Dream with me for a minute…
I spend a lot of time in Facebook for Church Online and looking at all the technology offered there and how to best leverage it. Our commitment to Facebook comes from several factors from their privacy settings, multiple points of social engagement, development platform, Facebook Connect (implementations in the works) and world-wide popularity. With that commitment we want to see how to best help our ministry be reflected, extended and empowered through Facebook.
The recent changes to Facebook Fan Pages make it the perfect place for a Church to have a “voice” where a team of people can help manage it while helping to create a stir of social activity and possibilities for announcements, training videos, forum discussion, etc. And with all of this activity able to go directly into a “fans” home page on their activity stream makes the Facebook Page very powerful.
On the opposite side of the spectrum are Facebook Groups. Seriously, how many Facebook Groups are you a part of but never go to? Most seem so dead they might as well just be a badge of affiliation. Part of that lack of social activity is from the total disconnection from Groups to a members home page (would love to see the same sort of upgrade that happened to Pages get worked into Groups), and that groups are not really able to “connect” or give themselves a better context.
Socially we are all a part of certain large contexts, from the town we live in, our employer, church, etc, which Facebook Calls Networks. But when you go to Networks you can’t also see “Groups” that are a part of that Network – and the same is true with Pages. I think that loss in context really hurts groups and creates to high of a level of “pain” for people to really engage in the Group tools.
So, here is the killer feature “Created Related Group.” That is it! For Facebook Pages you can create related Events which still have their own unique URL for anyone to find and use, but there is a connection made between the the event and the Facebook Page. It is featured in the sidebar on the main page of the Page, and on the Event there is a link to the Page. With the “Created a Related Group” feature the implementation would be similar with possibilities that reach much further.
As a Church, one could then create a community space for all of your small groups and ministries. They would be connected back to the main Page and there may need to be a new tab on the Page so people could search and find the groups they might want to join. Fans could also create related groups, the group would just need to be “approved” by the Admin of the Facebook Page. The way communication channels would work on the back end element from Fan Page admin down to the groups I am not sure of, and honestly may not matter. But something as simple as “Message All Group Admins” could be pretty effective.
A Church needing a “group finder” would be solved especially if a Group tab could be added to the Facebook Page and people could search by title or even location. (Groups require a location already, think if there was a map element where you could see the related Groups on a map and select that way).
This one feature I believe would truly be “killer” and would have a whole new ability for something as HUGE as Facebook, and even everyone in a Church to connect socially in all the contexts relevant in their life, but in a way that matches value and commitment appropriately.
For those I haven’t lost yet – what do you think?
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Dude, I totally feel you on this feature. At our church we've got the problem of lots of rogue groups that are not maintained. That makes it hard to centralize communication.
So we're in the process of centralizing communication to one Facebook page. But at the same time we want people the flexibility to branch off and do their own thing. Having a "Related Groups" feature would be killer (as you put it) for something like this.
That way we can push communication to the one Facebook page, but all related groups, serving teams, etc. can still operate independently while still being connected to the mothership.
And if anyone ever lands on one of these related groups without going through the main page, they still have a way back.
IMHO this would greatly centralize Facebook communication for churches.
bingo
Tony, you know I love this! The fan page has definitely been a great change. We have seen the engagement blow up with the new features that push the fan page's activity to the user's activity stream. This "Create Related Groups" idea would be an amazing addition, and I know we would be committed to being a test case for Facebook
Sign Me Up Too. Tony, what you just described would be "killer" with our church's Page. We a church that practices in grouping together through small groups, called Journey Groups, in the biblical community.
Make it happen, Tony … the bottom line is that groups are the bottom line … It doesn't matter what technology platform or what we're communicating about, people like to hang out with people who share the same needs and interests. Giving groups a better architecture within Facebook is, as you said, a no-brainer.
*tries to call mark zukerburg at facebook…* lol
This sounds really good, Tony! Maybe you could all do some form of presentation during some of the experiences – maybe a longer vido here too? – about you hopes & aspirations? To me, LifeChurch.tv is and could be SO much more than "Church Online" – LifeChurch.tv is a community brought together in Christ's name – Church Online, LifeGrouops, Facebook and perhaps a place to gather in prayer, to socialise, to be part of a larger online "Church" community too?
hey tony. this is really really good stuff dude. we havent met but i am working with lee nicholson and what he is doing with lovecanton stuff. its so true that networking sites like facebook have the potential to be so useful but when gone about in the wrong way, all the effort put in will be useless. the fan page really does seem to be the best thing that has come along for a church to use in this context. good good insight tony.
Thanks Tony, we use a Facebook Group in our college and student ministry mostly for mass messaging and event invites but sounds like we need to switch over to a Fan Page. I'll be eager to see how this develops.
Hmmm… Am new to Facebook, admittedly, but can't find "Create a related group" anywhere? Is it just me?
That isn't a feature Scott. This post is just suggesting it.
Ooops, that'd be why then – thanks TOny… Can you point me towards any info on getting an FB group going? Had volunteered to help Caroline (who's leading the Stay Connected LifeGroup on Wednesdays) by investigating Google groups, etc as some people have been using. Then saw the blog post ref Facebook and have since joined up
but I'm not sure how to go abouts setting an FB group (have only found grouping existing friends atmo) that links in with existing LifeChurch materials already here? Any advice gratefully received!
Excellent! Looking forward to hearing more.
i'm in – think i'm gonna start a fan page for tony steward's brain. this idea is ingenious and you present it in a way that honestly makes me wonder why in the world mark z wouldn't just take your call and make the change tomorrow. giving a way to related pages and groups just seems like it'd open up a whole new realm of socializing online – which is what fb is all about anyway… and what we as the Church are looking to make use of for connecting with people.
You lost me Tony, can you give a Facebook laymen's version of what you are suggesting? I've set up a group page for my church and it is very static. Are you suggesting to not do a group page but a Fan page?
to be honest, this was a post thinking about really nerdy social graph dynamics and technology in the hopes that it would be good enough to work naturally and get out of the way. It wasn't try to make any practical suggestions for a local church implementation beyond just setting the groundwork for the idea I was suggesting.
Any community environment or online's success is totally dependent on the leadership applied to it. SO, for your group as you lead through developing community there, that is how it will succeed.
Yeah man this is one feature that would turn the heat up for us.
Thanks Tony, I'm trying to create some community via Facebook for our church and appreciate seeing what you are doing. I'll keep at it.
While "Church Online" has a bit of a wrong feel to me in its candor, I see its huge potential in networking people for face to face relationships. It would really sadden me that we would settle for "…*perhaps* a place to gather in prayer, to socialise…" What about a hug when you've been sinned against? And I find it hard to believe rebuke can be well done online. That's the pastoral heart in me anyway. Looking forward to some response on that.
Facebook is certainly a limited application for Christian Relationships, but amazingly useful for outreach and getting the Word out. I am with a local church that uses Facebook, Twitter, and an application called TheCity to network people and preach the gospel, linking to media, blogs, events etc. there are so many tools for communication! check out @theCity at http://www.onthecity.org
Hey matalie, Church Online certainly isn't ever going to replace face to face relationships and we don't suggest that it will. But that doesn't mean people don't find value in the relationships they develop online. Online environments are very capable at developing rich and healthy relationships, and there isn't anything to be sad about in that reality.
I would be interested to hear how much rebuking you do on a day to day basis and how that speaks into your pastoral heart. It is certainly possible to have that sort of communication online through an established relationship in healthy ways.
Online we have plenty of small groups and personally I have a couple relationships in which we hold each other accountable and cheer each other on, even though not in the same physical location.
One of our major learnings is to make sure we aren't placing our preferences for relationship and community onto everyone else that we interact with. Many who connect with us have found value, healthy relationships (even their marriage partner) and spiritual growth through online community.
I would be interested to hear how you've spread the gospel using The City. (It is that internal social network tool for churches that costs $1 per user per month correct?)
Facebook- Please, please listen to Tony Steward's suggestion. I am an admin for an educational page. We have tons of groups in our organization. I want one place to store and view all of these groups. Thank you!
Thanks Chris
Hey tony that is a fabulous idea. we have a collegiate ministry that would love this. as we have quite a few discipleship groups and it would be amazing to address each one through our facebook page. Please let me know if anything becomes available.
God bless