Small group leaders must cultivate the ability to interact with students, to get them to talk about their life and their faith, and to create an open forum for sharing thoughts and ideas. Discussion leading comes naturally for some, while it takes sincere effort from others. Our goal as teachers is to lead the students into discipleship… that is, lead them into doing God’s word. Students need to be actively involved in the lesson. The more they’re involved, the more they will learn and retain. One of the best ways to involve students in the learning process is discussion. Why bore students with another lecture when you can inspire, challenge, and encourage by having them be active participants in the lesson? Discussion is also a great way to build group unity and friendships. If they talk together, work out differing opinions, and arrive at a common conclusion, it will have a unifying effect.

Discussion is an opportunity for each person to express his or her ideas. The students can give their opinions. We want them to be honest and real, not just spit out the answers they think the teacher wants to hear. An open discussion gives the student the very real impression that his thoughts are important and you want to know what they are. It’s an opportunity to hear from more than just the teacher. It is amazing that you could talk to your youth group for months on commitment to Christ, and then a high school junior stands up at youth group one night, stammers through a three minute testimony and the entire group rallies together in a call to be more committed. It is vitally important that students talk with their peers about their Christian walk and receive encouragement from others who are in the trenches alongside them.

The key ingredient in leading a discussion is the teacher. You are the leader, guide, moderator, and teacher, as well as a member of the discussion. You are the one that keeps the discussion on the right track. When things get off on tangents, you have to know when to steer it back to the goal of your study. We were talking about cults one night at youth group and out of the blue Dan asks, “What do you think about capital punishment?” Hey, that’s a great question, but it has nothing to do with what we were talking about. It must have been important to Dan, though. The best response might be to tell him it is a great question and promise him you’ll talk about it another time. Then, keep your promise. Set a time and make it soon. As the leader you will need to pace the group discussion. Speed it up if it is getting bogged down on unimportant details. Slow it down if you think they are forgetting some key ideas. Keep them pointed toward the goal for your study. Finally, don’t forget that you need to involve yourself in the discussion without monopolizing it. Be willing to answer the same questions that you ask them. You are the key to making the discussion work.
There are a couple of keys to remember in your relationship to the group when leading a discussion.

First, respect your students. Show that respect in the questions you ask and the way you respond to their answers. Be careful not to embarrass students with too personal a question. Don’t criticize their answers. When someone gives a dumb

answer, don’t point out the stupidity of it. Imitate Jesus in the way he led a group of disciples that often didn’t seem to understand. He was their mentor for three years, and still they argued over who was the greatest, tried to keep the children from seeing Jesus, were surprised at his power over nature, and were often confused by his teachings. Jesus continued to teach and love these men, making them his disciples.

Second, listen to the students and be sensitive to any needs. This includes simple stuff like giving them eye contact, nodding your head, looking interested in what he have to say. Be alert to needs that arise. If you sense that it would be good to get off the subject to talk about another need, do it. Never become so tied to your lesson and schedule that you lack sensitivity to the needs of your students. A small group of college students was meeting in our home for a Thursday night Bible study fellowship. We were in the middle of our study when I asked the group about changes in their personal walk with God. Were they still growing? How could they tell? We went around the room, each person taking a turn at answering the question. When we came to Keri, her eyes filled with tears as she explained that even though she had grown up in the church, it wasn’t until recently that she found a real relationship with Jesus. She had been dating the same guy for about four years. He was a good guy and they had a pretty good relationship, but it wasn’t until they broke up that she realized how much she had become dependent on that relationship. She finally needed God. The group listened and identified with her. Others in the group confessed that they had let other people or things take first place in their lives too. The discussion turned into a healthy, caring support group. We listened and empathized with our friend.

That leads to a third key to keeping the lines of communication open with your students: show them you care. Show them your concern for them during discussion times. Reach out to them when you need to. If someone becomes embarrassed or emotional, give your verbal support immediately. You may need to give support physically too: a hand on a shoulder, a pat on the back, or a hug.

Finally, it is crucial that every student in your group be a participant in the discussion rather than a spectator. They need to be more than just listeners. They are participants. We need to do our best to involve everyone, even if it is just in a small way. In a small group, there is no escape from the questions. Don’t let them get by with answers like, “I don’t know.” Communicate that you want their input. Let them know that they are equals. Don’t treat one as more important than another. Sometimes it can be heard to get each person involved. There will always be some problem participants. The problems can be many. Here are just a few.