Being a facilitator who encourages collaboration, fosters community, and cultivates spiritual growth, takes more than skill. To best steer members in that direction, a small group Bible study teacher’s life matters. Certain traits will increase the potential of teaching in ways that lead to this potential in small groups.
Needed Traits in a Small Group Bible Study Teacher’s Life
We will either enhance the potential of a small group or detract from it by not only the way we act but also react, by not only our words but also our attitudes.
- To facilitate learning in a way that promotes collaboration, we need to be humble. We are there to learn and grow as co-learners. Unless we truly believe that what happens isn’t about us or what we know, we’ll tend to be more controlling rather than act as a guide.
- If we’re going to foster community, we need to be an example of what it means to accept (Rom. 15:7), care for (1 Cor. 12:25), and relate in other ways with one another. It will become obvious rather quickly whether our agenda or people are most important.
- To effectively disciple members of the small group, cultivating spiritual growth, we need to be available, approachable, and supportive. As we actively encourage (1 Thess. 5:11) members of the group and spur them on (Heb. 10:24), we’ll serve as a model for them to do likewise.