Leveraging Social Media to Grow Groups...Many are familiar with the idea of making contacts through cards, letters, phone calls, and visits for their Sunday School or Small Group. We understand the value of a personal touch with a face to face conversation but we must never neglect the social media world that exists as well.
Making contact or connecting with those we have on our list is essential. With the advent of social media many if not most groups are still not using these tools connect with those on their ministry list and to others as well. Here are a few things to consider when using social media with a group.
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<li>Understand what type of social networks are used by your group so you can be the most effective.</li>
<li>Communicate weekly.</li>
<li>Use social media to connect the teaching of the previous or upcoming meeting of your group. This helps with application.</li>
<li>Use social media to promote group socials and update prayer request and ministry needs.</li>
<li>If using Facebook, create a group for your group. Here is a video on how this is done and how it can benefit your group for both ministry to the members and reaching new people as well.</li>
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<b>More from LifeWay</b>
<strong><a href="http://www.lifeway.com/pastors/2017/11/21/3-ways-social-media-helps-outreach-efforts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3 Ways Social Media Helps Your Outreach Efforts</a></strong>
Fall and winter are usually busy outreach seasons for churches: Fall Festivals, Trunk-or-Treats, Thanksgiving dinners, musicals, Christmas Eve and Christmas services, and more.
In the not-so-distant past, advertising for such events was limited to your local newspaper. Such ads were not always cheap, and reach was limited to subscribers who read the paper on the day your ad ran. Not so with social media. Today, your event info can be shared, shared, and shared some more, providing multiple opportunities for viewing.
Social media is the easiest, most effective way to promote your outreach efforts that exists today. Please don’t overlook it.
What are some benefits? Here are three.
1. Social media provides advertising at no cost.
It costs nothing to share an event (or ad graphic) on your church’s Facebook page, Twitter feed, or Instagram. It is completely free for as many times as you want to post or tweet about it.
You’ll have non-church members sharing your event to their friends.
2. Social media provides advertising at low cost.
It costs very little to “boost” a post on Facebook, the only channel I recommend for pay ads. You can books for as little as $1 a day. Boosting also allows to you target people close to home, which means you get more for your money.
You don’t have to boost posts for every single event, but Facebook does suppress organic reach (the number of people who like your page who see a given post in their feed). Boosted posts are a very inexpensive way to expand your reach to all the people who like your page and beyond.
3. Social media allows for answering questions.
Social media allows for the quick answer for questions asked right on the post: “Can I bring my dog?” “Is there an age limit?” “Can my kid dress like Sauron at your Fall Festival? Can my grandfather?” (Twitter and Instagram also allow for interaction.)
Surely there will be people who look up the church’s phone number and call the office, but most will simply used the possibility embedded in the medium itself.
We live in a day when social media is part-and-parcel of “word-of-mouth.” If you want people to talk-up your event, then make social media integral to your outreach promotion.
Dealing With A Difficult GroupMost Sunday School Directors or Small Group Leadership have experienced this issue. It is that group that meets in the third room on the left in your Sunday School or that Small Groups that meets on Tuesday night on Mulberry Street. They seem to be the one that we struggle with the most. They are not going in the same direction as the rest of the church. They are the difficult group. Here are some suggestions that might help.
<strong>Pray for them.</strong>
As a leader of groups in your church you should be praying for each one each week. Pray that God would speak to your heart about them and pray that God would help this group know and do His will for their group.
<strong>Personally connect with the group regularly.</strong>
If it is a Sunday School class stop by regularly and greet their members and guests before they start. With a small group you could bring a snack for them and let them know that you are praying for them.
<strong>Keep them in the loop.</strong>
Make sure they are getting all the communications that every other group gets. They need to know that they are part of something bigger than themselves.
<strong>Invite and anticipate them being connected.</strong> Each group needs a regular “on ramp” to get back with the larger ministry of the church.
<strong>Provide opportunities for them to be outward focused.</strong>
Most groups that are difficult are focused on themselves. We are about the business of reaching and discipling people.
<strong>Spend personal time with the teacher/coach.</strong> This will give great insight into the issues of that group. They will spend more time with this group than you will. They will influence the group for good or for bad.
<strong>A single group should never direct Sunday School or Small Group ministry of the church.</strong> Each group should be encouraged to be a part overall strategy that is laid out for reaching and discipling people.
<strong>Don’t wait on difficult groups.</strong>
The mission and ministry of the church cannot be hindered by such a group. Make your plans and move ahead always encouraging and inviting them to be on board.
<strong>Love them.</strong>
Jesus died for them and He loves them. So should you.
Dr. Thom Rainer on Growing GroupsDr. Rainer, President and CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources, speaks on the value of Groups to your spiritual life.
Jason Britt on Growing GroupsPastor Jason Britt leads one of GA's fastest growing congregation and talks about the process of leading a 100 year old congregation through painful changes.
Top Ten Small Group - West Ridge ChurchWhen it comes to learning about the fastest growing churches, we changed things up a little and hit road. One of the top two churches on our list is Westridge Church in Dallas, Georgia. We wanted to know some information about Westridge Church and ask some questions regarding how important Sunday School or Small Group was in the life of their church.
We were privileged to have some amazing conversation and insight about structure, importance, leadership, Discipleship, life change and the overall emphasis these churches put on the Groups Ministry (Sunday School or Small Groups).
TopTen Small Group - Bethlehem ChurchWhen it comes to learning about the fastest growing churches, we changed things up a little and hit road. One of the top two churches on our list is Bethlehem Church in Bethlehem, Georgia. We wanted to know some information about Bethlehem Church and ask some questions regarding how important Sunday School or Small Group was in the life of their church.
We were privileged to have some amazing conversation and insight about structure, importance, leadership, Discipleship, life change and the overall emphasis these churches put on the Groups Ministry (Sunday School or Small Groups).
The Coffee Shop That Changed a ChurchAn instructional book told in narrative style, The Coffee Shop that Changed a Church: Discovering the Net Effect is as engaging as any good fiction.
Author Steve Parr has emerged as a respected voice in communicating the true dynamics of churches that thrive in reaching and making disciples. His ideas are not only theoretical; he led a ministry that baptized over 1500 people in fourteen years.
<b>Steve Parr</b>
Dr. Thom Rainer refers to Steve as <i>“one of the brightest minds alive today on church issues.”</i> Dr. Steve R. Parr has assisted churches 30+ years through seminars, conference, preaching and personal consultations along with authoring several Sunday School Books. Checkout his latest book <i>“Why They Stay”</i> at SteveParr.net. Steve is the VP of Staff Coordination & Development at the Georgia Baptist Mission.
Trends in Today's CultureIn this training you will be confronted with present trends in religious behavior and the influence those trends are having on our churches. You will also identify the emerging social trends that impact the effectiveness of our churches. We will also learn the future projections based on the latest data. The participants will also receive 10 action steps to combat the present negative trends.
Download Listening Guide: <a href="https://gabaptist.egnyte.com/dl/LNWFEd4QiB" target”_blank”>Trends in Today’s Culture</a>
How To Have More Workers Than You NeedOne of the greatest needs of our churches is having enough people to serve in the ministries the God has entrusted us with. In many cases it is not simply the fact that we do not enough people willing to serve it is more the case that we do not have a strategy for recruitment and retention of workers.
This video training will help you design a plan for getting new people to serve and keeping the ones God has already using in our church.
Download the Listening Guide: <a href="https://gabaptist.egnyte.com/dl/megT2LsIvB" target="_blank">How To Have More Workers Than You Need in Sunday School</a>
Experience Israel NOW! Small Group Resource...<b>Ready to give your small group something they’ll still be talking about months from now?</b>
“Secrets from the Ancient Paths” is a nine-session study from Experience Israel Now that will take your group on a virtual tour of some of the Bible’s most familiar stories. Visit the battlefield where David defeated Goliath. Walk the streets of Jerusalem and stand on shore of the Sea of Galilee. And yes, you can visit the place where Jesus assured his disciples that “the Gates of Hades” would not prevail against them.
We’re so convinced that you’ll love this series, we’re giving the first lesson away for free! Try “On this Rock” with your small-group, classroom or church Bible study group. We think you’ll immediately return for more!
FREE video lesson from <a href="https://experienceisraelnow.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">experienceisraelnow.com</a>. One of a series of small-group Bible studies offered. This study follows Jesus and his disciples to Caesarea Philippi, scene of one of the most well known passages in Matthew’s gospel.
Side By Side - Rick Howerton InterviewIn the video below Rick Howerton reminds us of the goal to make disciples. We had an awesome conference with over 100 people in attendance. As a result I know that some of you have enlisted Rick Howerton to come to your area for a similar event which is wonderful. Prior to the conference Rick and I had a chance to talk about the days ahead. One of the events the Sunday School & Small Groups Department has scheduled in January 2015 will continue our conversation about Groups.
As I said on the video, please find this<a href="http://www.groupsmatter.com/" target="_blank"> groups matter site</a> and use the resources to begin your Group Ministry.
<b>About Rick Howerton</b>
Rick has one passion… To see “a biblical small group within walking distance of every person on the planet making disciples that make disciples.” He is presently pursuing this passion as the Small Group and Discipleship Specialist at LifeWay Church Resources. Rick has authored or co-authored multiple books, studies, and leader training resources including A Different Kind of Tribe: Embracing the New Small Group Dynamic, Destination Community: Small Group Ministry Manual, The Gospel and the Truth: Living the Message of Jesus, Small Group Life Ministry Manual: A New Approach to Small Groups, Redeeming the Tears: a Journey Through Grief and Loss, Small Group Life: Kingdom, Small Group Kickoff Retreat: Experiential Training for Small Group Leaders, and Great Beginnings: Your First Small Group Study, Disciples Path: A Practical Guide to Disciple Making. Rick’s varied ministry experiences as an collegiate minister, small group pastor, teaching pastor, elder, full-time trainer and church consultant, as well as having been a successful church planter gives him a perspective of church life that is all-encompassing and multi-dimensional. Rick is a highly sought after communicator and trainer.
