How to Start an ACIM Study Group

Study groups are one of the most rewarding ways to engage with A Course in Miracles. Practicing with others provides support, accountability, and the kind of relational mirrors that the Course says are essential to our learning.

Before You Begin

Who Can Start a Group?

Anyone. You don't need to be an expert or a longtime student. The Course has no hierarchy — everyone is both teacher and student. If you feel called to create a space for shared practice, that's all the qualification you need.

Online or In-Person?

Both work well. Online groups have the advantage of geographic reach — you can draw members from anywhere. In-person groups create a deeper sense of community. Hybrid formats combine the best of both.

Setting Up

Choose a Format

Workbook practice group: Follow the daily lessons together. Discuss one lesson per meeting.
Text study group: Read the Text chapter by chapter or section by section.
Open discussion: Members bring whatever is alive in their practice. More free-form.
Combined: Alternate between formats or combine them.

Decide on Logistics

Meeting frequency: Weekly is most common. Some groups meet biweekly or monthly.
Duration: 60–90 minutes is typical. Shorter is fine for focused workbook practice.
Size: 3–12 people works well. Larger groups can split into breakout discussions.
Time: Evening (7–8:30 PM) is popular. Some groups prefer morning.

Create a Welcoming Structure

A typical meeting might look like:

1. Opening (5 min): Quiet moment, perhaps a Course quote or the day's lesson 2. Reading (10 min): Read the lesson or Text passage aloud, taking turns 3. Quiet reflection (5 min): Silent sit with the material 4. Discussion (30–45 min): Open sharing about what resonated, what was challenging, how it applies to daily life 5. Closing (5 min): Final quote, moment of quiet, or brief sharing of intentions

Facilitation Tips

Create safety. Establish ground rules: no cross-talk during sharing, everything shared stays in the group, all interpretations are welcome.
Stay neutral. The facilitator guides discussion, not doctrine. Resist the urge to correct anyone's understanding.
Welcome newcomers. Keep the group accessible to beginners. Avoid insider language or assumptions about what people know.
Manage dominators gently. Some people talk more than others. Use a timer or round-robin format if needed.
Don't preach. Share your experience, not your expertise. "For me, this lesson meant..." works better than "What this lesson means is..."

Growing Your Group

**List it on ACIM.live** to help students find you
Post on local community boards, spiritual centers, and ACIM social media groups
Ask members to invite one friend
Consider a trial meeting that's explicitly "open to newcomers"

Common Challenges

Low Attendance

Start small. Two people studying together is a study group. Growth often happens slowly through word of mouth.

Disagreements About Interpretation

The Course invites many interpretations. When disagreements arise, return to the text itself and remember: the goal is practice, not agreement.

One Person Dominates

Address it gently. Structured formats (timed sharing, going around the circle) help equalize participation.

Ready?

The best study group is the one that exists. Don't wait for perfect conditions — just begin. List your group when you're ready, and we'll help students find you.

*For the complete Course text, visit acim.org. This is original commentary and does not reproduce copyrighted Course material.*