Unmissable Small Groups Online
This is part of a blog series about our free online training sessions that we’re running everyday. Our content is usually just for students and student workers, but in this time we realise our training is helpful for the whole church. So if you’re a christian why not sign up to a session here.
The Holy Spirit is still at work through our screens, our online small groups can be spaces where people meet with God in new ways. We are expectant that God is going to sort out a lot of stuff inside of us in the extra time we have to spend with Him, but also through our small groups. Much of Jesus’ disciples transformation happened in community and the same will be for us today. Our small groups are unmissable and different because of the presence of God and what he produces in us. It is only with Him that we can have fantastic online small groups. We’re not creating social clubs, but life transforming spaces of radical community.
A solid structure can help with creating expectancy for God to move in our group. Below is an outline of the structure we think works and a few ideas for each, but for more ideas sign up to our online training here.
Welcome: A time to make everyone feel included, relaxed and heard. It helps people focus in on the time ahead. Start with a game, an ice breaker question, or a catch up about how the week went.
Worship: Jesus is at the centre of our small group meetings, so fixing our eyes on him to start with is a really good idea. Sing along to a YouTube worship song together, if someone plays an instrument they can still do this online or write a crafted prayer to read each time as a community.
Word: We want our communities to grow and the word of God is how we grow, you want your small group study to be applicable to life not just an intellectual exercise. Ask good questions, tell stories and act as a facilitator helping to shape discussion rather than dominating the discussion.
Witness: Being intentional about having an outward focus will transform peoples view of small group. Each week take some time to pray for friends that don’t know Jesus, to share stories from the past week, practice sharing the gospel and set each other challenging for sharing their faith online during the week
For more tips read the rest of the blog series here:
Online Small Groups Vision and Values
