08: Online Groups Are The Spark

Online Small Groups are a tremendous way to get people to engage in your digital community. In this video, I explain what small group ministry is about, how large online groups can be used to start small online groups, share four principles to online groups, and what a typical online group meeting looks like from start to finish. Watch this video to learn more!

The Early Church Model was Small Groups in Acts/2:42-47 & 5:42 & Paul & other Apostles confirms it in follow up letters: 

• “Apostle teaching” - Discipleship 

  • Ephesians

• “House” - Fellowship 

  • 1 & 2 Corinthians

• “All things in common” - Ministry

  • James

• “Temple courts” - Worship

  • Philippians

• “Add to their numbers” - Evangelism

  • Romans
    

Large Online Groups Are Easy Way to Launch Online Groups:

• Invite a large amount of people to be part of the group, which you lead

• Create private Facebook Group (home base) for those part of the online group

• Meet weekly at same time on Zoom (meeting space)

• Use Zoom's Breakout Room feature to get into smaller groups of 3-5 people (How to US Zoom Breakout Rooms)

• Engage throughout the week in Facebook Group

• After the completion of the study encourage people to continue on in their small groups

• Capture one story from your large online group to launch more groups
  

The 4 P’s of Online Groups

• Programing: on-demand individually or real-time as group (Synchronous or Asynchronous)

• Platform: people are opinionated with technology

• Process: text > audio > video > face to face

• Places: two ways an online small group interacts:

  1. Home Base: Facebook group, text thread or WhatsApp

  2. Meeting Space: Zoom.us, Skype, or Google Hangout
     

What A Typical Online Group Looks Like:

• Welcome everyone (your preparation ahead of time will set the tone)

• Warm up the group (icebreaker tips)

• Optional: Watch study or read study

• Discuss the questions (get everyone to unmute and share)

• Prayer requests

• End with prayer
  

Two Video Course on Online Groups:

1. How Online Small Groups work [FREE]

2. How To Start And Sustain Healthy Online Small Groups [PAID]