How to Start, Host and Lead a Bible Study

There are people seeking new understanding in their faith journey, and although many may not be interested in engaging with a church or religion, they may be open to studying the Bible in community - we call these people our neighbors.

The heartbeat behind all that we do at The Chara Project is to build confidence in studying the Bible on your own and with your neighbor. To that end, our goal is to equip you with the tools to explore the Bible, grow in your Biblical understanding, and help others do the same, regardless of faith background.

This desire was born over the past 10 years as God opened our hearts and our homes to study the Bible with people from different faith backgrounds and beliefs. Because we welcome anyone, we don’t put limits on who can study the Bible together in a group. Leading a Bible study with people who don’t share your beliefs should be handled with care. We realize this may look different for everyone. 

With that in mind, click on the following boxes, which offer tips to any Bible study leader who wants to start or expand your current group - especially to include those who may not share your same beliefs. The guidance we offer in leading Bible study comes from what we’ve learned alongside our remarkable community. And the questions that we answer, in our FAQ, are just some of the questions that we’ve asked along the way.

This guide is a companion to the Neighbor Guide, which helps you learn how to navigate relationships around the Bible with people who may have different beliefs than you.

We hope that the tools we used when leading our own Bible study groups will be as helpful to you as they have been to us. At the heart of everything you’ll read in this guide, know that love should be at the center of it all. Because it’s not about how much you know, but how well you love.