Can Online Small Groups Work?

Let's explore an issue that generates strong opinions among "group people."

by Sam O'Neal

I want to share a secret, so I'm going to whisper. Come in close so you can hear: [whispher] In a couple weeks, SmallGroups.com will feature a downloadable resource on effectively launching online small groups in your church [/whisper].

That's right: this will be something like an official endorsement for online small groups. Or at least, an official endorsement on a few methods for attempting online small groups.

Some of you don't care about this subject either way, but others of you may be feeling mad right about now. Upset. Betrayed. Well, before you get carried away, here are six reasons why Alan Danielson loves online small groups:

I get to do group with some great friends from across the country.
It's simple.
I attended once in my bathrobe when I was sick!
We don't have to coordinate a snack schedule.
We hold each other very accountable.
It's one of the rawest, most honest group experiences I've ever had.

If you have some opinions on this topic (including angry ones), I would love to hear them before I finish up the final edits on this resource. So let me know in the Comments section below if you have an answer to this question: Can online small groups really work as well as "face to face" groups"?

posted by Sam O'Neal on June 13, 2011 11:25 AM

Related Tags: Models, Online groups

Comments

As someone who has been involved in small groups of various types, Bible study, support, purpose-driven, therapeutic, etc. as a social worker, a Christian, and a licensed minister for over 25 years, I have three problems with Alan Danielson's article. First, the full dynamics of a small group cannot be replicated in an cyber small group. For example, people communicate more than in words. They communicate by body language, gestures, eye movements, etc.

Second, cyber small groups have limitations that local small groups do not have. You cannot give someone a hug or reassuring touch in a cyber small group. You cannot lay hands on them and pray for them. You cannot engage in community service together, have a barbecue or campout or other social gathering, do prayer walks together, or make door to door visits. I think that you get the picture.

Third, what Allan celebrates as the honest rawness of cyber small groups is attributable to the culture of the Internet and is not the positive that Allan thinks it. Because other people are not physically present with them, participants in chat rooms, Internet forums, etc. tend to be more aggressive and confrontational. While I see a place for cyber small groups, I think that we should not present them as a substitute for local small groups and should recognize their limits, shortcomings, and weaknesses. We do small group ministry a great disservice if we do not call attention to these limits, shortcomings, and weaknesses.

I also have a problem with characterizing critics of cyber small groups as angry. Prejudicing the reader against critics of cyber small groups may not be your intention but this characterization gives the appearance that it is.
This suggests that proponents of cyber small groups may be permitting their enthusiasm for this type of cyber gathering to color their thinking. They are not thoroughly evaluating the limits, shortcomings, and weaknesses of the cyber small group.

Before endorsing cyber small groups I would recommend a series of articles examining all aspects of these groups, including their limits, shortcomings, and weaknesses.

thank you

Well, our church just launched our first one as an experiment this summer. We did it now because summers are busy and people are all over the place. It gives us an opportunity to connect and study together where otherwise we'd be missing out.

I am aware of the lack of "relationship" or "community" that not being face to face causes. Our "experimintal" group consists of people in our area only. Everyone has agreed to meet 3 times this summer face-to-face. Our facilitator is also commissioned to getting together with 2 or three at a time for coffee or some such. We'll see how that goes.

Some things I've observed so far are that people are more "showing off their knowledge" than "sharing intimately". Some have not contributed at all. Conversation is a little slower than I'd like. That may be because we just started at the beginning of June. Perhaps time will make people more comfortable just as in a regular small group. Our facilitator is certainly making himself vulnerable as example.

I believe they have their place for people who cannot meet weekly or every other week on a consistant basis at someone's home. Everyone has sections of 10 minutes at home, via data phone, etc, to interact in cyber space.

These cyber small groups can also be a launching pad for making people comfortable enough with the small group format and discussion that they become willing to join an in home group.

In researching the people of our church body, I've come to understand we need many vehicles for getting people to connect for tranformational life change through groups. This is one. One size fits all in having people join groups doesn't work at my church. I can't imagine it works at anyone else's. Count the costs, make accomodations and then be flexible. If there's a demand, there's a need.