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Thinking about starting a Facebook group or want to make yours better? Here’s how to create the best Facebook community for your small church or ministry.
A great Facebook community doesn’t “just happen.”
Although it seems like everyone has a Facebook group these days, there aren’t too many great ones out there!
In fact, if you know the parable of the sower and the seeds, the same scenarios apply to FB communities: Some fizzle as quickly as they start, some don’t get rooted so they spring up but die out, some grow up but get choked by the weeds (spammers or negativity!) … but then there are some that are rooted and grow strong and beautiful! That’s what I want your community to be!
So this post is for you if …
- you’re thinking about starting a FB community
- you’re wondering what it takes to make a FB community great
- you already have a FB group and you want to make it better
Read on to hear the best (and worst!) reasons to have a group, learn how to get started if you decide to take the plunge, and find out how to help your existing group have more impact.
Facebook Profiles, Pages, & Groups: What’s The Difference?
If you’re newer to Facebook, let’s clear up a common confusion! There are 3 basic ways of relating with others on Facebook.
- The Facebook Profile: Your profile is where you share your personal information, where you’re from, interests, etc. When you post updates, these appear on your feed. You could have 3 friends or 3000. Although you can change the privacy settings, for most of us, everything you publish is visible to our entire friend list OR even public for the world to see. Here’s my personal Facebook profile: Laurie Graham Acker
- The Facebook Page: Facebook pages are public business pages. Many churches now have Facebook pages. Livestream worship services are often posted here, scripture encouragement, announcements, and more. Anyone can see the page, “like,” or “follow.” Here’s the Facebook page for Small Church Ministry (please like and follow while you’re there!)
- The Facebook Group: Facebook groups are created by individuals to gather people together for a common purpose. They are often private, meaning what’s posted in a group is only seen by members in the group. The group could have 16 members or 16,000 members. If the group is “private” you have to request to join. Check out Creative Solutions for Small Churches, the Facebook Group for Small Church Ministry.
Should You Even Have A Facebook Community For Your Small Church Or Ministry?
You’ll notice throughout the rest of the article, I refer to a Facebook group as a Facebook community. The name itself raises the bar of value. While I don’t think any of us needs one more group on our list, most of us would love to experience some real community.
So, here goes: 3 wrong reasons and 1 right reason to start a Facebook community.
3 Wrong Reasons To Start A Facebook Community
Wrong Reason 1: Your church has a FB page so you should have a FB group. (nope!)
Facebook communities exist to build relationships, not share announcements. Communities take time, energy, and creativity to manage them well. And it doesn’t even require the same skills as hosting an in-person small group or Bible study. It is an ongoing, long-term investment in building an online community.
Wrong Reason 2: You have the wisdom to share and you want to teach others. (nope!)
If you want to teach something, write a book or start a blog. Facebook communities are an investment more in listening than in speaking. Getting to know the needs of others and building relationships are the core of running a great Facebook community. It’s all about engagement, not a teaching platform.
Wrong Reason 3: You want to find new friends and have fun. (nope!)
Not that there isn’t an element of fun, or that you won’t find new friends (because you probably will) –– but starting a FB group to find new friends is like wanting to have a baby so you have someone to love you (bad idea!). Growing a great FB community is a labor of love. It means extra work, extra time, and showing up even when you don’t feel like it.
If you came into this article with one of those reasons on your mind, please don’t start a FB community. It won’t be successful, you’ll feel deflated, and you’ll give others another reason to dislike Facebook. (When it could have been SOOOOOOO good!)
The 1 Right Reason To Start A Facebook Community
Most of us would agree that none of us needs one more thing to do; we are busy enough without adding a new group to suck our time and give us nothing in return.
However, if you can use a FB community to meet needs, whether it’s deeper relationships, like-minded connections, or transformation toward a goal, then the world needs you to do just that!
The 1 right reason to start a Facebook community: You’ve identified a need that you want to meet.
So if you have a desire for one of the 3 things on this list, you’re gonna want to keep reading!
Do you want to:
- invest time in connecting people together for deeper community and support?
- expand your ministry to reach those who are not connecting elsewhere?
- bring like-minded people together for growth and transformation?
If you answer “Yes” to at least one of those questions and you’re willing to invest at least 15 minutes a day, show up when you don’t feel like it, and learn how to do it well, then get started with these 4 steps:
Step 1: Study Other FB Communities You Enjoy
If you’ve never been in a FB group, you need to join a few. Why? Because you need some perspective on what works, what doesn’t, what you prefer, and what you don’t.
FB communities have a unique setup, their own nuances, and some great potential. Again, they are nothing like an in-person community. You won’t do the same things, ask the same questions, or use the same techniques for engagement. It’s something you need to experience.
As you experience a few groups, ask yourself:
- What do you like?
- What don’t you like?
- What’s the purpose of the group? Is it working?
- How often do they post?
- What kind of posts do you enjoy?
CAUTION! Make sure to compare apples to apples! Any size FB community can be amazing! I once had a FB community with 9 members for the purpose of accountability in reaching our health goals, and it was great! But know this: Until a group reaches 300 (and most small church FB communities will not reach that number), the starters of the group are heavily involved in the postings. So don’t expect your small church FB community to have the same energy or activity as a group of 2000. As you explore communities to model after, pay attention to the % of members who are actively posting in the group. Adjust your expectations by group size. In many groups, only 10% of members are actively posting. If your group is 20, that would be 2! Now, you can totally up the %, but just be realistic in your expectations when you are learning from larger groups!
Step 2: Make Purposeful Decisions Ahead Of Time
Don’t skip these foundational steps. As in most things in life, having a defined purpose with a little planning will yield much better results. Think, pray, and find a partner to help manage and lead your group.
- Write out a clear purpose statement. Who’s the group for, why does it exist, and what’s the desired transformation for those involved?
- Follow all FB steps in order to set up your account. Don’t skip things. (You really won’t go back and do it later!)
- Define your rules. These are more important than you think and necessary! Take your time to do this right.
- Find a partner. We were never meant to do ministry alone.
Step 3: Post Consistently & With Intention
You could take an entire course of study to learn the best practices for posting with the best results! Here’s a little something to get you started:
- Post to meet needs, not just to fill space.
- Learn about algorithms.
- Study the habits of your audience, and listen to what they are not saying.
- Plan to span the gamut from silly questions to deep-dive discussions.
- Set up a content calendar for posting.
- Pre-schedule your posts.
- Welcome each new member –– always.
- Educate your community to get the most out of your group.
Step 4: Build Engagement
Believe it or not, if they are not engaging, it’s your fault, not theirs. (Oops, did I say that out loud?) Sorry, but it’s true. If you started a group to meet their needs, it’s worth learning how to do it well! Here are a few tips to get you started on the right path.
- Post silly questions. There are no wrong answers, it’s fun, and no one is intimidated. Silly questions build connection.
- Respond to every comment, every day. (Clearly, there’s a limit here, but it’s amazing how many comments you can respond to in 15 minutes a day!) I truly think if your group is under 200 members, you should be able to respond individually to every comment, every day, with a small time commitment.
- Utilize polls & surveys. Use these to get to know your audience, their needs, their dreams, and their struggles.
- Ask for GIFS and photos. Oh, how we love these!
- Tag community members OFTEN! By doing this, you will start to build a team of engagers.
Does This Motivate You To Get Started?
If after reading all this you’re still up for the challenge, get started today!
Consider a Facebook community for your men’s ministry, women’s ministry, youth ministry, family ministry, or community group!
Dive in, learn as you go, and commit to investing in building a community. Keep learning through other groups, training, and more.
A great Facebook community doesn’t “just happen” –– but if you invest in learning and commit to growth, you can totally do this!
Looking For More Training, Ideas, And Ministry Support?
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Click here to check out The Small Church Network to learn more about growing in confidence and skill for your small church ministry! We’re all about doing small church better and having more fun at the same time!
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