Community is our middle name! We want to equip you to build great community online.
New to hosting a group or class online? An online group is an incredible tool to help people connect with each other when an in-person group may not be possible. You can encourage each other’s faith, share authentically, and watch God work in ways you may not have dreamed possible.
Your first few meetings will take some adjusting as everyone gets acquainted with the technology and the format and works out all of the kinks. So don’t give up too quickly if your first few meetings are a bit of a challenge.
As you look into launching a group online, this page will help you figure out the technology to use, best practices for a good online experience, and what a typical group meeting might look like.
How Groups Interact:
Home Base: Conversation portals that allow community interaction at any time (Facebook Group, text thread or WhatsApp or GroupMe)
Meeting Space: Conversations that happen at a specific time with members of a group (Zoom or Google Hangouts)
There are a variety of platforms on which these interactions could happen, but we are going to focus primarily on these few options.
HOME BASE
Conversation and community portals that allow community interaction at any time.
Classes, programs, and studies are easy to walk away from, but relationships are not. Connections with the members of groups should go beyond your designated meeting times. As a leader, you will set the pace with this, but you don’t have to do it alone. Be sure to invite the entire group into the process of building a loving connection. Utilize things like a Facebook Group, group text messaging, GroupMe, WhatsApp, etc.
MEETING SPACES
Conversations and community portals that happen at a specific time with members of a group.
Pros: Free. Unlimited time. Closed captioning. Accessible via web browser on computer.
Cons: Requires a Google account for all participants (can sign up for one HERE). Phone-in option not available unless you have a business account (if you have a G Suite business account, you can also share a phone number for people to call into the meeting if they don’t have access to a computer or a smartphone. G Suite accounts are free until July 1, 2020).
Capacity: 25 participants/devices
How to use:
Open Google Hangouts in a web browser or mobile app (Apple device, Android device, Chrome web browser extension)
Log in
Click the “Video Call” button
Click “Invite People” and type in their email address. If they don’t have a Google account, it will send them an invite to set up an account.
You can also schedule a meeting on your Google Calendar and send an invite for others to join you at a specific time, including a link to your online meeting (see instructions).
Pros: Free. Only hosts are required to have a Zoom account. There is a phone-in option.
Cons: Limited to 40 minutes unless you have a paid account ($14.99/mo). Have to download Zoom application to phone or computer.
Capacity: 100 participants/devices
How to use:
Open Zoom in a web browser or mobile app (Apple device, Android device, Chrome web browser extension)
Log in
Click “Host a meeting with video on”
Click “Invite participations”
Select how you’d like to send an invite:
Default email, Gmail, Yahoo to send email invite
Or “copy URL,” “copy invitation” to copy a link and send it via a text message, email, Facebook message, etc.
You can also schedule a meeting on the Zoom website and send an invite for others to join you at a specific time, including a link to your online meeting (see instructions).
BEST PRACTICES/ONLINE ETIQUETTE
Recommend that your group members download the meeting software prior to meeting.
Make sure your face has sufficient lighting.
Lighting works best in front of your face, not behind.
Make sure your face is centered in the video camera.
We don’t want to see only your forehead, only your neck, or miss you altogether.
Position the camera to eye level or slightly above.
Select the quietest room/location you can find.
Turn off anything making noise in the background (TV, radio, appliances).
Put pets in a different room or have them in a place where they will be the most quiet.
Only use one device per household.
When two devices are used in one location, it produces auditory feedback (really annoying noises).
Mute your computer unless you’re talking.
If everyone’s microphones are turned on at the same time, the sound quality can be an issue and it can be hard to hear the person who is talking. The best policy is to mute yourself when you are not talking.
If you are muted, make sure to nod your head and listen well so people can recognize you are following them.
You will be muting and unmuting A LOT, so get used to it.
You’ll get called out if you forget to unmute when you’re talking, so don’t be offended.
The moderator might also mute you to facilitate a better experience, so don’t take that personally.
Be an assertive moderator.
The moderator/host of the group will need to be welcoming and in charge. Make sure as the host that you jump on a few minutes early to welcome everyone.
Redirect the conversation or mute participants as necessary. This may feel rude but is necessary to manage a good online experience.
The moderator should talk 20% of time and listen 80% of time.
Create a plan for participants to indicate when they’d like to talk.
You may try something like raising a hand, answering in a specific order, or another signal.
Since participants will often be muted, having a plan will help you know when to mute and unmute.
Give your full attention. Don’t multitask.
When participants are not paying full attention, it can be a big distraction online just like an in-person group.
When talking, spend some time looking at the camera, not just the screen.
Stay in touch afterwards.
Assign prayer partners to call each other after after group is over and pray with them.
Or, text each other in gender-specific text chats to share requests.
Leverage GroupMe, Facebook Groups, WhatsApp, etc. as a place to stay connected and keep the conversation going throughout the week.
FORMAT/SCHEDULE
Practice Session/First Meeting (30 minutes)
It can be helpful to have a 30-minute practice session together, or to take the first half of your first online group getting everyone acquainted with how an online group will work.
Review online etiquette/best practices (listed above). You may want to review some of these talking points the first several meetings until people figure it out.
Help people learn how to use the technology and answer any questions.
If you are a new group, make sure to introduce yourself, share you name, and share how you got connected with Christ Community Church and the online group.
End by sharing prayer requests; have one person pray.
Typical Meeting (45–60 minutes)
Connect (15–20 minutes)
Welcome people as they log in (people tend to arrive late online, just like in-person groups).
Begin ice breaker.
Discuss (30–40 minutes)
Discuss sermon discussion questions, leaving plenty of time for application questions.
Wrap Up (5 minutes)
Ask for any prayer requests.
Have one person wrap up in prayer.
Encourage people to text each other afterwards for further prayer requests and to pray together (ideas: men’s group text, women’s group text, whole group text, prayer partners).