How do you get the word out about recommended resources and upcoming events?  How do you stay connected with the small group leaders and coaches in your ministry?  Where do your small group leaders go to get information about next steps?

The answers to these questions say a lot about whether you’re living in the past…or taking advantage of developing technology to communicate.  Sure…there was a time when the combination of office hours and a printed handout at the small group table in the lobby was about all anyone could expect.  But those days are thankfully gone!  There’s so much more you can do to resource your leaders.  Blogs, Facebook, and even Twitter can make a big difference…and you can do it!

How To Use Social Media To Resource Your Leaders

First, let’s talk about using a blog to provide an “always on,” 24/7 resource. You may point out that you have a website page that has information about how to find a group, become a leader, or even a listing of approved studies…but that’s not the point.  One of the best parts about a blog is that you (or even a few members of your team) can update it.  It’s easy, super easy, to get one started.  There can even be free!  Here are some advantages:

• Easy to get started.  Simply choose a platform (Blogger is free, TypePad is very inexpensive, WordPress has both a free version and an inexpensive pay version.
• Easy to learn how to use.  These basic programs are so easy to learn there’s really no excuse.  You can be up and running in less than an hour.  Instead of waiting for your webmaster or the CMS company to update your webpage…you can do it right now!
• Your leaders can be notified every time there is an update.  This is a huge advantage.  Think about it…when you update the blog with information about an available study or an upcoming training the blog will automatically let your leaders know.
• Recordings of your new leader training can be posted online.
• You can provide links to recommended small group studies so your leaders can preview them.  You can even allow your leaders to rate them after they’ve used them.
• Here are two examples: Allen White and Brookwood Church uses Blogger and provides great content for his leaders.  Eddie Mosely at LifePoint Church uses the free version of WordPress is another good example.

I launched my first blog in 2005 on TypePad (on a technicality…I was on Xanga for about a week).  TypePad was easy to use.  It was an inexpensive solution ($4.95 a month) and it allowed me to run the blog with my own domain name (i.e., www.strategycentral.org).  Free services like Blogger tack on the .blogspot.com to your site name.  I’ve since moved to WordPress to provide great flexibility and a better look.

Second, take a look at Facebook as a way to connect with your leaders. If you’re not already on to this, a very large percentage of your adults are using Facebook as a way to connect with friends and family.  Many of your leaders are already on there!  Why not take advantage of a free way to provide an always on connection?  Here are some keys:

• Easy to add links to highlighted curriculum.
• Leaders and members can access the latest news.
• You can update Facebook from your cell phone.

Twitter is a surprisingly easy way to connect with your leaders. It’s free.  It takes two minutes to set up.  Small group leaders who connect via Twitter can set it to update them with a text message.  You can easily set Twitter up to update your Facebook page and Facebook to update Twitter.

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Twitter.  Crazy name.  Sounds a little goofy.  Very odd to tell people you tweeted this or that today.  Even stranger to try and explain being re-tweeted.

I don’t know if you use Twitter, but I think it’s an important tool and want to give you my take (why I like it and how I use it).

What Is Twitter?

What is Twitter really?  It’s much like sending a text message (you’re limited to 140 characters), only you’re sending the text to everyone who is following you.  Only people who elected to follow you can see what you’ve tweeted.  Also, you can only see the tweets of those you are following.  If you’re concerned about how broadly your information is leaked…you are notified every time someone new follows you and you can choose to block them.  I’ve done that a few times when it’s been something inappropriate (weird, but it is being used by people who are sharing evil too).

I like Twitter because it allows me to stay aware of what a lot of my friends are doing (kind of like Facebook) and share what I’m doing.  I can also begin to get to know people I’ve met here or there in ministry.  I also use Twitter to spread the news about a new post here at MarkHowellLive or over at StrategyCentral.  Every time I post a new article here, it automatically updates Twitter and Twitter updates Facebook.  Very cool.

Small Group Peeps:

Because I’ve chosen to, I follow many of the people who follow me.  Don’t know ‘em all, but some of them are tweeting right in my main interest areas.  Here are a few of my favorite small group ministry peeps:

• Alan Danielson
• Heather Zempel
• Rick Howerton
• Reid Smith
• Allen White
• Cary Branscum
• Jim Meldrin
• Mac Lake
• Greg Bowman
• Bill Donahue
• Steve Gladen
• Brett Eastman
• Frank Chiapperino
• Stephen Blandino
• DeAntwan Fitts
• Michael Mack
• Mary Beth Stockdale
• Ben Reed
• Todd Elliott
• Richard Wollard
• Joseph Myers
• Scott Mawdesley

How are you communicating with your small group leaders and hosts?  How hard (or easy) is it for you to get the word out about upcoming events, recommended curriculum, and leader development?  How do you do it?  Still using a print newsletter?  Sending an email out to a list?  Smiling and dialing?  In this post I want to point you to four easy-to-use tools that will make communicating with your team easier and more effective.

First, give your leaders a way to get information 24/7.  You may have a great website and a really cooperative webmaster…but most of us don’t.  The truth about most church websites is that finding what you’re looking for is a challenge and adding or changing content is even tougher.  What’s the answer?  Use a blog linked to your website that you and your team can update!  It’s easy to use and inexpensive to provide (less than $60 a year).  There are several web-based programs that make it so easy that even a caveman can do it! 

You can see the blog I’ve created for small group leaders at Adventure right here.  If you click on “life groups” in the middle of this page you can see how I’ve linked my leader’s blog from my church’s website.  If I have a training event that I want to promote or curriculum that I want to recommend it is easy to add and I can do it without waiting on our webmaster.  Even better…I can set it up so that when I add the content my leaders are notified!

Second, provide training and encouragement without scheduling an on-campus meeting.  You can do this several ways.  For example, a short teleconference is a great technique that your leaders will really appreciate.  Using a service like FreeConferenceCall.com allows your leaders to take part in a training session without driving over to the church.  That is a huge idea!  For many of your leaders it will save them 30 minutes both ways by the time they get in their car and drive over.

Another idea that is being used more and more is providing a quick video teleconference.  With a free service like Tokbox.com you can do training or coaching huddles using a webcam and a computer.  Tokbox.com allows your team to click a link from wherever they are and join a video call in progress.  If they don’t have a webcam they’ll still be able to see everyone who does.  If only the leader of the call has a webcam it can still provide a way for you to communicate visually with your team.  And it’s free!  Another option is to use Mogulus.com which allows you to broadcast your training live over the internet.  Your leaders will be able to see and hear your presentation as well as type in questions on the screen.

Further, you can use Tokbox.com or Mogulus.com to record your training and post the video on your blog.  Then your leaders can watch the training on their own time.

Third, use a web-based service like Churchteams to allow unconnected people to find a group 24/7.  Easy-to-use, your leaders can do the updates themselves (or you can do it for them),  It is a real advantage to be able to provide current information about available groups 24/7.  Additionally, with a web-based approach you can send out a church-wide email using a program like Constant Contact, (which is offering a FREE 60-Day Trial
),
that will provide a link to your small group finder.  This can be used in combination with verbal and print announcements to encourage maximum response to a church-wide emphasis.

Finally, take advantage of social media to stay connected with your leaders.  You may be surprised to discover how many of your leaders are already on Facebook.  If you haven’t set up your page yet, there’s no time like the present.  Twitter is another social media service that should be on your to-do list.  Funny name, interesting concept…Twitter allows you to update by text message all the people who are “following” your tweets.  You can also set Twitter up to update your Facebook status.  You can see how I use Twitter in the right column of this web site.

Need a new approach?  You don’t need to move from A to Z on one move.  Move to B.  Add a simple blog that you can update yourself.  Try on Constant Contact for size.  The key on all of these new ideas is to take a first step!    

Regardless of the strategy you use to invite unconnected people to join a small group or to consider hosting a group in their home, learning how to effectively ask people to take a next step is essential.  Done poorly, you’ll get a weak response.  Done well, you’ll get a great response.  Here are the four steps to a great response:

1. Incorporate the ask into your pastor’s sermon.  This is much more effective than an announcement.  Obviously, some sermon topics will lend themselves more naturally to integrating the ask into the message itself.  This is worth a careful discussion.  Looking for a scripture passage that includes the idea of community makes it easier.  For example, Matthew 9:36 let’s us in on Jesus’ heart for unconnected people (sheep without a shepherd).
2. Use an insert in the bulletin to gather responses.  While talking about Jesus’ heart for unconnected people, ask your people to “take out the insert in your bulletin.  It looks like this.”  Hold it up and say, “While you’re taking that out, I want you to listen to the story of Bob and Jane.”
3. Using a 2 to 3 minute live or videotaped testimony about the importance of being in a group or how God used the host of a new group gives your ask a huge advantage.  I’ve written about how to develop video testimony that recruits hosts
4. Provide an easy way to respond immediately.  Asking them to go to the website to sign up or call the church office doesn’t strike while the iron is hot.  The best response opportunity is to take the offering later in the service and put the inserts in the plate as it comes by.  Next best, station ushers at the exits and collect as people leave.  Last, have people turn them in to a table in the lobby (this is much less effective).
5. Now that you have the keys, here’s how I do what I call “The Dance.”  Pay attention to the language and the sequence here: “Doing Life together is so important.  If you’re ready to put your toe in the water and try a life group, I want to invite you join us at the Small Group Connection on January 21st.  In your bulletin this morning is an insert.  It looks like this (hold one up).  While you’re taking out the sign-up form, I want you to welcome Bob and Jane Smith.  The Smith’s joined a group last year about this time and I’ve asked them to share a little bit of their story (2 to 3 minutes, answering the questions I mention in how to develop a life group testimony).”The pastor then says, “Let’s thank Bob and Jane for sharing their story.  We want to invite you to join us at the Connection on January 21st!  If you’ll fill out the sign-up form you can place it in the offering at the end of the service.”  Important Note: If you’re recruiting hosts, simply substitute the following lines: “If you have a heart for unconnected people you could be a host.  In your bulletin this morning is an insert.  It looks like this (hold one up).  While you’re taking out the sign-up form, I want you to welcome Bob and Jane Smith.  The Smith’s hosted a group last year about this time and I’ve asked them to share a little bit of their story (2 to 3 minutes, answering the questions I mention in how to develop a life group testimony).”The pastor then says, “Let’s thank Bob and Jane for sharing their story.  Is that what God is leading you to do?  If you’ll fill out the sign-up form you can place it in the offering at the end of the service.”

Does that make sense?  See how the four key ingredients are integrated right into the message?  If you’re recruiting hosts, it would just take a little tweak.  Same dance.  Like any dance, the graceful integration of several steps leads to a smooth and pleasing outcome.  I hope your dance moves become smoother and more effective.