Take Small Groups to the Next Level with Slack and Discord

Bring your online Bible studies and discussions to a new level with Slack and Discord

Discussion platforms such as Slack and Discord are growing in popularity for ministry purposes, and for good reasons. Small group discussions—even several at a time—can be organized, managed and continued beyond a set timeframe. So even when Sabbath school time might be over, the discussion can be continued as each participant is available to log on and comment.

This kind of functionality is made even better with the ability to make your own server/channel, so only invited participants will have access to your small group.

With these platforms you can:

Start and maintain ongoing discussions
Using multiple channels/threads/servers, you can have multiple discussions going on at once, so you never have to leave one topic behind to address another.
Tag or “mention” participants to notify them when you want to hear from them, or when you want them to see a particular message
Post videos and images relevant to the discussions
Block participants if need be
Also send direct messages to participants
Chat via VOIP calls, similar to Skype, with screen sharing
Use the platform as a desktop app or mobile app

Should I use Discord or Slack?

The biggest difference between these two platforms is that Discord is completely free, and you can create as many servers/groups as you want, while Slack’s free version has some limits, such as capping message capacity at 10,000. However, there are Slack plans available for $7 a month per active user.

While Slack’s interface has a more polished and minimalist design that appeals to the business community, Discord’s interface was originally designed for the gamer community and can seem more “busy.” It’s a matter of preference.

Slack gives you more file sharing options and space, while Discord limits the sharing to audio or video. But you can always link to videos or images instead.

One big advantage of Slack over Discord is that on the same Slack channel, you can have multiple discussions, or “threads,” happening at the same time. So if one topic goes into a tangent, you can just create a thread specifically for that discussion and the current thread can continue on in its original topic.

All in all, both platforms provide nearly the same functionality. It’s mostly a matter of aesthetics. In general, since Discord is free, it can be an easy way to dive into this type of virtual group discussion. You can create as many servers as you want, for as many topics as you want. And if you find you’d like a more professional looking design and some higher level functionality, Slack is easy to get started with as well.

There are so many possibilities for online ministry, growth and fellowship. The more we try, the more we can share.

Thoughts, comments or suggestions? Let us know!