  • Step 2: Comprehending
  • Step 3: Committing
  • Step 4: Communicating

These sections include questions to help you reflect on the bible passage and how it applies to your life. 

Use these lessons to disciple others by journeying together over time and allowing God’s word to penetrate your heart and bring transforming change to your life. As a leader, pray for wisdom in leading and for modelling the truths in your own life.

Sharing offline

  • Mobile Friendly PDF
  • Print Friendly PDF
  • Full Study PDF

Each lesson has three buttons allowing you to download a easily saveable and shareable PDF version of the study. You can choose either a Mobile-friendly PDF version, and Print-friendly PDF version, or a print version of the Full Study PDF (for example all the lessons in the current book of the Bible).

These are free and can be easily copied and shared from one person to another!

Gathering a Small Group

Start small to build a safe space for sharing and growth.

  • Pray first: Ask God to show you 3-6 people who need encouragement in faith, like family, neighbors, or fellow believers facing hardship.
  • Invite personally: Meet one-on-one, explain how the lessons are designed to help people grow in their faith and knowledge of God and his Word.
  • Keep it simple: Meet in a home or quiet spot; no need for fancy setup – just willing hearts.
  • Aim for consistency: Suggest weekly meetings, but be flexible for busy lives or safety concerns in persecuted areas.

Trust helps everyone open up, reflect, and apply truths without fear.

  • Start with sharing: In the first meeting, share simple stories of your own faith struggles to show vulnerability.
  • Set ground rules: Agree to listen without judging, keep stories private, and focus on encouraging each other.
  • Build bonds: Begin each session with a short prayer or song inviting God to be present with you.
  • Be patient: Trust grows over time – encourage quiet members gently, and celebrate small steps of honesty.

Good preparation makes the lesson flow and helps discipleship.

  • Read ahead: Study the lesson before; pray over the Bible passage and think how it fits your group’s challenges.
  • Adapt for the group: Use simple words; if literacy is low, read aloud slowly and explain questions or stories.
  • Gather basics: Have a Bible (in your language) and paper for notes.
  • Reflect personally: Ask yourself the study questions first – lead from your own growth and experience.
  • Pray: Pray for your group members.

Guide the group through the lesson structure to encourage discovery and commitment.

  • Step 1 – Connecting: Start the group meeting by praying together. Thank God for his Word and ask for open hearts to receive it. Read the Bible passage together (Read it aloud twice; ask someone to repeat in their words.)
  • Step 2: Comprehending: Use the provided questions to help you grapple with the truth of the Bible passage.
  • Step 3 – Committing: Consider how the passage might apply to your lives and what simple steps of obedience you can commit to. The goal of these studies if life-change! Not just knowledge!
  • Step 4 – Communicating:  Think of who you can share the truths you have learned with.
  • Close with Prayer: Let group members pray short prayers of thanks or commitment. Pray for one another.

For many of the lessons, there is a short summary teaching voice-note at the end of the lesson (together with a text summary). This is designed to be a recap and reminder of the key lessons you should have learned through the lesson. 

As a leader, you might like to use these summary teaching resources to help you in preparation for leading your group, though ideally not before you have spent time prayerfully reflecting on the passage.

This is an ongoing discipleship journey aiming to transform lives and help people to live victorious Christian lives. Focus on growth, not just finishing lessons.

  • Meet regularly: Join together at least once a week. Review past actions at each start to build accountability.
  • Encourage reflection: Between meetings, urge personal time with the lesson – read, pray, and try complete commitments made.
  • Support one another: If your group members are facing challenges, use lessons to pray together and share burdens; become “agents of change” by helping others in your community.
  • Multiply groups: As trust grows, encourage members to start their own small groups with family or friends.
  • Keep it short: Stick to 15 – 25 minutes per lesson to fit busy, challenging lives.
  • Handle challenges: If fear or hardship arise, encourage members by always pointing back to God’s love. 
  • Stay safe: In persecuted areas, meet discreetly; focus on heart change over big displays.
  • Celebrate progress: Note how people have grown in faith; allow time for sharing testimonies of what God has done. Take note of what you pray for, and give thanks when God answers prayer.

Final encouragement

Leading these lessons is serving like Jesus – humble, loving, and truthful. As you journey together, God will build growing faith into each person’s life. Pray often, and watch lives transform!

If you would like to share stories of faith from your own communities, please get in touch with us!