Small Groups 

During this time of unprecedented restrictions, it remains our instinct to want to meet together as Christians. When we can’t meet in big congregations, we want to meet with our small groups, and yet this, too, is outside of current government guidance, even if it is outside.
But meeting together remains important – the New Testament says so! “Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing” (Hebrews10:25)
So how might we do so when we cannot meet physically? There are lots of options – which the New Testament Church didn’t have – of ways we can meet virtually or digitally.
Here are some of them, with some notes about the advantages and disadvantages and how to use them:

Skype              https://www.skype.com/en/free-conference-call/

  • Everybody needs an account to either host or join in.
  • iPhone and Android mobile apps, Windows or Mac applications, or a web browser.
  • Maximum 50 participants.
  • Limit of 100 hours per month, 10 hours per day and 4 hours per individual video call for each host. After these limits calls are audio only.
 
Zoom               https://www.zoom.us/
  • Only the host needs an account to host a meeting, participants don't to attend a meeting.
  • iPhone and Android mobile apps, Windows or Mac applications, or a web browser.
  • Maximum 100 participants (basic/free version).
  • Limit of 40 minutes per meeting, but unlimited meetings (so you can just restart at the end of the 40 minutes).
 
Jitsi Meet        https://meet.jit.si/
  • No one needs an account to host or join a meeting.
  • iPhone and Android mobile apps, or a web browser.
  • More or less unlimited number of participants.
 
Google Hangouts Meet         https://hangouts.google.com/
  • Only the host needs an account to host a meeting, participants don’t to attend a meeting.
  • iPhone and Android mobile apps, Windows or Mac applications, or a web browser.
  • Maximum 25 participants (free version).
IT Operations, 19/03/2020