By Still Waters — Small Group Workbook
A Companion Guide for Church Small Groups
Part of the By Still Waters series
The By Still Waters Small Group Workbook is designed for church communities who want to journey together through the themes of Barbara LeForge's memoir. Grief—especially the complicated grief that follows an unresolved relationship—can feel isolating. This workbook creates space for honest conversation within a community of faith. Each session guides a small group through a chapter or theme from By Still Waters, offering Scripture readings, reflection prompts, and discussion questions that connect the book's personal narrative to participants' own experiences with loss, forgiveness, and healing. Whether your group is processing grief together, exploring what it means to forgive someone who never asked for it, or simply seeking to understand God's presence in painful seasons, this workbook offers a structured and compassionate path forward.
Available at:
Book Details
- Published:
- June 14, 2026
- Formats:
- paperback
About This Workbook
The By Still Waters Small Group Workbook is a companion resource for church small groups reading By Still Waters by Barbara LeForge. It is designed to help groups move from reading to reflection—creating space for honest conversation about grief, estranged relationships, forgiveness, and the quiet work of God in seasons of loss.
Each session follows a consistent format:
- Opening Scripture — a passage that anchors the session’s theme
- Summary — a brief recap of the corresponding section of the memoir
- Reflection Prompts — questions for personal journaling before the group meets
- Group Discussion Questions — questions to guide open conversation
- Closing Prayer — a guided prayer to close each session together
Session Overview
Session 1 — When Grief Arrives Unexpectedly Exploring the reality that grief does not always look the way we expect, especially when the relationship was complicated or distant.
Session 2 — Mourning What Never Was Sitting with the grief of lost possibility—the relationship that might have been—and what the Bible says about lament.
Session 3 — The Weight of Unfinished Business Reflecting on unspoken words, unresolved history, and how we carry the past into seasons of loss.
Session 4 — Forgiveness Without Closure Exploring what forgiveness looks like when reconciliation is no longer possible, and how grace enables us to release what we cannot change.
Session 5 — God in the Quiet Places Discovering where God meets us in the stillness of grief, and how Scripture speaks to those who feel alone in their sorrow.
Session 6 — Finding Peace with the Past Moving toward healing—not by forgetting, but by entrusting the unresolved to the mercy of God.
Who This Workbook Is For
- Small groups reading By Still Waters together
- Grief support ministries within a local church
- Sunday school classes exploring faith and loss
- Women’s Bible study groups
- Anyone who has experienced the loss of a complicated relationship and wants to process it within a community of faith
A Note on Facilitating These Discussions
The themes in By Still Waters are tender ones. Participants may carry their own stories of estrangement, regret, or unresolved grief. Facilitators are encouraged to establish a tone of openness and compassion from the first session, and to remind the group that there are no wrong answers—only honest ones.
“He restores my soul. He leads me beside still waters.” — Psalm 23:3