Why is it so difficult to get men into small group Bible studies? I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who’s tried to figure that one out. For me, the revelation came when my church decided to hold a golf tournament. No, seriously.

I don’t golf—but as pastor, I had to participate in this fundraising event. I learned a lot in the process, though I still don’t know much about golf.

First, I had no golf clubs, so a member of the church gave me his old clubs (the woods were actually wood!). Another guy gave me his old golf shoes (they were a size too big, but they were free) and a glove. Once at the course, I felt completely out of place. Everyone else was joking around, looking comfortable and excited about the day. Me? I just felt stupid with my prehistoric clubs, wearing shoes that didn’t fit!

It was out on some fairway that it occurred to me: This is probably what most guys think it will be like for them at a Bible study. First, they don’t have the equipment. If they own a Bible, they’ve never used it. Then they don’t know the rules or the lingo. They just know they’ll end up looking or sounding dumb. Who would voluntarily sign up for something like that?

I decided I would learn from that experience as I tried to launch a Bible study for men.

1. The name was important.

Rather than calling it something like “Beginners Bible Study” or “Scripture 101,” I called it a “Bible Study for Guys Who Don’t Do Bible Study.” This tongue-in-cheek title was an instant hit and broke down a lot of barriers all by itself.

2. Invitations were made through personal requests rather than broad announcements.

I never would have signed up for a golf outing based on a bulletin announcement, but I was drawn by guys who said, “No pressure—just come have some fun with us!” So, my ask was: “I assume you don’t really know the Bible. Neither will anyone else in the group. So join us. It’ll be fun!”

3. I asked for a commitment but not a big one.

I was asked to play one round of golf, so I said yes. The Bible Study for Guys Who Don’t Do Bible Study was going to last for eight weeks. “And I’ll make you a deal,” I said. “If you really hate it after four weeks, you can stop. I’ll consider it a commitment fulfilled.” That made the decision easier for a few guys.

4. Timing was crucial.

I promised that we would end after 75 minutes, no matter what. The first 15 minutes was just for kibitzing (and the soft start was helpful for some who had to work late), but then there was a full hour in Scripture.

5. Most importantly, I tried to put myself into the mindset of a beginner.

My brief experience in a golfing foursome helped with that, in both positive and negative ways. One of my golf buddies treated me like a child, and another got irritated when I made the same mistakes over and over. The guy most helpful to me would offer simple tips, and when I’d get frustrated he’d lighten things up with humor and stories of his own days as a beginning golfer. Best of all he would give me an appropriate “attaboy” when I did something right (even if it was only sort of right).

So, those became my teaching guidelines for this group of Bible beginners. They were not children to be talked down to. And all comments on the text would be honored, no matter how off the wall they might be. My goal was to show these men that the Bible was both accessible and relevant to them. If this first experience of a small group Bible study was interesting, enjoyable and comfortable, they’d likely be open to doing another one.

And the results?

I invited thirteen guys and only two turned me down.

Only one dropped out before completing the initial four-week commitment, and none dropped out after that.

With each passing week the level of comfort and amount of conversation increased significantly. There were regular comments like “I didn’t know that was in the Bible” and “This sounds like it could have been written yesterday.”

At the end of the eight weeks, the entire group wanted to know when we were going to start up again. They also suggested a new name for the group: A Bible Study for Guys Who Used to Not Do Bible Studies!

A year after that study one of the guys in the group, Hugh, died suddenly of a massive heart attack. Several years later, a woman approached me at a wedding rehearsal and said, “Hugh was my dad, and I just wanted to thank you for inviting him to your Bible study. Every week he’d tell me about the experience and how much he loved it. For the first time in his life, he embraced faith in Jesus Christ.”

Why don’t guys do small groups? Partly because they don’t want to look stupid or feel uncomfortable. And partly because we fail to make our groups welcoming places.