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What does an Online Group Leader do?

Receives equipping and encouragement in a weekly Online Leaders meeting

Leads a weekly online discussion group on Zoom at a regular time that fits your schedule

Connects with group members during the group time and during the week 

Reference: What Does an Online Group Leader Do?

Why lead an online group?

BSF Online groups connect people from across the world or across their country for a rich, in-depth Bible study experience. Members from Scotland to South Dakota to Sydney to Senegal join a community of people desiring to know more about each other and more about God’s Word.

Here’s what our Online Group leaders are saying…

I love having the opportunity to connect with ladies from all over the world. They bring different perspectives but the same love for the Word of God. I love that the Bible speaks powerfully to all, regardless of cultural background or experiences, and interacting with ladies from different perspectives has helped me gain a deeper understanding of the God of the Nations.   Zoe F., OGL

About half of my group is American, with ladies from Africa, Germany, Scotland and Canada. It’s a testimony to God’s love for culture, diversity and His heart for us to know Him better in the community.   Olivia L., OGL

What’s an Online Leaders Meeting?

A BSF Online Leaders Meeting is a place to connect, be strengthened, and discuss common experiences with others who are leading a group just like you are. There is training, prayer, teaching, and discussion of each week’s lesson. The time prepares you to lead, and your fellow leaders become invaluable support and encouragement in your mission to serve your group members well.  Our objective is that the Online Leaders Meeting becomes one of your greatest blessings of leadership.

I was struggling with how to serve God and out of the blue I saw a message to lead BSF online.  I am so glad that I did. I’ve made great friends.  Just spending time with Godly women has been a huge blessing. Mostly knowing that I am producing good fruit has provided me with a peace that goes beyond all understanding.   Cindy W., OGL

I am concerned about the time commitment. 

We know that your time is valuable and your schedule is full.  That is why we allow you to choose the online leaders meeting and set up a group at a day and time that fits your schedule.  If your schedule changes, you can easily switch to another online leaders meetings or change the time that your group meets.  

It’s gone well!  I am so grateful for all you have done to make this so easy.  From providing us with our own Zoom accounts, to the wonderful app that continues to get better, to the website with all of the resources we need. Thank you so much!!  Cindy W., OGL

As a young professional and mother of 2 young children, I began to feel very overwhelmed and worn out from driving to attend physical meetings, in addition to meeting up with family and work life. However, joining BSF Online makes it much easier to fit into my often very tight schedule- I can join in my meetings wherever I am.  Ikeoluwa A., OGL

What if I am not a technology wiz?

You don’t need to be!  You just need to be willing to learn. 

We provide videos, resources, help articles and our Member Support Team to assist you. Plus, you have your Online Trainer, Assistant Online Trainer, and other leaders to offer tips and insight. 

Most of the time, everything runs smoothly, and if something doesn’t, everyone, including your group members, will join in to help. And that builds teamwork.

Consider the following testimonials:

One thing I noticed after joining leadership was, I became smarter.  I’m not a techie at all. So without a doubt it’s all God. Truly when you serve God He equips you with wisdom not just in how to lead my ladies but in other aspects of my life. It was such a bonus I never expected.  Marites M., OGL

I have always been technically challenged but BSF has always been there to bring me along and teach me new and scary things:) I love our leaders meetings, the online leaders, and the leaders I am serving with.  Kristyn S., OGL

We have had a few technical issues. The few issues that have cropped up, the members and leaders have worked with each other to resolve.   Cindy B., OGL

Can leading online really provide meaningful personal connection?

Countless leaders and members have been amazed at how quickly and deeply they connect when meeting online.  When online group members see one another, they see into each other’s worlds — a room in their house with an interesting painting, an office with a beautiful view, or a child walks in. Each location says something about their life which invites more conversation.

Leaders and members rarely live nearby one another so their social circles do not intersect. This “anonymity” gives them the freedom to share their hearts more openly. 

Read these shared experiences:

Our group has built relationships far more quickly than I anticipated. I love the diversity of our group and I think they are enjoying it as well.  We laugh together, pray together, and enjoy sharing. We have members who are BSF veterans and some who are brand new to BSF. We have young professionals, missionaries, stay at home moms within the United States and across the world. They have asked me to open the room early so they can visit with each other and I always have to tell them it is time to go about their daily lives.   Cindy B., OGL

From other OGLs

“Normally, in an in-person group, women might be hesitant to list their ‘real’ answer in fear that someone might see what they wrote. But my women can be completely honest since there’s no “peeking” at someone else’s paper!”

“I think the fact that they don’t know each other’s family, friends, coworkers because they live all over the world has helped them to be more vulnerable and bold in sharing their answers to these ‘difficult’ questions.”

“They don’t seem to worry about what anyone will think about them.”

“Not knowing what BSF Online would be like, would it be the same as being there in person? You proved to me that it is! The guys don’t know me, my wife, my family, my history…etc. Yet you care! This, THIS right here is why I want to be a part of BSF.”   BSF Online Group Member

What if I'm still not sure?

As you go through the process of becoming an Online Group Leader, you will explore this opportunity together with your Online Trainer and with the Lord’s guidance as you take each step. If you find it isn’t the right fit or timing, you can choose not to go forward at any point along the way. 

Here are more stories:

God has filled my group with incredible men from Miami to Fairbanks. I am inspired each week to see what God has been teaching them and how they are learning from each other.  JR P., OGL

The group that God formed for me to lead is truly a blessing from His very hand. Every week their faces pop up and I can’t believe it. I am so thrilled to see them and they are so thrilled to see each other. The time these women put into their study is obvious and the discussion is rich, vibrant, authentic, safe, and vulnerable.   Krysten S., OGL

I have the face of a very busy, traveling Software Engineer sitting in some hotel room, somewhere on the map.  He is asking men from all over the globe to pray for his wife who is heroically caring for three sick kids in his constant absence.

There’s a young man sitting in a closet for privacy.  He is in the Coast Guard in Alaska. Right now we are praying for his stomach ailment to subside.

My new buddy from Texas suffers from PLS, a form of ALS.  He cannot speak, so he sends me his responses to the questions so I can speak what God has given him to the rest of the guys. We simply hear the occasional “growl” from him, which sounds something like approval, or a chuckle or an “Amen”.  It is incredible.

My man from Minneapolis sits in a wheelchair at his kitchen table.  He has no use of his legs but he was a multi-sport athlete once.  He doesn’t get out much these days.  We see his profile as he sits almost motionless at his dining table.  We hear extremely poignant responses from a man who is not short on intelligence or thoughtfulness or passion.  He said this week that he wouldn’t take back the use of his legs if it meant that he wouldn’t have experienced the goodness of God as he walked him through the progression of his condition. 

I have perhaps never been a part of a group that better accentuates the global, inclusive, all-encompassing reach of God’s Word.  I literally get the chill bumps when I glance at the faces of these dudes.  Ryan.D., OGL

Will my service have an impact?

Here’s how one OGL expressed his experience…

“I want to thank you for the work you are doing through BSF Online.  I have had the pleasure of leading through a handful of weeks with my very global group of guys.  I have men’s faces from Japan, Albania, India, Hong Kong, Alaska, Minneapolis, and San Antonio on my screen as we discuss the Word.  

The American man living in Albania with his young wife hasn’t even found a church to attend, as Albania isn’t dotted with Christian churches like we see here in South Texas.  This Online Group is a bright spot of fellowship for him as he navigates a tough walk in the dark, confused, post-communist society he finds himself in.

 The Japanese man longs for a class in his native language, but shows up every week to our group, literally struggling to grow in his understanding and use of English as he patiently awaits the development of a class near Kyoto.

 I even have the face of a young college student joining from a small nook in a campus commons area on my screen; with the hustle and bustle of frenzied college students going on in the background of his screen as he shares what God is teaching him.”

How do I get started?

Interested in becoming an Online Group Leader?  Talk to your current BSF leader about this great opportunity!