Recently, I’ve been writing about leading small group Bible studies. In particular, I’ve tried to help leaders minimize the chances that their questions fall to the ground in silence.
As a result, I’ve been thinking about the importance of questions. Aside from studying the Bible text itself, writing good questions may be the most important, difficult work of a Bible study leader.
I’ve created a worksheet which contains the fruit of this labor. My hope is that some small group leaders may find this helpful as they write questions for their groups. (In the future, you can find a link to this worksheet on our Resources page.)
The Worksheet
At the top of the worksheet, there is space to write the main point of the passage under consideration. This can act like a compass for all question writing; most questions will either lead to the main point or flow from it.
The largest section of the worksheet is the space to write discussion questions. On the right side of the page, I have listed the characteristics of a good question, about which I have written previously. I have found this helpful in my own study preparations—having these qualities nearby is a great reminder.
Finally, I have space at the bottom of the sheet for a study leader to work on a launching question. Though this usually begins a small group meeting, I frequently write it last because I want to get a sense of the whole discussion before thinking about how to kick it off. The characteristics of a good launching question are taken from Peter’s first post on the issue and a follow-up that I wrote.
At Knowable Word, we aim to help ordinary people learn to study the Bible. I offer this worksheet to small group leaders as a tool for your work bench.
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