For The Group

1. Worship. Most groups like to begin with some kind of worship—a few minutes of prayer and/or a couple of songs. Worship helps people lay aside the business of the day and focus on God. It relaxes, renews, and opens you to listen to the Lord and each other. If you don’t already have worship built into your meetings in some way, discuss how you might do so.

The Navigators. (2010). LifeChange: John (K. Lee-Thorp, Ed.; p. 16). NavPress.

2. Warm-up. The beginning of a new study is a good time to lay a foundation for honest sharing of ideas, to get comfortable with each other, and to encourage a sense of common purpose. One way to establish common ground is to talk about what each group member hopes to get out of your group—out of any prayer, singing, sharing, outreach, or anything else you might do together.

The Navigators. (2010). LifeChange: John (K. Lee-Thorp, Ed.; p. 16). NavPress.

3. Reading aloud. It is often helpful to refresh everyone’s memory by reading aloud the passage you are going to study. You probably won’t want to read all of John, but consider having someone read 1:1–18, another read 3:16–21, another 19:16–30, and another 20:1–9, 19–23. These selections will remind the group of John’s themes, his style, and his personality. You can shorten them if your time is limited.

The Navigators. (2010). LifeChange: John (K. Lee-Thorp, Ed.; p. 17). NavPress.

4. First impressions. Ask the group to share their first impressions of John’s gospel—its style, mood, content, or whatever strikes you.

Next, zero in on John’s themes and purposes by discussing questions 2, 5, and 6. Try to state as succinctly as possible what the book is about.

The Navigators. (2010). LifeChange: John (K. Lee-Thorp, Ed.; p. 17). NavPress.

Wrap-up. The group leader should have read lesson two and its “For the group” section. At this point, he or she can give a short summary of what members can expect in that lesson and the coming meeting. This is a chance to whet everyone’s appetite, assign any optional questions, omit or clarify any numbered questions, or forewarn members of any possible difficulties.

Worship. Some groups like to end with singing and/or prayer. This can include songs and prayers that respond to what you’ve learned from John, or prayers for specific needs of group members. Many people are shy about sharing personal needs or praying aloud in groups, especially before they know the other people well. If this is true of your group, then a song and/or some silent prayer, and a short closing prayer by the leader, might be an appropriate end. You could share requests and pray in pairs instead, if appropriate.

The Navigators. (2010). LifeChange: John (K. Lee-Thorp, Ed.; p. 17). NavPress.