Introducing socialMEdia™ Small Groups
Before you read the following post, take note that the original publication date was April 1.
April. First.
April Fools Day.
Thank you. And carry on.
Every once in a while an announcement comes along that’s just too good to sit on any longer. In just over a month, the Summit Church is launching a brand new initiative called socialMEdia™ Small Groups. For the last nine months, I’ve been collaborating with our Spiritual Formations Pastor, as well as a ton of our IT people in order to roll out this launch. Nine months is an appropriate time frame, because in many ways it feels like we’ve been preparing to give birth. We’ve labored over it, cried over it, wrestled with it, but we’re ready to introduce this proverbial baby to the world.
THE BACKGROUND.
Every “what” needs a “why.” Here’s ours: we know that getting into a small group is tough. Every month we see hundreds of people attempting to join a group, and the truth is, it’s hard to keep up. We want to have well trained group leaders, but training takes time. And time is something that prospective leaders and members just don’t have.
But one thing Americans (even American Christians) seem to have time for is social media. Whether you love it or hate it, most of us are tech junkies. We love our Twitter, our Facebook, our Instagram, and our MySpace (shout out to our 90’s brethren!). So last year several of our pastors asked the obvious question: Why can’t we do both?
Why can’t we increase involvement by CHANGING commitment?
Why can’t we lower the risk and give a better return?
Why can’t we – for lack of a better term – dumb down the process?
So that’s exactly what we did!
We took the best that social media had to offer and applied it to the fast paced lifestyle of the 21st century disciple. We worked with some of the best and brightest tech people out there to flush out the kinks in the system. We vetted the go-getters of the online community to build a new kind of community, and we think you’re going to love what you see.
THE PRODUCT.
Imagine: what if you could have all of the benefits of a small group without the difficult commitments? What if you could connect with your fellow disciples anytime, anywhere? What if you never again had to walk into a strange living room, endure a long and awkward prayer request, or risk rejection from a group that’s already gelled before you showed up? Maybe you laugh at those examples, but then again, maybe you’ve never had to face these realities.
socialMEdia™ Small Groups changes all of that. For starters, you choose the group that’s right for you. When the SMSG site launches, you’ll complete a profile that describes your preferences. You can tag your profile with any descriptor from seeker to serious, from dog lover to Democrat, from Lecrae devotee to Larry the Cucumber fan club president. From those tags and profiles, our database will run an algorithm that will generate up to ten social groups that might be right for you, much like E-Harmony or Match.com. You can pick one or several, and try them out at your leisure.
Some groups will meet weekly, much like our traditional groups. Others will meet at more random times: sometimes every other week, sometimes several times a day, sometimes once a quarter. Because there are no houses, childcare, and schedules to deal with, the sky is the limit and the pressure is off.
Group facilitators will be chosen by the group members. Once a group has been formed for two weeks, group members will take an online poll to select the person who appears most qualified to lead. It’s Seth Godin’s Tribes principle at it’s best: find someone who seems to be passionate about what they’re doing, and follow them.
Then the fun begins: once your group is fully operational, you have the opportunity to fully explore all that the socialMEdia™ Small Group has to offer. We’ve pulled in all of the major social networking sites to give you the opportunity to integrate your discipleship with your everyday lifestyle:
If you’re up for more foolishness, here’s a look at April Fools Days of yore…
photo credit
Every once in a while an announcement comes along that’s just too good to sit on any longer. In just over a month, the Summit Church is launching a brand new initiative called socialMEdia™ Small Groups. For the last nine months, I’ve been collaborating with our Spiritual Formations Pastor, as well as a ton of our IT people in order to roll out this launch. Nine months is an appropriate time frame, because in many ways it feels like we’ve been preparing to give birth. We’ve labored over it, cried over it, wrestled with it, but we’re ready to introduce this proverbial baby to the world.
THE BACKGROUND.
Every “what” needs a “why.” Here’s ours: we know that getting into a small group is tough. Every month we see hundreds of people attempting to join a group, and the truth is, it’s hard to keep up. We want to have well trained group leaders, but training takes time. And time is something that prospective leaders and members just don’t have.
But one thing Americans (even American Christians) seem to have time for is social media. Whether you love it or hate it, most of us are tech junkies. We love our Twitter, our Facebook, our Instagram, and our MySpace (shout out to our 90’s brethren!). So last year several of our pastors asked the obvious question: Why can’t we do both?
Why can’t we increase involvement by CHANGING commitment?
Why can’t we lower the risk and give a better return?
Why can’t we – for lack of a better term – dumb down the process?
So that’s exactly what we did!
We took the best that social media had to offer and applied it to the fast paced lifestyle of the 21st century disciple. We worked with some of the best and brightest tech people out there to flush out the kinks in the system. We vetted the go-getters of the online community to build a new kind of community, and we think you’re going to love what you see.
THE PRODUCT.
Imagine: what if you could have all of the benefits of a small group without the difficult commitments? What if you could connect with your fellow disciples anytime, anywhere? What if you never again had to walk into a strange living room, endure a long and awkward prayer request, or risk rejection from a group that’s already gelled before you showed up? Maybe you laugh at those examples, but then again, maybe you’ve never had to face these realities.
socialMEdia™ Small Groups changes all of that. For starters, you choose the group that’s right for you. When the SMSG site launches, you’ll complete a profile that describes your preferences. You can tag your profile with any descriptor from seeker to serious, from dog lover to Democrat, from Lecrae devotee to Larry the Cucumber fan club president. From those tags and profiles, our database will run an algorithm that will generate up to ten social groups that might be right for you, much like E-Harmony or Match.com. You can pick one or several, and try them out at your leisure.
Some groups will meet weekly, much like our traditional groups. Others will meet at more random times: sometimes every other week, sometimes several times a day, sometimes once a quarter. Because there are no houses, childcare, and schedules to deal with, the sky is the limit and the pressure is off.
Group facilitators will be chosen by the group members. Once a group has been formed for two weeks, group members will take an online poll to select the person who appears most qualified to lead. It’s Seth Godin’s Tribes principle at it’s best: find someone who seems to be passionate about what they’re doing, and follow them.
Then the fun begins: once your group is fully operational, you have the opportunity to fully explore all that the socialMEdia™ Small Group has to offer. We’ve pulled in all of the major social networking sites to give you the opportunity to integrate your discipleship with your everyday lifestyle:
- “Like” your group on Facebook and post it to your wall so that your non-Christian friends can see what they’re missing.
- Encourage other group members on Twitter. Discipleship doesn’t have to be lengthy; sometimes it can happen in less than 140 characters.
- Watching a great documentary on Jesus? Link your Netflix account so your other group members can join in the learning. (Or comment on your favorite Walking Dead episode; we won’t judge.)
- Set up a Google Hangout in order to discuss the weekend sermon in real time.
- Connect your LinkedIn profile to remind your friends to live out the gospel at work.
- If you’re one of those who tagged yourself a Lecrae fan (98% of you), let people know you’re listening to him on Spotify.
- Share inspirational sayings, gospel-centered kids craft ideas, and home improvement tips with Pinterest.
- Want to get together with a group member for a meal? Make a recommendation on Yelp and a reservation on OpenTable.
- And that’s just the beginning. Share a mini-message with Vine, a funny selfie with Instagram or Snapchat, or a sermon link on YouTube.
If you’re up for more foolishness, here’s a look at April Fools Days of yore…
- 2013 – First Time Guest Giveaways
- 2012 – New Day, New Parking Rules
- 2011 – The New Venue’s Value
- 2010 – Baptism Xpress This Weekend!
- 2009 – Gospel-Centered Coffee
photo credit
Our small group has been piloting the new socialMEdia model for a few months now, and have some AMAZING progress to report!
– I’m no longer the group’s leader! It’s funny how that works out – I guess people just thought our leader ought to be a man or more experience, so Carey was elected by a majority that mathematically must include my own wife.
– We’re WAY more connected on social media, so we never have to actually meet in person. With all the tweets, likes, pins, and hangouts, the memory of that awkward moment when you realize you’ve been standing for 9 hours in a pair of boots and you’re about to take your shoes off is gone; far sooner than its effects are from the living room air, I might add.
– We all have so much more time for hobbies and social activities that we, each and every one of us, feel like we’re truly enjoying our ideal lives presently.
Thank you, Small Groups team and Summit Church, for a truly forward-thinking service. I hope I’m not spilling the beans when I say that I’m looking forward to the integration of prayer request reminders on the iWatch.
I can attest to what Josh said. Its the best of everything! Small group in your underwear isn’t nearly as awkward now.
Danny,
If this is an April Fool’s post, you sure put a lot of time into all the details. I was very curious to see how this would work in real time till I clicked the link to sign up. You got me!
— Better Together, Alan
Sent from Mailbox for iPhone
On Tue, Apr 1, 2014 at 6:04 AM, Connective Tissue
Wow, this looks amazing! I’ve always believed there are other Summit members out there who appreciate the theological implications of The Walking Dead, and now I can find them. Thanks Danny!
Is this going to completely replace physical/visual face to face small groups? How do you foresee people growing together when they aren’t really together?
Yes! We started using this a while back, and were able to sync our MyFitnessPals together and do small group simultaneously working out, able to blend our priorities! We saw amazing results! Thanks for being so forward- minded, Summit!