Becoming Missional as an Online Life Group

Life Groups that become increasingly inward-focused often become unhealthy. A Life Group is a family, and while a family loves being together, a healthy family balances the joy they have being together with the joy they have living out their calling outside of the family. Healthy Life Groups are best when they are cultivating hearts for other people. As your online group matures, it will add to the group maturity process to figure out how to be missional as a group. Here are some considerations:

1. The Empty Screen
   The “empty chair” is the visual often taught to small group leaders to always consider who might be a welcome member of the group. If your group has “room” for more, pray about who might fill that empty screen and be a good fit for your group.

2. Divide and Unite
   As groups grow it’s more and more difficult for all to fully participate. That’s true in a house and it’s very true online. If your group experiences growth or you identify additional leaders within your group, encourage your group to pray about splitting up and forming two groups. This may feel less traumatic for an online group than one that has met in a home for years.

3. Adopt a ministry within your church
   How could your group rally around one of the ministries within your church? Visit cyfairchristian.org/servecfcc to see a list of some of the serving opportunities within CFCC. Is there one, in particular, your group members have a connection with? Is there one that is under-served and needs some love? Use group time to update about that ministry, pray for the leaders, and consider getting involved with them.

4. Adopt a need in your community
   This is essentially the same as the third consideration but outside your church. Visit cyfairchristian.org/servelocal to view some of the local ministries we partner with.

5. Adopt a global mission
   Online groups have a distinct advantage in this endeavor since they can actually invite global missionaries to their group to share needs and updates. So long as that part of the world can support the technology (and they probably can) you can talk directly with the mission partner. Your group may become just the lifeline that a missionary needs! Visit cyfairchristian.org/serveglobal to see a list of our global mission partners.

If you have a questions about how to implement any of these ideas please contact me for more info.

Have a great week,
Kevin Gallemore
Community Pastor

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SPRING LIFE GROUP SESSION - FEB 7

The Spring Session of Life Groups begins on February 7. If you are planning on continuing your group into the spring OR you’re considering starting a new group, please email me!

LIFE GROUP LEADER MEETING - THIS SUNDAY

Also, I’m hosting a Life Group Leader this Sunday, January 10. This meeting will be held online via zoom. We’ll be praying and encouraging one another as we lead our groups in spiritual maturity this year. I hope you’ll join me.

Join Zoom Meeting Info
Sunday, January 10 at 5PM
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3245627356?pwd=TXkrcTdKZTRDMVcyS1Bac3Y4K1hqUT09
Meeting ID: 324 562 7356
Passcode: Email kevin.gallemore@cyfairchristian for the meeting passcode.

Have a great week,
Kevin

The 7 Do's and Don'ts of Online Small Group Member Etiquette

Since groups meeting virtually is new for most people, they aren’t accustomed to how to behave. Adults are veterans in social settings, but this online thing is all new. To avoid bad habits setting in it’s good to coach your members on good online conduct. After your group has experienced two or three meetings it’s time for everyone to up their game. Share these tips of “DO’s” and the following list of “DON’TS” with your group members and perhaps revisit them from time to time as necessary. It might be best to email this list out with the heading: “Preparing for a Great Meeting Experience”.

THE DO’s

1. Practice Good Manners
   Take your turn and don’t interrupt, it’s not polite!

2. Speak Clearly
   Not every microphone and not every speaker on every device picks you up perfectly, but if you annunciate you will be heard!

3. Be Yourself
   An online small group is not a TV show and you’re not an actor. Most of the time in life we can’t see ourselves talking. But thanks (or no thanks) to online platforms we can. Just relax and don’t worry about how you look.

4. Eye Contact
   When it’s your turn to share, look into your camera, it makes participants think you looking right at them.

5. Dress Appropriately
   Don’t show up to small group in your jammies—at least not in your pajama top!

6. Chat
   Make use of online chat features if your platform offers it—but don’t be distracting with that chat!

7. Have a Great Time!
   Small group isn’t supposed to feel like a chore, and neither is an online small group!

THE DON’T’s

1. Don’t Shout
   Even if a member of your small group is in a different country the internet will make you heard—shouting won’t help.

2. Don’t Talk Over the Speakers
   Online group platforms tend to either switch screens to the speaker or allow only one

3. Don’t Carry On Side Conversations
   This happens when two or more people are sharing a device or make use of a chat feature and are obviously not listening to the person speaking.

4. Don’t Turn Off Your Camera
   When someone turns off their camera I assume they are checking out. Sure, sometimes nature calls, and turning off your camera and microphone are a really good idea. But if you’re getting a snack it can wait.

5. Don’t Multitask
   Look at the camera or the screen, don’t text on another device, read email, or check social media. It shouldn’t have to be said, but we all know people who do it or have done it our- selves—don’t meet while driving!

6. Don’t Invite Your Pets
   It seems like a rule of nature that if you have a dog, someone will eventually come to the door and the dog will start barking. Cats often walk around. The sounds and movements of your pets (even the cute ones) can be distracting. If possible, put pets away during the group meeting.

7.  Don’t Eat
   There’s nothing like a close up of someone shoveling food into their mouth. If at all possible, eat before or after but not during an online group.