Free Bible study lessons for small Christian church cell groups by HFLI

Starting a Home Fellowship

God has a specific vision of your Home Fellowship on His heart. He speaks to us heart to heart. When you open yourself to the Holy Spirit He will impart His ideas and thoughts into your heart. The most important aspect of starting a home fellowship is your trust in the Lord. It is to the degree that you personally can trust the Holy Spirit to lead you that you will see success. You have to know that God is able and willing to guide you. He promised that the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth (Jn. 16:13).

You start with being just a host and/or hostess. Meet people where they are. They don’t know each other and are not ready for deep commitment yet. Give people time to develop trust in each other as friendly, caring people. It might take three or more months of weekly meeting and other activities before the group can start trusting you and each other to be their spiritual family.

The host and/or hostess welcome people who are looking for meaningful relationships. They help people to establish their relationships with the Lord and with each other. You should be a sociable, friendly person who enjoys spending time with others. As the members of the group start trusting each other more and more they will start being open about their problems. Pray for each other and help each other. Always look for a way to meet each other’s needs.

The host and/or hostess are facilitators of a Bible discussion group. They love Jesus and love people. In future the group can become a spiritual family of brothers and sisters united by the blood of Jesus. The leader (this does not have to be the host/hostess) guides people gently toward the higher levels of: 1. Relationships; 2. Application of the word of God in their lives; 3. Awareness of their place in the family of God; 4. Deeper commitments to Jesus and to one another.

Opening your home to others is very biblical. The Bible is full of examples of people offering hospitality as a way of being a blessing to others. Many opened their home to Jesus and His disciples as they traveled. Showing hospitality to others brings blessings and refreshing from God to those who opened their home (2 Tim. 1:16-18). When you are getting ready for the meeting, focus on the Lord — don’t be consumed with preparing the house for the meeting, serving a variety of snacks and beverages, etc. Keep it simple.

If you are starting your group within a church, work with your church leadership.

If you are starting a group on your own, we can give you some practical suggestions.

1. Pray daily that God will draw the people He wants. Pray for the “unity of spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). Commit your ways to the Lord — it is His work.

2. Develop personal contacts with your neighbors, co-workers, students from your college etc. Meet and accept them where they are at in their spiritual life and make friends with them. Share the Gospel of peace with those who are hurting.

3. Personally invite people to your group and show concern for them as individuals. Group life is built on relationships. Be an evangelist – invite your neighbors!

4. One of the ways to start a home group is to tell some people about your interest in starting a Bible discussion group. Invite them to your home or a home where you’ll be meeting.

5. You can start meetings when you have 4-5 people who are interested in learning the Bible.

6. Be relaxed, sociable, enjoy people. Show your attention to everyone equally, without spending too much time talking to one person. Watch what their spiritual needs might be.

7. Try to provide a comfortable room and a friendly atmosphere, free from distractions (pets, radio, TV, ringing phone etc.). Provide good lighting, ventilation and temperature.

8. If children will be present, make sure their needs are met.

9. Remind everyone personally of the first meeting of the group a few days in advance and ask them to bring a Bible, pencil and paper.

10. In the beginning, we suggest not to make the Bible discussion too deep. You can use Friendship Questions or Ice-Breakers to make the atmosphere more relaxed. They will also help people to get to know each other better.

11. Keep the meeting orderly and short. On weekdays, meetings should be dismissed by 9 pm. This is a way to show your care for those who have to get up early next morning.

The steps of development

I. You are host and/or hostess

You start as a born again Christian (accept Christ as your Savior.)

Become a disciple of Christ.

You hear God's call to start a prayer and Bible discussion group (as Host and/or Hostess).

Send your testimony to HFL and ask for “From Heart to Heart” booklet on how to start a group. Also receive 14 lessons for Bible discussion – all free ($3 postage.)

Study the book “Heart to Heart” that would instruct you on how to lead the group.

Start the group by inviting people who are interested in Bible study and prayer for weekly meetings at set time. You will meet in your or somebody’s home with you acting as Host and/or Hostess.

As Host and/or Hostess pray and trust Jesus for your weekly meetings. Look for leadership qualities among the group members. After each meeting fill out the “Leader’s Report” form and send it to us monthly.

II. You are a spiritual father and/or mother

After 12 meetings (about 3months) prayerfully consider if it’s time for your group to start becoming a spiritual family. That would mean more accountability, transparency and closer relationship between the members. Ask them what do they think about it. Nobody should be compelled to do that. “Thou shall not push" should be the “eleventh commandment” of the leader. If you have the agreement of the majority of the group you can become spiritual father and/or mother and the members brothers and sisters.

Send for new, additional 14 lessons for the next 3 months. Send your reports about the meetings to HFL. Please tell us if your group decided to become a spiritual family. Pray and consider as a group to start taking offerings. The offerings are not for the leaders, but to take care of the needs among the group members and to be involved into missionary work. Ask the Lord if He is directing you to send offerings to HFL and become partners with us in our work in the US, Russia and other countries.

III. You are a spiritual “grandfather” and/or “grandmother”

Prepare new leadership within the group by training your apprentice. When he/she is ready send him/her out to start a group of their own. They can take 1-2 people from your group. Pray for them. Counsel and support the new leadership if they want it (they are not your disciples, but Jesus’). You will not have authority over the new group, but will continue with your original group.

In the natural your grown-up children would have their own family, but also still be a part of your family. The same in the spiritual: your apprentice, your spiritual “child” starts his/her own family, but doesn’t stop being a part of your original group. This way he/she never loses the benefit of being under your pastoral care. Your group and the new group can meet on different days of the week. First the new leader meets with his/her group original group and discusses a particular lesson, then meets with his/her own group to discuss the same lesson. This way he/she will be confident about what he/she is doing in the new group.

Continue to grow and multiply, trust the Lord for the increase. Keep your original group and continue training new leaders within it. By sending them out to start new groups you become a spiritual “grandfather” and/or “grandmother”.