How to lead a small group

This is the path a new leader walks in Lampstead Groups. A longer plan for the first evening, with the sources it draws on, is the first-meeting guide.

1. Create the group

Sign in and enter a group name. A new group starts on week 1 of Road to Emmaus (Luke 24). You can switch the study later from the study plan. The free series is Road to Emmaus. Philippians and Jonah each have a free sample week on the studies page. The rest of those two series is part of Lampstead Plus. With that, a leader can also write a custom week: a title, a passage, notes, and discussion questions.

2. Set the meeting

Setup asks when you meet. You can add a place. The next step asks whether you want reminders. They stay off if you choose not now. The app asks for notification permission only if you say yes.

3. Invite people

Open Leader tools and share the code or the link. You can copy the link, share an invite card, or email someone. You can let members share that same link. The link can expire after 7 days or 30 days, or last until you replace it. You can require your approval before a new member joins. Replacing the link revokes the old code.

4. Lead the week

Read the passage yourself. Members mark prep done when they have read, and the home screen shows how many have. At the meeting, the discussion timer walks the questions one at a time. Take attendance for that date and write session notes. The notes are saved with the attendance, not in a member’s private notes.

After the meeting, assign the next reading so the group knows what to prepare. If you turn it on, a Monday recap email sums up attendance, prep, prayer requests, and what is next. With Lampstead Plus, you can also print the weekly handout or save it as a PDF.

5. Keep the conversation in the group

Leaders post messages. Members reply on that post. There are no member-to-member direct messages. A youth-group setting says so on the home screen. Anyone can report a prayer request or a message, and can block a member.

The passage, background, and questions are described on small group Bible study. The prayer list is described on prayer requests for groups.