Module 5
Leading a Small-Group Stewardship Class
“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” — Acts 2:42
Lesson
What You Will Learn
- Plan a series of small-group sessions
- Facilitate discussion so everyone can participate
- Set and keep confidentiality ground rules
- Handle hard questions honestly without shaming anyone
Lesson Notes
Planning the Group
Work with your pastor or ministry leader before you start. Decide: Who is the group for? How many sessions (four to six is manageable)? Where and when? A group of about six to twelve allows everyone to talk.
For each session, write a session plan: goals, Scripture, teaching points, activity, discussion questions, materials, and timing. Prepare handouts that work on paper. Your church may later choose an established stewardship curriculum; your skills will help you lead any good material well.
Facilitating, Not Lecturing
A facilitator guides discussion. She asks open questions, waits through silence, and draws quieter people in. She gently redirects someone who dominates: Thank you; let's hear from someone who hasn't shared yet. She sums up what was said and brings the group back to Scripture.
Good facilitators talk less than the group. Aim for the group to speak at least half the time.
Confidentiality and Ground Rules
Set ground rules in the first session and review them often:
- What is shared here stays here.
- No one has to share numbers or stories.
- Speak for yourself; no advice-giving unless asked.
- No selling products or recruiting for businesses.
Be honest about the limits of confidentiality: if someone shares that a child is being harmed or that someone is in danger, you will get help. Know your church's policy on reporting and follow it. Proverbs 11:13 says he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
Hard Questions and No Shame
People will ask hard questions: about tithing while in debt, bankruptcy, a spouse's spending, or why God allowed loss. It is fine to say, I don't know, but let's look at Scripture together, or That's a question for a qualified professional; I can help you find one. Avoid arguing over secondary doctrines; refer deep theological questions to your pastor.
Never shame. Do not tell stories that mock people who are in debt. Do not praise only those who are doing well. Celebrate every step: the first budget, the first $20 saved, the first week without impulse buying. Galatians 6:1 calls us to restore in the spirit of meekness.
Key Terms
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Facilitator | A leader who guides group discussion rather than lecturing |
| Session plan | A written outline of goals, Scripture, teaching, activity, questions, and timing |
| Ground rules | Agreed expectations for how the group will treat one another |
| Limits of confidentiality | Situations, such as danger to someone, when a leader must get help |
In-Class Activities
Facilitation Role-Play
In groups of four, one person leads a five-minute discussion on Proverbs 21:20. Others play roles from the instructor's cards (the talker, the silent one, the advice-giver, the doubter). Rotate leaders. After each round, write one thing the leader did well.
Hard Question Responses
Write a gentle, honest response to each question: (1) Should I keep tithing while I'm behind on rent? (2) My husband hides purchases. What do I do? (3) Should I file bankruptcy? (4) If God loves me, why am I always broke?
Assignment: Session Plans for Sessions 1 and 2
Using the six-part structure, write full session plans for the first two sessions of your four-session workshop:
- Title, two or three learning goals, and a KJV Scripture for each.
- Teaching points, one activity, three discussion questions, and timing.
- Ground rules and your scope statement in Session 1.
- List the handout you will create for each session.
Graded with the Module Assignment Rubric.
Reflection Journal
Acts 2:42 describes believers continuing together in teaching, fellowship, and prayer. What makes a group feel safe to you? How can your class become a place of fellowship where people are not ashamed to grow?
Prayer focus: Ask God for wisdom to lead groups with humility, to keep confidences faithfully, and to answer hard questions with grace.
Weekly Reading & Devotions
A Table Where No One Is Ashamed
The early church continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers (Acts 2:42). A stewardship group can be that kind of table: honest teaching, real fellowship, and prayer.
Leading a group is less about talking and more about guiding. Ask open questions, wait through silence, and gently invite quieter voices. Thank the person who talks a lot and make room for others. Bring every conversation back to Scripture.
Ground rules protect the group: what is shared stays here, no one has to share numbers, no selling products, no advice unless asked. Be honest that confidentiality has limits if someone is in danger, and follow your church's policy.
Hard questions will come. It is fine to say, I don't know, but let's look at Scripture together, or That's a question for a qualified professional; I can help you find one. Above all, never shame. Celebrate every small step, and restore people in the spirit of meekness (Galatians 6:1).
Think About It
- What made a group feel safe for you in the past? ______________________
- Which ground rule matters most to you? ______________________
- What hard question are you most nervous about answering? ______________________
Daily Devotions for Week 5
Stedfast Together
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.— Acts 2:42 (KJV)
Growth happens best together.
Reflect: Who do you grow with?
Pray: Lord, make our groups places of fellowship.
Do: Plan the opening of your first session.
Provoke Unto Love
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:— Hebrews 10:24 (KJV)
Group leaders stir others toward good works with encouragement, not pressure.
Reflect: Whom can you encourage this week?
Pray: Lord, help me encourage others.
Do: Write an encouraging note to a classmate.
A Faithful Spirit
A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.— Proverbs 11:13 (KJV)
Keeping confidences builds trust.
Reflect: Is there anything you need to keep private?
Pray: Lord, give me a faithful spirit.
Do: Write your group's confidentiality statement.
Restore Gently
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.— Galatians 6:1 (KJV)
We restore others with meekness, remembering our own weakness.
Reflect: How has someone restored you gently?
Pray: Lord, make me gentle.
Do: Remove any shaming words from your session plans.
Edify One Another
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.— 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (KJV)
A good group builds people up.
Reflect: What builds you up?
Pray: Lord, help me edify others.
Do: Celebrate one small step someone has taken.
Module Quiz
- 1.
A facilitator mainly:
- 2.
Which is a good ground rule for a stewardship group?
- 3.
When asked whether someone should file bankruptcy, a lay leader should:
- 4.
Confidentiality has limits when someone is in danger.
- 5.
Give two ways to avoid shaming people in a stewardship class.