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Media and Communication

Encouraging Group Communication

When you enable group communication, individuals in a group can connect with each other through posts, photos, events and chat. However, not every communication method is a good fit for every group.

Communication is as much or more about listening than talking. When enabling communication settings, consider things such as:
  • the group's audience
  • whether the purpose of the group is to encourage communication
  • if you want the group to be engaged or disengage

You may want to open the conversation to the group by letting them know who in the group can create content. Provide a gentle reminder that group members should post content that is helpful or interesting to other members. Take a moment to reference any guidelines or policies you've created for internal communication.

There are two levels of group communication settings. One is at the ministry area level and the other is at the group leader level.

Ministry Area Level Group Communication Settings

Only administrators and other users who have Manage Ministry Areas permissions can change the communication settings at the ministry area level. When you edit these settings, you change which communication methods are available to all groups within this ministry area.

If you disable a communication method at the ministry area level, no groups under that ministry area will be able to use it. Group leaders can't override the ministry area settings.

Another less constricting option is to enable a communication method but set it so that no one can use it until a group leader enables it for their group. Each time you enable group communication options, you can select who can use each method.

Group leaders can change these settings, enabling or disabling the communication methods that work best for their group.

Group Level Communication Settings

Each group inherits the communication settings from the ministry area that it's a part of.

For example, the Women's Group is a part of the Small Groups ministry area. If chat is disabled for the Small Groups minisitry area, then the chat option won't display at all in the Women's Group communication settings.

The group leader can control who has access to each communication setting that's enabled for their group.

If you want to turn off a communication method at the group level, selecting No one disables that method for everyone in the group. You can also set a method to be available only to group leaders if you don't want everyone in the group to have access to it.

This will only modify communication settings for the one individual group. If you are a group leader over several groups, you can modify these settings differently to fit the needs of each group.

Enable Communication for Ministry Areas

Turn on communication for groups in a ministry area.

  • Only available to administrators and users who have the Manage Ministry Areas permission.

The communication settings at the ministry area level control which communication methods are available to groups within that ministry area. For example, if at the ministry area level you allow post creation and photo sharing, but don't allow event creation, all groups within that ministry area will have the option for posts and photos, but not events.

Group leaders can't override the ministry area level settings for which communication methods are available to their group. However, group leaders can select who can use each enabled communication method.

  1. In the top-left corner, click your ministry hub then Realm. Then click Groups > Ministry Areas.
  2. Click the ellipsis icon next to the ministry area and select Edit .
  3. In the Communication section, select each communication method you want to enable for groups in this ministry area.
  4. If there are already groups within the ministry area, choose who can create content for each communication option you enable.
    • No one, yet - I want group leaders to set this option: Disables the communication method until a group leader manually selects a setting.
    • Anyone in the group: All group members can use this communication method.
    • Group leaders only: Only group leaders can use this communication method unless the group leader manually changes this.
  5. Click Save.

Enable Group Communication as a Leader

Select who can create posts, share photos, message people in the group, and make group events.

You can select whether communication methods, such as creating a post or starting group chats, are available to no one, only group leaders, or anyone in the group.
Note: Groups inherit communication settings from the ministry area level. So, if you don't see a communication method available, this means it must first be enabled for the ministry area.
  1. In the top-left corner, click your ministry hub then Connect. Then click Groups.
  2. Locate and open the group's page.
  3. Next to the group's name, click the ellipsis icon.
  4. Click Group Settings.
  5. Under the Group Communication section, select the type of content participants and group leaders can create.
  6. Choose whether group chat is enabled or disabled.
  7. Click Save.
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Last updated: July 11, 2023