Awesome! Welcome to the front row of seeing God at work. We’re excited for you and want you to have the best possible experience hosting. That begins with the online New Host Orientation on Dec 15 or Jan 13 (online).
We are encouraging the majority of Groups to meet online. We have been running online Groups all year, and the results are fantastic. It works. With some simple guidance, which we will provide, even those very uncomfortable with technology can easily host a Group online. Of course, your Group doesn’t have to meet online, but, be aware, that things may close up again.
Groups will begin meeting the week of January 31 for 10-12 weeks.
When your Group meets is up to you. We encourage to pick a day and time that works well for you, as there are bound to be others in the church who have similar schedules.
Your group could meet in person at your home or a friend’s house or online, but we are encouraging most groups to meet online. With COVID-19, we have been running online groups all year, and the results are fantastic. It works. With some simple guidance, which we will provide, even those very uncomfortable with technology can easily host a group online. Online groups also provide a lot of flexibility (people can join from work, after kids are in bed, etc.) Of course, your Group doesn’t have to meet online, but be aware that this fall, things may close up again due to COVID-19. Please note that only groups with compelling reasons will be able to meet in the church building.
You may have heard in the news about Zoom having security issues. We have found that if you follow our guidance, together with Zoom’s security settings, Zoom is a very safe platform for groups.
Zoom is free for groups that last less than 40minutes, and $15 per month for groups that last longer than that. Most group discussions online will last about 1 hour. If $15/month for three months is a financial issue for you, we would be happy to help cover the Zoom cost for you. Let us know.
People will join your group by signing up at crossroadsgrace.org/groups. We will advertise all the groups that are meeting to the congregation, but we encourage you to actively invite those in your circle to your group (family, friends, neighbors). The personal invite makes a big difference in people joining your group!
We ask that our Growth Group Hosts have completed Rooted, agree with our statement of faith and are above reproach in their character.
If you are brand new to hosting, you will be part of a New Host Orientation on Jan 13 (online).