Many of us are turning to online activities at the moment as a way of staying connected to each other. If you would like to ‘meet’ virtually with others from your church then why not run an online Tenants of the King Bible Study? Read on for suggestions on how to run the bible study using a web-based conference calling platform called Zoom.
Setting up Zoom
Zoom is the online conferencing platform used by Operation Noah. There are other conferencing platforms out there you could consider, we just happen to use this one. At the moment Zoom is offering resources to help people get up to speed with using their facilities. You will need to set up an account, but can use it for free if you don’t mind having your conference in 40 minute sessions, as it times out after 40 minutes and everyone simply clicks the same link to meet up again.
How to run the course
1.Order your Tenants of the King Study Guides and videos
Order enough booklets and videos on usb stick for everyone, and deliver or post them to your group members. You are welcome to share one usb stick between different groups. However, you may want to order one usb per group, to save having to pass it round.
2. Keep it small
To ensure everyone has a chance to share their thoughts, aim for 10 or fewer people in the group, just as you would with a face-to-face group. If interest is high, form two or three groups that meet at different times, providing more alternatives for people with busy schedules.
3. Expect technical mishaps
Bad wifi-connectivity and poor sound quality are bound to happen. Expect them, and it won’t be so bad when they occur. Spend time before your first study checking everyone’s equipment and helping them learn how to use it. It often helps to be connected by Zoom, or whatever platform you are using, and telephone at the same time. People may need to purchase microphones, speakers or headsets. Perhaps there are a few people in your group who could help do this. Give yourself 30 mins in your first session to iron out technical issues and remind people how to use the platform.
4. How to run the session
Begin by ensuring everyone can see and hear each other. You may need to ask people to mute themselves when they are not speaking, or the host may need to mute people – politely tell people that this is what you are going to do for some, if not all, of the meeting. During the discussion sections you may want to ask people to use the ‘hand raising’ option so as to allow all to have a chance of speaking.
The leader, who might be a different group member each week, runs the session using the leaders’ notes. When the video is played, for Zoom, this can be shown using the sharing option, described here.
5. Keep to time
Being online rather than in-person is more tiring. Keep the session to time – two lots of 40 minute sessions, if you are using the free version of Zoom, or two hours maximum. This may mean firm chairing, but your group will thank you! Perhaps offer to add on another 40 minutes session at the end for people who want to chat after the session is over.
6. Feedback
Finally, do let us know how you got on, with any suggestions for improvement of these tips!
