Starting a Small Group

Discussion/Reflection Questions

What in this video stands out to you?
What did you learn from this video?
What action can you take this week as a result of watching this video?

Why Start a Small Group?

Think about the best small group of which you have been a part. What was so great about it? What was it about that group that helped you grow?

Small groups can be a great incubator for a student’s growth. Students’ lives are often transformed as they study God’s word and do life with friends who are also striving to grow closer to God. A small group can be a lifeline to a student who feels disconnected or who is not thriving in his faith. Starting a small group where your students can thrive in a supportive environment and know they are loved and respected is well worth the effort.

As a leader, you get to invest in the next generation and see lives transformed. Your relationship with each student is critical. They will glean much from watching how you integrate Christ’s life into your daily life. They will notice how you win people to Christ, build them in their faith, and send them out to do the same. Discipleship is helping students discover for themselves the same truths you have come to trust.

Small groups are amazing. Where else can your students pray, study the Bible, catch a vision for reaching the campus and the world with a group of friends?

3 Steps to Starting a Small Group

1. Pray

The foundation is always prayer. Here are just a few things to keep in prayer.

Pray about whom to invite.
You want students who show an eagerness to learn. Pray about which students would be best to bring together. Pray about the content of your study, the meeting time, and the location.
Pray for a heart change.
We do not simply want a behavior change, we want God to do something much deeper. Pray for genuine life change to occur in each student’s life.

The purpose of your small group is to build student leaders and multiplying disciples. Movements happen when students influence and reach other students.

As you start your small group, you will want to build it on the following five distinctives:

God’s Word
Christ as the Center of our lives
The Holy Spirit leading and empowering us
Authentic relationships and community
Prayer for each other

This will help your students see that following Jesus in the context of relationships brings a life of encouragement and growth.

Some goals for small groups are for students to study God’s word, seek Christ, trust the Spirit, and build relationships with each other in a safe and loving atmosphere. As this happens, you may begin to see some of your students deepening their walk with Christ, experiencing progressive life change, forming a caring community together, and having an outward impact.

2. Prepare

Before you gather students, spend some time thinking about what you want the group to look like. Here are five questions to answer before your first small group…

How many people?
Think through how many should be in a group. You want every student to participate and engage in dialogue. We found 3 to 10 students is a sweet spot that helps facilitate participation.
How long?
Decide how long the group should meet. Four to six weeks is a good length for a focused study. Consider meeting for at least one hour, but not more than two each week. be committed to ending on time as this is especially important for parents.
Where will we meet?
Think through where to meet. Your job as a leader is to cultivate a safe, positive environment where relationships will grow between you, the group members, and God. If there is a place where students in the group gather naturally, that could be an excellent place to meet. A designated room away from a lot of activity is best. Your home might be a possibility if that is convenient or conducive. Of course, light refreshments are always welcome.
How will I start?
Be sure to prepare a good icebreaker for the first meeting, as the focus is primarily on building relationships. Students want to feel welcome, meaningful, and comfortable with you and with one another.
What will we study?
Regarding content, you can find some great small group studies at www.thrivestudies.com. The selection of content matters because what you teach is what they will teach.

Keep in mind that the students in your small group might be the next leaders in your movement. Build into them like you would want your leaders to be built into. You want to pray, study the Bible, give vision for reaching the campus and the world, and learn how to do that together.

3. Invite

As you meet with students, get to know what is important to them. You may want to ask them about their spiritual background if you do not know. Let them know a little about what to expect from the small group time. Ask about their schedules and exchange phone numbers if you haven’t already. The night before your small group begins, remember to send out a text reminding students where and what time to meet.

As you take a step of faith to start a small group, the article on Leading a Small Group is a great resource to help you have a learner-focused group and facilitate an interactive group where students discover truths for themselves.

Call to Action

Write down the names of 3 to 10 students that you know then start taking the steps to start a small group with those students. Pray. Prepare. Invite.

Next Step

Who are some students you work with that might make good leaders? Make a list of 5 students and begin praying that God would show you opportunities to help them step into leadership.

From Grief to Purpose: Finding God in the Storm

Growing up in a Christian home, she always knew about Jesus, but her relationship with Him didn’t feel personal until tragedy struck in eighth grade. Transitioning from homeschooling to public school had already pushed her out of her comfort zone, and anxiety loomed as she struggled to find her place. Then, during the fall of 2020, both her parents contracted COVID. While her mom recovered, her dad’s condition worsened, leading to months of uncertainty. She vividly remembers the day he left for the hospital and the long, heartbreaking journey that followed. Despite moments of hope, her dad passed away on February 20th, 2021. At just 13 years old, she faced the devastating reality of losing her father—a loss that shook her world and her faith.

In the midst of that grief, she began to see God’s hand at work. During sleepless nights and moments of overwhelming sorrow, God surrounded her with people who cared—friends, family, and a community that embodied His love. Though the pain of loss didn’t disappear, she found comfort in the truth that this life is not the end. Inspired by Paul’s words about eternity, she started to see her father’s passing as a reminder of the hope we have in Christ. That hope spurred her to action. On a family mission trip to Thailand, she met students leading Cru groups at their schools, and the seed was planted to start something similar back home. Despite initial uncertainty, God provided resources, opened doors, and brought others alongside her to launch Cru at her school—a ministry that has been thriving for nearly a year now.

"Anxiety loomed as she struggled to find her place."

Her story is one of resilience, faith, and transformation. Through unimaginable grief, she discovered the depth of God’s love and the strength found in trusting Him. The loss of her dad deepened her desire to share Jesus with others, knowing firsthand how essential His presence is in life’s hardest moments. Cru has given her a platform to do just that—to tell others about the God who redeems brokenness and uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Her journey reminds us that while pain is inevitable, God is sovereign, faithful, and able to bring beauty from ashes.

Next Step

Check out Christina's Story and consider how God might use an international mission in your or another student's life.

christina's story

The Six Milestones Every Student Needs to Grow in Faith

Why These Milestones Matter

If we are not careful, students can float through our ministry without ever taking real steps forward. They might show up every week, but never really grow or take ownership of their faith. Milestones give us a simple, clear map for helping them keep moving. They help us answer the question, “What’s next for this student?” and give students the courage to take that step.

When we guide students from milestone to milestone, we are not just helping them stay involved. We are helping them grow into strong, confident followers of Jesus who are ready to lead and influence others.

Share Christ with a Student Who Doesn’t Know Jesus

Before anything else, a student needs the chance to hear the good news of Jesus in a clear and personal way. This is where it all begins. Many teenagers have never heard the gospel explained in full, even if they have been around church. Take the time to share about God’s love, our need for forgiveness, and the hope we have in Christ. The first step in their journey is not about them sharing their faith — it is about them hearing it for the first time.

Helpful Resources:

Lead a Student Through Their First Follow-Up

When a student says yes to Jesus, it is just the start of something new and exciting. The first follow-up meeting is where you can help them understand what it means to walk with God daily. It is also a chance to build trust and start a discipleship relationship. This step anchors their new faith and helps them grow instead of drifting away.

Helpful Resources:

Help a Student Understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit

Helping students understand the Holy Spirit is a game-changer. Too often, new believers try to live the Christian life in their own strength, and it leaves them frustrated. Teaching them about the Spirit-filled life shows them how to depend on God’s power for both living and sharing their faith. This is when students start to realize that God is not just calling them to do hard things — He is empowering them to actually do them.

Helpful Resources:

GodTools App (go through the Satisfied tool with them)
Holy Spirit Booklet

Holy Spirit Study in Thrive Studies

First Evangelism Experience

Many students have never had the chance to talk about their faith with someone who doesn’t know Jesus. Taking them out to share, whether on campus, at an event, or in the community, changes that. At first, they might feel nervous, but once they see God working through them, it can be life-changing. That moment when a student realizes, “God just used me to help someone understand the gospel” — that is the spark that often leads to a lifetime of ministry.

Helpful Resources:

Challenge to a Cru Training Event

There is something powerful about getting students away from their normal routine and into an environment filled with worship, biblical teaching, and friends who are chasing after Jesus. Conferences give them the space to grow, hear from God, and take big steps of faith. The bus ride there might be full of nerves, but the ride home is usually buzzing with stories of what God did. Over and over again, we have seen students return from these events ready to lead and make a difference.

Helpful Resources:

Conferences Page

Challenge to Spiritual Leadership on Campus

Teenagers are capable of more than they realize. The world constantly challenges them to step up in sports, academics, and clubs, but sometimes the church forgets to ask them to lead in ministry. Giving students real leadership opportunities — leading a Bible study, speaking at a meeting, planning an outreach — unlocks their potential and sets an example for younger students. Over time, this creates a culture where leadership is expected and contagious.

Helpful Resources:

Student Leader Section – GoToTheCampus.com

Wrapping It Up

These milestones are not a checklist to rush through. They are a pathway to help students grow, one step at a time. Every student you know is somewhere on this journey. Your role is to encourage them, challenge them, and walk alongside them as they take the next step. The goal is not just to build a ministry — it is to build students who live on mission for Jesus for the rest of their lives.

Want to dig deeper? Check out our full conversations about the Six Milestones in these YouTube videos.

Next Step

Write down the names of every student in your ministry. Identify their current milestone and decide how you can help them reach the next one.

The Priceless Project: Impacting Girls in Public Schools

The Priceless Project: Impacting Girls in Public Schools

The Priceless Project is a powerful small-group resource designed especially for girls, offering a safe, encouraging space to talk about identity, value, and purpose. It’s already making a difference in public schools, giving students a chance to connect, grow, and be reminded of their worth.

One of its greatest strengths is flexibility. The Priceless Project comes in two versions:

A Bible study version for church, youth group, or Christian school settings
A public school version with the same strong themes but without Scripture references — making it ideal for campuses that might not allow explicitly faith-based content

The public school version can be a great way to get in the door on a campus that’s difficult to access. It allows you to mentor a group of girls who need it, build relationships with them, and meet real emotional and social needs in a way that schools welcome.

Priceless Project

from Emily French

Why use The Priceless Project?

Creates a safe, respectful space for girls to share and be heard
Meets real emotional and social needs in public schools
Builds leadership and peer-to-peer mentoring skills
Easy to use, with free resources and an app for facilitators
Proven track record in schools through partnerships with teachers and administrators

All digital resources are free for Cru. Use the discount code PricelessCru at checkout. All physical books are available for purchase at iampriceless.me.

A free Priceless Project App is also available for Apple and Android — with digital curriculum, playlists, blog posts, and a safe space for facilitators to connect with the girls they lead.

You can learn more, explore the curriculum, and order resources at iampriceless.me.

Why Start a Small Group?

3 Steps to Starting a Small Group

1. Pray

2. Prepare

3. Invite

RECENT POSTS

From Grief to Purpose: Finding God in the Storm

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Why These Milestones Matter

Wrapping It Up

Why use The Priceless Project?

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