3. Does the leader have to rigidly follow the exact questions?
The questions are guidelines, not laws. I believe that each small group leader needs to be trained in how to prepare excellent questions in order to reinvent the assigned lesson. The leader might only be able to use one or two worthwhile questions from what he or she receives from the church.
4. What if the leader doesn’t use all the questions?
One of the most common errors is including too many discussion questions. Some small group leaders feel obligated to cover all the questions—even if there are 10 or more. The most important consideration is whether or not the people were edified, encouraged, and transformed—not whether or not a set amount of questions were covered.
A good lesson has from three to seven questions. Normally, the small group leader will cover about five questions. My advice is to allow the people to leave with a hunger for more, rather than a commitment never to return to such a long, boring small group meeting. I also think it’s important to leave time for prayer after the small group lesson. It’s best to reach a crescendo of deep sharing that naturally leads to deep praying.
5. What type of questions are the best?
The best types of questions are observation and application questions. Actually there are three types of questions: observation, interpretation and application.
- Observation
- Understanding what the Bible passage says
- John 3:16:”How did God demonstrate his love for us?” Answer: God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.
- Interpretation
- Clarifying what the Bible passage means.
- John 3:16: What does the word world mean? Is John talking about the planet? The people on the planet? A worldly system apart from God? Answer: the people on the planet
- Application
- Putting the Bible passage into practice in our everyday lives.
- John 3:16: “How has God shown His love to me personally?” Answer: Each person in the group would give their own individual answer.
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