« What Could Have Been... | Main | First Five Responses Get a Free Membership »
February 25, 2009
What Is Dot Com(unity)?
Take a closer look at this innovative learning experience.
I'm very excited to announce an innovative new learning tool that will be featured right here on the Small Group Dynamics blog. Actually, it's not exactly a tool. It's more like a co-learning experience.
Here's the basic idea: I want to gather a large number of small-group leaders from across the country (and the world) who will committ to studying the same material in their groups at the same time. In other words, I want to have small groups in Texas and Maryland and Chicago and New Zealand all work through the same Bible study.
Why would anyone do such a thing, you ask? The answer is pretty simple: So we can learn together.
Let's be honest about something here: leading a small group is tough work. To lead well takes a lot of effort and study and emotional energy, not to mention a lot of time. But what if you as a group leader had access to an extended group of people who could help? What if you could talk with a group leader who successfully solved the problem your group is facing now? What if you could talk with someone who already tried that icebreaker and knows whether or not it will work? What if you could get your questions answered--and help answer the questions of others, as well?
That's my vision for Dot Com(unity).
posted by Sam O'Neal on February 25, 2009 1:53 PM
Comments
This is a wonderful idea!
Perfect timing as well, i've been needing something like this.
Please keep me informed, i hope to get involved.
Posted By: Dillon Juriansz | February 25, 2009 3:24 PM
Hey Sam great looking forward to start this journey....on the other side of the globe, Mumbai,India.
Pls keep me posted. Thanks.
Posted By: samuel | February 25, 2009 9:23 PM
I am looking forward to your new Dot Com - thank you.
Posted By: Sheila | February 27, 2009 11:00 AM
Sam,
I have a group of folks interested in doing a online group-do you think that this could be used as such?
Let me know, and thanks.
Posted By: Deb | March 2, 2009 12:55 PM
Hi Deb,
I think our Dot Com(unity) idea would be a very good fit for an online group. One idea would be to upload the Bible study as a Google document: www.docs.google.com. This site lets you upload a document, and then invite "friends" to have access to it. You would be able to read the Bible Study as a group, but also post comments and ask questions to each other using a common document page.
Anyway, I am curious to learn more about online groups. So let me know how yours works out!
Posted By: Sam O'Neal | March 2, 2009 2:22 PM
I am the Life Groups Coordinator at Glenbrook Baptist Church NSW and am about to start a new group for a few folk who have not joined a group yet, but am finding it hard to find a day and time that suits all those who wish to be in a group. I have allocated some to existing groups, but there are going to be folk I just cannot accomodate. We are trying to have 100% pastoral care for each member of our church through our Life Groups
Posted By: I am interested in this over in Australia | March 5, 2009 3:10 PM
I am the Small Group Admin. at our church. I would like to participate in this four week study as a trial run to see how helpful this type of blog would work with our small groups.
Posted By: Donna Cooper | March 25, 2009 1:41 PM
I'm excited to know how it's going. Please keep me posted :)We're in the process of splitting our small groups. We're still training new facilitators. I'm in the middle of finding new materials to support the new facilitators to lead the small groups. What a great timing :)
Posted By: Yustinus | March 25, 2009 6:50 PM
As a youth leader and small group leader I am always looking for ways to reach those who have moved or cannot attend our regular meetings. This sounds like a great ideal, would there be a problem using the material on another blog page for that purpose?
Looking forward to the 30th.
Posted By: Russ Wethington | March 26, 2009 8:42 AM
I am Director of Small Groups for Anacortes CTK and we have several military families who need to leave our area for extended periods. I'm anxious to see if this would work for them, and us.
Posted By: Shar Dyer | March 27, 2009 3:12 PM
Hi there, This sounds great but my group is just beginning to do a 5 week programme '50-50' which is being done nationally here in Australia from the Baptist World Aid Soc. Also, not all my group are on the internet so it would probably be just be on line. Can I participate in future ones and still have the Answers to Difficult Questions as these come up on many occasions?
God bless, Marilyn
Posted By: Marilyn | May 6, 2009 4:58 PM