{"id":359,"date":"2025-06-23T15:03:30","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T15:03:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/apnamanch.com\/?p=359"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:05:32","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:05:32","slug":"three-practical-reasons-to-hold-some-small-group-meetings-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/apnamanch.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/three-practical-reasons-to-hold-some-small-group-meetings-online\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Practical Reasons to Hold Some Small Group Meetings Online"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Back during the pandemic we heard a lot of complaining about \u201cZoom fatigue.\u201d People were forced to work from home and meet online and they didn\u2019t like it\u2014as opposed to very different feelings today.<\/p>\n

After we got back into church buildings most of us reverted to old patterns often overlooking the power we gained through those once detested meetings.<\/p>\n

It is time to take another look at online tools beyond their use in podcasting or staff meetings.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not about the tool\u2014it\u2019s about the people.<\/p>\n

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  1. Drive Time Is Disciplemaking Lost<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Life is full. People are already managing kids, jobs, and packed calendars. When we ask them to drive across town for a midweek small group, we’re often competing with real-world limitations\u2014especially for those barely keeping up with life.<\/p>\n

    Small groups that meet online can change all that. They let people show up without packing bags, finding childcare, or spending an hour on the road. When the gathering ends, they\u2019re already home. That time savings often makes the difference between someone opting in or drifting away.<\/p>\n

    We don\u2019t often think of commuting as a spiritual issue\u2014but if it keeps people from community, it is. Removing friction creates space for shared life.<\/p>\n

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    1. Older Adults Avoid Night Driving (and Tech Can Help)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Most pastors in their thirties and forties haven\u2019t yet felt the hesitation that comes with driving after dark. But for older folks\u2014especially those in their 70s and 80s\u2014it\u2019s a real concern. Eyesight dims. Reactions slow. What was routine starts to feel risky.<\/p>\n

      These are not people who\u2019ve stopped caring about church. They just don\u2019t want to get behind the wheel at night. I\u2019ve seen this again and again. Faithful, longtime members who gladly show up to serve in daylight hours simply opt out of nighttime gatherings.<\/p>\n

      But Zoom\u2014or some other tool\u2014gives them a way to re-engage. If we\u2019re willing to meet them halfway\u2014by helping them learn how to click a link and join a meeting\u2014we open the door to a renewed sense of belonging. And don\u2019t underestimate the power of this. These are often the people who helped build your church. They deserve more than a pat on the back. They deserve access to each other and to the care of your church.<\/p>\n

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      1. Online Meetings Include Otherwise Isolated People<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Sometimes the roadblock isn\u2019t driving distance or age\u2014it\u2019s a dynamic at home.<\/p>\n

        I\u2019ve known believers whose spouses don\u2019t follow Jesus yet tolerate Sunday mornings but draw a hard line on other church activities. It\u2019s hard to grow as a disciple when your living room becomes a war zone every time you want to leave the house.<\/p>\n

        But online gatherings slip past those boundaries. They allow someone to join community without leaving home, and sometimes that quiet presence on the screen is the only way they can stay connected.<\/p>\n

        Years ago, before smartphones and Facebook, three women in our church had this problem. So every Friday night, they met by phone in a three-person small group. It worked because it met them where they were. Zoom does that today\u2014only better.<\/p>\n

        In the End, It\u2019s Not About Tech<\/strong><\/p>\n

        This isn\u2019t about technology. It\u2019s about people. And it\u2019s about flexibility in the way we make disciples.<\/p>\n

        Small group meetings are a tool, not a template. So if a tool makes it easier for busy families, older saints, and isolated believers to follow Jesus together\u2014why wouldn\u2019t we use it?<\/p>\n

        It\u2019s not a compromise. It\u2019s just good shepherding.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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        Ralph Moore<\/strong>\u00a0is the Founding Pastor of three churches which grew into the Hope Chapel ‘movement’ now numbering more than 2,300 churches, worldwide. These are the offspring of the 70+ congregations launched from Ralph’s hands-on disciplemaking efforts.<\/p>\n

        He travels the globe, teaching church multiplication to pastors in startup movements. He’s authored several books, including\u00a0Let Go Of the Ring: The Hope Chapel Story<\/em>,\u00a0Making Disciples<\/em>,\u00a0How to Multiply Your Church<\/em>,\u00a0Starting a New Church<\/em>, and\u00a0Defeating Anxiety<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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        The post Three Practical Reasons to Hold Some Small Group Meetings Online<\/a> appeared first on Newbreed Training<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Back during the pandemic we heard a lot of complaining about \u201cZoom fatigue.\u201d People were forced to work from home and meet online and they didn\u2019t like it\u2014as opposed to very different feelings today. After we got back into church buildings most of us reverted to old patterns often overlooking the power we gained through…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":361,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-living"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/apnamanch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/apnamanch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/apnamanch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/apnamanch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/apnamanch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=359"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/apnamanch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":362,"href":"http:\/\/apnamanch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359\/revisions\/362"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/apnamanch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/apnamanch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/apnamanch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/apnamanch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}