25/04/2025
What is a Facebook Group?
Facebook Groups are a feature within Facebook to create an online meeting place for your church. Facebook users can request to become a member of the group by clicking Join. Think of it as an online church foyer, or small group, where members can chat, share news, encourage one another, and keep up to date with church life. It's where the people who consider themselves part of your church family might gather.
A group differs from your Facebook Page, as this is your outward-facing platform where anyone can see and discover more about your church. Your Facebook Page will be seen by people who are part of your church family, as well as those who aren't. Think of it as a mini-website for your church on Facebook.
What’s the difference between a Facebook Group and a WhatsApp group?
The benefit of using a Facebook Group is that groups are discoverable on the platform and can be linked to a Facebook page. This makes it much easier for new church members, or someone who has been watching your live-stream, to make the next step to get to know your community. Requesting to join is easy, and there's no need to hand over a phone number, or to know the admin of the group.
1. Define Your Purpose and Audience
Clearly define the purpose of your group and who it is for. Your group description should specify the target audience and what they will gain by joining. For example, it could be for local families with young children, or members of a Bible study group. A focused group attracts members with common interests, enhancing engagement.
Edit your description:
Click Group Settings from the side menu under Settings.
Under ‘Set up group’, click on the pencil icon next to Name and Description.
Edit name and/or description and click Save.
2. Establish Group Rules
Set clear rules to create a healthy group culture. Rules guide member behaviour and help maintain focus. If members go off-topic or post unhelpful comments, remind them of the group’s purpose and rules.
Add rules:
Click on Group Rules under Admin Tools in the left-hand menu.
Click Get Started to add a rule. In the pop-up box you can write your own rule and describe it, or use suggested rules. Click Save when you’re happy.
Once created you can reorder your rules by clicking and dragging them.
3. Stay On Topic
Maintaining focus on the main topic is crucial for a thriving community. Off-topic discussions can create noise and disengage members. Gently remind individuals of the group’s purpose (make this clear in the group description) and remove unhelpful posts if necessary.
4. Try community chats
Community chats is a feature that blends Facebook Groups and Messenger so you can have real-time, instant messaging conversations that build deeper relationships. You could use these if you’re watching an online service together, or to explore a specific topic throughout the week.
Start a chat:
Click the Chats tab at the top of the left-hand menu.
Click + Create a chat. You can name your chat, and if you wish, require approval to join to make the chat more secure. Then you can invite people to join the chat by searching for them or sharing an invite link.
The chat then opens as a chat box where you can start sharing messages, files and more. You can also access the chat in Messenger.
Learn more about Chats here.
5. Recruit Moderators
Moderators can help manage the group by approving membership requests, creating posts, and moderating comments. They don’t need to be admins of your church’s Facebook page, just enthusiastic members willing to help.
Add moderators:
Ensure the person is a group member. Go to the group home page and click on the Members tab. You can search for their name in the search bar.
Click the three dots next to their name and click Invite as moderator (You can also use this section to invite them to be a group admin or group expert)
They will receive a notification to accept the request.
6. Regularly Invite New Members
Invite people to join your group using the invite tool, sharing the group link on social media, church newsletters, your website, and during live videos. Create a custom link for easy access.
Send invites:
Click on + Invite under your group cover photo. You can search for Facebook friends to add or send invites via email.
Create a custom link:
Go to Group Settings and scroll down to Web address under ‘Customise group’. Click the pencil icon to customise your URL. Once saved you can use this address to share the invite link.
7. Welcome New Members
Welcome new members and invite them to introduce themselves. This helps them feel part of the community.
Welcome new members:
Click on Group Settings. Click the pencil next to New member intro under ‘Set up group’.
You can write a welcome message in the pop-up box, and choose whether to hide or show your profile picture, and hide or show the group rules after the message. Click publish when you’re happy.
8. Post Regularly and Schedule Posts
Maintain momentum by posting regularly, especially at the beginning. Use the scheduling tool to plan posts ahead and manage your time efficiently.
Schedule a post:
Write a post and click on the calendar icon next to Post.
Choose the future time for the post to be published and click Save.
9. Vary Your Post Types
It's easy to get stuck into the habit of posting an image with a caption, however, varying your posts will keep your community engaged and interested. For inspiration, click the three dots in the create post box (this appears when you click on ‘write something...’ on your home page). Use the list of options as ideas for the week. Could you create a poll when asking a question, or use live video to share a quick update?
10. Prioritise Safeguarding
A safeguarding disclosure may come through any means, and your social media presence is no different. Have at least two moderators in a group and make sure they are equipped to know what to do if someone in the group posts something that is a safeguarding concern. Before becoming a moderator of the group, they should have read and understood your church's Safeguarding Policy.
Ways to prioritise a safe group:
Include privacy reminders in your rules. For example, “Respect everyone’s privacy. What’s shared in the group should stay in the group.”
Create a private group to ensure non-members cannot view posts.
Add an extra level of safety by asking membership questions when approving new members.
Creating a social media policy for your church can help cultivate a safe and positive environment online. Read some guidelines for creating one here.
By following these tips, you can create a vibrant and supportive Facebook Group for your church community.
