In education, teachers call it a Flipped Classroom: what normally happens at home, happens at school; and what normally happens in school, happens at home. Teachers record their lectures in advance, send the video to students to watch at home; In school, when everyone is together, the students briefly review the lecture and then do practice problems. They do their homework at school and listen to the lecture at home.
The Classroom benefit: when students are gathered in school, they have a community of learners as a resource to help them with practice problems; (as opposed to someone at home who isn’t aware of what is happening at school). Students come to class prepared with questions and have had time to digest the material.
The At Home benefit: Students can pause, stop, rewind, take notes, take a break, re-listen etc. to the lecture at their own pace.
A few months ago, I wrestled with how this model could work with the church. At the time, it was a far stretch. To ask the entire congregation to watch a sermon online — unheard of. And on top of that, proposing to use the majority of service time for members to talk to one another, fellowship, reflect, testify, problem-solve and learn from each other —
At the time, it seemed radical.
And here we are. Congregations around the world are streaming their weekly services online. Church has (almost) flipped. The first part has happened. Instruction is now being consumed at home, but what about the homework? Where is discussion happening? Reflection? Testimony, community building, learning?
Now more than ever, it is essential for churches to create spaces for parishioners to “gather” in order to commune with one another. How can churches keep parishoners engaged beyond the service. Can small groups help participants “chew” on the word throughout the week?
How this could go:
- Announce during service that the church is starting virtual small groups. [Display a survey link on the screen.] Encourage interested members to fill out the survey.
- In the survey (here is an example) ask members what type of group they are interested in joining i.e. parents, anxiety, youth, singles, sermon discussion, etc.
- Identify which day(s) of the week works best.
- Match respondents and create small groups of 5-8 participants.
- Identify (and train) a minister/leader who can meet with the group to act as a moderator
From there, the ministers come together to create weekly discussion questions. [Elevation Church has great leader and curriculum resources for small groups. Check these out and adapt for your congregation].
- Tip: Create learning outcomes and work backwards.
- Think: What do we want participants to leave knowing, then create questions that can lead to dynamic discussion.
Keep in mind:
- You want a mix of beginners and experts in each group. You want participants learning from each other. Instead of viewing members as empty cups that need filled, view members as cups that are full of testimony, illustrations, knowledge etc. that they are willing to share with others. Creating authentic community puts everyone at the same level – everyone has different areas of expertise making them important contributors to the community.
- Engage prior knowledge: To begin, ask participants what they already know about the topic at hand. Things they’ve heard before, inside or outside of the church. Don’t assume everyone is entering these discussions at the same place and it’s important to identify those gaps or misconceptions early on.
- Give space for dialogue and reflection: It’s important for participants to feel like they have a voice and that their opinions and views matter. Church for many, can feel like a one-sided conversation. These spaces flip that view. Learning is a social activity. Talking through ideas, misconceptions, alternative viewpoints etc. can help advanced learners solidify their understanding and help newcomers develop underdeveloped thoughts.
- Create artifacts: When we create or construct we show our understanding. In this case it can be a prayer journal, a notes page in their phone, a picture they draw, a background screen for their phone, a poem, a song, a devotional they say every morning, something they write on their mirror, etc. Encourage participants to create something (authentic to them) that demonstrates their learning or their takeaways from the message. This can be done after every meeting or over the course of several weeks. If comfortable, encourage participants to share their artifacts with one another: as a means to reflect and get to know each other!
We are social beings: In isolation, we naturally seek community, (wherever we can find it). What if now is the time to try something new? What if churches were the lighthouse in a time of darkness? What if our groups were so authentic and impactful that the unchurched wanted to get connected?
Tech Tips:
- Zoom or Google Hangouts are two great platforms for small groups. Both allow users to connect via phone or computer.
- Create a password for entry. Sensitive information may be shared in these groups and you want to ensure that there are no unwanted “lurkers” in your rooms.
- Have the moderator set ground rules to create safe spaces at the beginning of each session. Welcome newcomers and make everyone feel valued and seen. Some other rules you can include:
- Participants have the right to “pass” on activities/questions that feel uncomfortable
- It is okay to not to know answers to everything
- Everyone’s opinions are to be respected
- Be discreet about group discussions (i.e., no gossiping)
- Speak for yourself. Use “I statements” to state opinions or feelings
- Respect others’ differences
- Play music as people enter the space. Just like at church, create an environment that sets the atmosphere upon entering.