Part Two: A Hub and Spoke Model to Create Digital Community for Small Groups and Sunday School
Andy Mage • March 22, 2020
In part one of this article , we looked at four important criteria for creating digital community in your church, and gave some quick recommendations if you want to pursue a decentralized approach where you empower individual group leaders with one or more suggested platforms, provide coaching and training on those platforms, and then set them loose.
That’s not a bad strategy and it’s very quick to get this set up in your church. But that approach falls short if you want to make it easy for people not currently in your groups or classes to get easily connected. You can provide the same tools you always do -- a link to a web form or an email address that gets you connected to the staff member or volunteer overseeing your groups ministry.
But this is not a normal season -- the Wall Street Journal captured it well when it said that we’ve moved beyond “remote work” to “remote life.”
In a matter of days, the coronavirus pandemic has reshaped American society, unmooring people from the routines and activities that typically provide comfort in moments of crisis: work, worship, concerts, sports, gatherings with family and friends, the embrace of loved ones.
“It feels a little like we are in a snowstorm, an invisible-but-present blizzard, where it is not safe to go outside,” the Roman Catholic Bishop of Albany, Edward B. Scharfenberger, wrote to his diocese. “Home is the safest place to weather a storm.”
Who better than the church to provide spiritual community for such a time as this? And one of the best ways to do that -- particularly for people not currently involved in your church -- is to pursue a hub and spoke model of digital community.
In the early days of the Sunday School movement in America, people gathered for “opening exercises” for worship and encouragement before breaking into their classes for community and discipleship. In this chaotic and confusing time, with people looking to their church leaders for wisdom and guidance, opening exercises could strengthen, encourage, and comfort those seeking spiritual community. Gathering in a large group to hear from senior leadership and then breaking into small groups for community, discipleship, and prayer brings the best of both worlds.
More recently, many recovery ministries start with a large group time for teaching and testimonies before dispersing into smaller groups. This is particularly effective in creating a single point of entry for those new to recovery or attending for the first time.
So, while it’s possible to have individual leaders hosting their online group meetings or classes separately and independently, it could be beneficial to have a church’s small groups meeting collectively and then separately -- a hub and spoke model.
Using Zoom to Build Digital Community
One tool that works extremely well for this hub and spoke approach is Zoom. Zoom is a video conferencing tool built for large enterprises which has significant non-profit discounts available through TechSoup.
Here are a few reasons why Zoom is great tool for bringing your small groups and classes online in a hub and spoke model:
- The Zoom client is available for all major platforms - iOS, Android, MacOS, Windows, Chromebooks, Linux and through a web browser. While the Zoom experience works best if you download and install the app, users can simply click on a link to join a meeting. Users can also dial-in using a phone number, although they won’t be able to view the video.
- Zoom passes the “grandma test” (see part one). Members can join a small group or class meeting via a simple URL, with no need to be added to a group in advance. The link can be distributed through a church’s normal media channels -- web, email, and social networking, as well as text messaging. (Your link can also be customized to include your church name.)
- Zoom has a killer feature called breakout rooms which allows hosts to split people into as many as 50 different subgroups (with a current limit of 200 people spread out over those rooms). This allows the large group gathering and small group gatherings to take place at the same meeting URL.
- If the meeting is scheduled ahead of time, breakout room members can be pre-assigned in advance -- a great way to connect people with the group members they normally meet with face-to-face.
- But membership in these breakout rooms can also be done on the fly without needing to assign people in advance. This is a great way to include visitors and guests who may not currently be a part of a particular group.
How to Use Zoom for Hub and Spoke Digital Community
Sign Up and Set Up Zoom
- Determine the number of simultaneous Zoom accounts you will need.
- You can use a single Zoom account to include up to 200 people per meeting.
- If you have more than 200 people meeting in small groups during any particular time slot, you will need to purchase more than one Zoom account.
- Remember that meeting participants do not need a Zoom account to participate -- just meeting hosts.
- You can use the same Zoom meeting link multiple times throughout the week.
- For greatest impact, brand your Zoom account and create a friendly personalized meeting link.
Schedule Your Hub and Spoke Gatherings
- In Zoom, create a single recurring meeting for each hub and spoke time slot. This works great for recovery ministries, Sunday School programs, and student ministries.
- What about decentralized small groups? Many churches could simply set up one or more daily meetings, for example, Zoom meetings each day Monday-Friday at 11 AM to cover the morning small groups and again at 7 PM to cover the evening small groups.
- Schedule those meetings in Zoom and on your church calendar.
Invite Your Group Leaders to Scheduled Meetings
- While it’s not strictly necessary, it’s a good idea to invite your leaders to the appropriate Zoom meeting and time slot. This allows you to pre-assign those leaders to breakout rooms.
- If you invite group members, they can also be pre-assigned to specific breakout groups.
Promote Your Digital Community Online
Here’s the beauty of a hub and spoke model -- as long as you won’t exceed 200 simultaneous participants you can publish a single URL on your website or on social media and anyone -- whether they are currently in your groups system or not -- can easily join from a browser or mobile device.
Host Hub and Spoke Meetings
Preparing to Host
- Each meeting needs a host, and one or more co-hosts can be assigned to each meeting.
- Hosts and co-hosts have multiple roles. See the Zoom help here.
- The host or co-host will need to start the meeting from any device using the church’s Zoom account.
During the Large Group Time, Assign People to Breakout Rooms
- If you pre-assigned breakout room leaders and members, you do not need to assign them again.
- As guests come in, assign them to breakout rooms that are the best fit.
- You can also re-arrange participants in breakout rooms, add new rooms, and delete unneeded rooms.
Start the Small Group Time by Launching Breakout Rooms
- When it’s time for small groups or classes, simply open up the breakout rooms. Participants will receive a message sending them to that room.
Bring the Small Groups Back Together (or not!)
- You can broadcast a message to all of the small groups at any time -- this is a great way to send a reminder before you call all groups back together.
- To bring the small groups back together, simply Close All Rooms. This gives people a sixty-second warning before returning them to the main large group session.
- Note that this last step is not necessary -- you can leave people in breakout rooms as long as needed -- when a particular group is done meeting, those people can simply leave the meeting. Note that it’s best practice for one of the hosts to stay online and officially end the meeting. This clears the room and resets it for the next scheduled meeting time.
Beyond the Current Crisis
None of us knows how long the current crisis will continue. People need God -- and the church -- more than ever. Digital community might be the only way to gather for a season, but what starts in crisis often foreshadows a new normal. Think about how digital community might work in more normal times -- consider the needs of people who travel for work or are shut in and can’t meet physically. Don’t settle for online worship only -- build digital communities for the kingdom .
What do you think? Share your ideas on Discord or on social media.
Through the.Church.digital, we are helping physical and digital churches better understand the discipleship process, and helping churches and church planters understand this and other decentralized mindset shifts. By taking this quick assessment we can get you connect with a coach, resources and more. Also, check out our Discord Group where we are encouraging people daily.
For most of church history, mission work had a clear shape. Missionaries went somewhere—another country, another culture, another neighborhood. Their work was visible. Tangible. Easy to affirm. But today, a new kind of missionary is emerging: the digital missionary—streamers, content creators, Discord pastors, gamers, and community-builders ministering in spaces where millions gather every day. And many of them feel deeply alone. Not because their work isn’t meaningful, but because it often goes unrecognized. Churches know how to support missionaries who cross oceans. They’re still learning how to support the ones who cross servers. This blog is about closing that distance—mending the validation gap—so digital missionaries can thrive, not survive. What Is the “Validation Gap”? The validation gap is the space between the significance of the work and the support given to the worker. Digital missionaries often experience: Misunderstanding: “You play games… for Jesus?” Invisibility: Their ministry happens online, so few see it firsthand. Uncertainty: Without structure or support, they wonder if their calling is “real.” Isolation: They shepherd people late at night, across time zones, without teammates. And here’s the truth: Digital missionary work is real ministry. People are coming to Christ in Twitch chats. People ask for prayer at 2am in Discord voice channels. People who would never step inside a church are stepping into livestreams. The mission field has shifted—and the Church is invited to shift with it. How Your Church Can Support Digital Missionaries Below are practical ways any church—small or large—can actively support and affirm its digital missionaries. 1. Publicly Affirm Their Calling Digital missionaries often hear, “Is that really ministry?” Like when God sent Phillip to the Ethiopian eunuch, they have already gone down the road to share Jesus. They feel compelled to go with or without your support. Your church can be the voice that says, “ Yes. Go !” Introduce them to the congregation. Let them share their stories. Pray for them from the stage and include people they are reaching. Include their ministry in your missions reports. If you have not yet had someone share they already do this, ask from the stage. You may have some in the pews who God has called and they need you to tell them to go. Validation is often more powerful than equipment. If you can’t do anything more. Do this. 2. Commission Them Like Any Other Missionary When the church lays hands on someone and sends them, it communicates: You are not alone. We’re behind you. This is kingdom work. A commissioning moment gives digital missionaries the confidence and accountability they need. By joining with them in the mission, you have an opportunity to help mentor and guide them as they go. When you say it’s not real ministry. They are likely to go anyway and not tell you. When they face difficult times, who will be there for them that knows them? Why not your church? 3. Provide Resources and Tools Just as overseas missionaries raise support for flights, housing, and supplies, digital missionaries also need tools: A good microphone Lighting or a webcam A stable PC Software for editing or graphics Internet upgrades A safe, quiet streaming space These aren’t luxuries—they’re ministry tools. Perhaps you have these and could allow them to be used. If not, you can share their ministry tools wish list with the congregation. That is what they are already doing with their community. And people who believe in them when able often contribute to those items. And sometimes just purchase them as a gift. 4. Offer Prayer and Pastoral Care Streaming can be spiritually and emotionally draining. Churches can help by: Assigning a pastor or elder as a regular check-in Creating a prayer team specifically for digital missionaries Encouraging Sabbath and rest rhythms Offering counseling or mental health support if needed Adopting a missionary in a small group or Sunday School class A supported streamer is a healthier, more joyful missionary. Also, a missionary that regularly is talking about ministry and sharing Jesus is going to inspire and encourage others to do the same. It could be a key to helping your whole congregation start to share Jesus online or at least Mon-Sat start having Gospel conversations in your community. 5. Help Build a Moderation Team Moderators are the deacons/greeters of the digital mission field. Your church can: Recruit trustworthy members Train them in digital hospitality Help establish safety guidelines Support them as they serve alongside the streamer Regularly watch them to increase viewership Have feedback conversations about what is good, bad, or missing This turns digital mission work from a one-person show into a team ministry. You don’t need to have all the skills of the streamer. You just need to have a heart to support them and God’s calling on them. 6. Provide Financial Support This doesn’t need to be large. Even small contributions communicate value. Options include: Monthly missions support One-time grants for equipment Covering software subscriptions Funding special outreach streams or events Your support makes the ministry sustainable. Ask them what their needs are. They will be much smaller than any foreign missionary or church plant. You can 10x your churches impact with 1/10th the investment. 7. Celebrate Digital Wins Share stories from the digital mission field just like you would from a global mission trip: Testimonies from viewers Prayer requests from chat Stories of first-time Bible readers Milestones like Twitch Affiliate or Partner Celebration closes the validation gap. The closer to the event the greater the impact will be. So, look for where these can be shared. Share in emails, websites, social media and on Sundays. You can set the guidelines. They can create the post. 8. Integrate This Ministry Into the Life of the Church Digital ministry isn’t a side gig—it’s an extension of your church. Invite the digital missionary to teach about online outreach Host gaming nights or digital missions Sundays Include digital community in small groups Let youth and young adults get involved This is a bridge for generations. Let this happen organically. As one person grows and shares their ministry others will naturally feel calling of their own. Become a church that says, “ Yes and… ” The Mission Field Has Expanded—Let’s Not Fall Behind The apostle Paul used Roman roads to spread the gospel. The Reformers used the printing press. Today’s missionaries use Twitch, TikTok, Discord, and YouTube. The gospel always finds the roads people travel. As a church, you have the unique opportunity to mend the validation gap and empower digital missionaries who are reaching people your church may never meet in person. When you support them, you’re not just encouraging a streamer—you’re sending laborers into a global digital harvest.
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