On March 10, 2011 I posted an article, “The Touch of a Hand: Life Together in Small Groups.” In that article I identified some of the advantages of in-person groups and drew attention to a number of the drawbacks of virtual groups. When I was checking my stats this evening, I noticed that a number of people have been reading the article.
During the COVID-19 pandemic I hope that no one uses that article to rationalize meeting in a face-to-face small group rather than a digital one. In the COVID-19 pandemic an in-person small group has a major drawback which I did not mention in my article. In a small group meeting in which the participants sit in close physical proximity to each other in the same room, a small group participant who has the coronavirus and is asymptomatic can infect the other participants with the virus.
Even if the participants wear face masks and sat six feet (or two meters) apart, there is still a high risk of infection.
Wearing a face mask and sitting six feet apart would also eliminate a number of the advantages of in-person small groups.
Online small groups have a place in the small group ministry of the local church. While certain elements may be missing from such groups, they provide a safe way of gathering to worship, to study God’s Word, to share, to encourage each other, and to prayer when meeting in person would put those meeting together at risk of infection with a highly contagious disease. They will continue to have a place in the local church’s small group ministry on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Thom Rainer pointed out earlier today in his webinar, “The Blank Slate: Major New Insights from New Research,” online small groups are going to be a part of the post-COVID-19 world. Based upon the available research, closed small groups that meet from 6 to 13 weeks and which do not accept new participants in that time period will become permanently digital. One or two gatherings may initially be in person. But the bulk of the content will likely be delivered digitally.
I personally recognize the value of both in-person and on-line gatherings. In compliance with the federal social distancing guidelines and the state stay-at-home order the church where I sometimes preach sermons and lead services has temporarily suspended its in-person services. Seeing a need that I could meet, I am hosting an online gathering for members of the church for worship, teaching, sharing, encouragement, and prayer.
While I believe that a number of the observations that I made in the article are valid, I nonetheless also believe that they should not be used to discourage people from meeting together online and to encourage them to meet in person in the midst of a pandemic. Both types of gatherings have their strengths and limitations. One learns to build on the strengths and work within the limitations when launching an online gathering.
I hope that this article makes my position on online gatherings clear to readers of Anglicans Ablaze.
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