Online Groups
A More Intimate Way to Study Together
Using our four-fold approach, group members receive access to daily Bible study questions, biblical commentary notes, audio lectures, and meet online weekly with a small group of people exploring the same Scripture passage in community.
DISCUSSION-BASED METHODS
Inductive Study (Observe, Interpret, Apply): Rather than just listening to the teaching, the group observes the text together, asking, "What does it say?" Then you interpret together: "What does it mean?" Finally, you apply it: "How does this change me?" This creates dialogue and deeper engagement than passive listening.
Socratic Method: The leader asks thoughtful questions instead of giving answers, allowing the group to discover biblical truth themselves. This builds ownership and critical thinking rather than dependence on one person's interpretation.
Verse-by-Verse Deep Dives: Slow down and examine passages word-by-word, discussing etymology, cultural context, and personal reactions. This intimacy reveals layers of meaning you'd miss in a surface-level study.
Testimonial Sharing: After studying a passage, invite group members to share how that Scripture has personally impacted their lives or answered prayers. This creates vulnerability and connection.
INTERACTIVE FORMATS
Lectio Divina (Sacred Reading): A contemplative, four-step approach: Read the passage aloud, meditate on it silently, pray about it personally, and then contemplate God's call on your life. The group shares their reflections afterward—creating space for the Holy Spirit's work.
Study in Pairs or Small Triads: Break the larger group into pairs or threes to discuss passages, then reconvene to share insights. Smaller groups feel safer for vulnerable questions and personal struggles.
Character Studies with Role-Play: Study a biblical character (David, Esther, Peter) and discuss how they navigated challenges. Some groups even act out scenes to engage emotionally with the story.
Response Writing: After studying a passage, have each person write their personal response—prayer, commitment, question, or reflection—and then share selectively. Writing creates deeper processing than discussion alone.
DISCUSSION-BASED METHODS
EXPERIENTIAL APPROACHES
Memorization & Meditation Work together to memorize key verses, then spend time meditating on them throughout the week. Share how the verses have become real to you in your daily life—this builds personal ownership and transformation.
Bible Study with Confession: Create a safe environment where people can confess struggles related to the passage studied. This moves beyond intellectual understanding to spiritual healing and accountability.
Fasting & Prayer Study: Combine your study with corporate prayer and fasting. Designate time to fast, study a passage, pray together, and listen for God's direction as a community.
Praying Scripture Aloud Together: After studying a passage, have the group pray it back to God corporately—personalizing biblical truths into intercession. This creates powerful spiritual intimacy.
VULNERABILITY-BUILDING FORMATS
Question Circle: Each person brings one honest question about Scripture, life, or faith. Go around the circle, allowing everyone to voice their real struggles, not just "good Christian" questions. The group wrestles through them together.
Story Sharing + Scripture Connection: Members share personal stories of challenge or transformation, then the group finds Scripture that speaks to that story. This connects God's Word to real-life vulnerabilities.
Life Situation Study: Instead of studying a random passage, the group identifies a current life struggle (anxiety, doubt, conflict, temptations), then searches Scripture together for answers. It feels immediately relevant and intimate.
Small Group Accountability Partners: Assign pairs within the group to study passages between meetings, then share what God revealed to them one-on-one before the larger group meets. This creates personal investment and accountability.
DISCUSSION-BASED METHODS
ATMOSPHERE-BUILDING PRACTICES
Open Your Homes: Study in someone's living room with coffee and snacks, rather than a traditional classroom setting. The informal environment naturally creates intimacy.
Start with Personal Check-Ins: Before diving into Scripture, spend 10-15 minutes asking: "How are you really doing?" This establishes emotional connection before intellectual engagement.
Silence & Reflection Spaces: Build in moments of quiet after reading a passage—no immediate discussion. Let people sit with God's Word personally before sharing thoughts. This honors individual processing and deepens introspection.
Study with Worship: Begin or end your studies with worship music or hymns related to the passage. Music bypasses intellectual barriers and creates emotional openness.
Candlelit or Low-Lighting Study: Soft lighting creates a different atmosphere than harsh fluorescent lights—more reflective, contemplative, and intimate.
RELATIONAL FORMATS
Mentorship Pairing: Pair newer believers with mature ones for Scripture study. The intimacy allows for more honest questions and personalized biblical guidance.
Multi-Generational Study: Mix ages deliberately—elders share wisdom, younger members bring fresh perspectives. This creates familial intimacy and intergenerational wisdom transfer.
Confession & Forgiveness Study: Study passages on forgiveness, repentance, and reconciliation, then create space for group members to confess offenses and extend forgiveness to one another. Spiritual intimacy deepens dramatically.
Covenant Group Study Establish: a formal or informal covenant where members commit to specific accountability practices—regular prayer for one another, honest feedback, mutual support. This deepens relational stakes.