by Becky Majesky
As you begin to explore Connect you will start to notice Groups are kind of a big deal. A Connect Group is a way people can be associated with each other within the Connect site. People might be actively participating in a Connect Group, logging in, posting to group discussions, accepting positions, checking their volunteer schedule, and attending events. Or, they may not even be aware the Group exists.
Every group starts with one Main Group Leader, and also has additional group participants who can either be Assistant Leaders or just plain Members. In addition, people may be invited to the group or request to be added to the group. All these people have some sort of status in the group, and their association with the group allows a ministry leader to interact with them.
The benefits of Group membership go both from the church to the members, and from the members to the church. When you use this tool you are actively building a relational network that helps us all Connect.
So how will you know what Groups to join and what Groups might be available? After you have logged into Connect, click on Groups at the left side of the page under Menu. You will see a list of what groups you are already a part of. At the top of that list is a search bar that allows you to search for a group by name. As you begin typing you will see a list of groups that match the letters you are entering.
To the right of that search bar is a link, “… or discover a new group.” Clicking that link will take you to a search tool, which will allow you to search for groups by selecting different criteria.
Once you’ve checked out the group search you may feel like some of your existing Group connections are missing. We’ve been working hard to create as many Groups as we can so that you can get started the first time you log in. But we know we will have missed some.
If you believe one of your Groups is missing, consider these defining points: Do people involved in the group want to communicate with each other; create their own events, needs, schedules, shared files or positions; have a history of their involvement in the Group; be able to opt in or out of Group membership? If the answer is yes, submit this form and we’ll help you Connect!
Read about how to get around Connect.
Read about how to set up your profile and privacy settings in Connect.
Read more about why St. Luke Lutheran Church has adopted this new church management solution.
