Meet Meetup
So maybe I’m the delinquent here. Has EVERYONE else already heard of Meetup.com? It is the neatest new discovery on my travels through the web. In case the one other person on this planet who hasn’t heard of this nifty service just so happens to find this post, let me fill you in on what its all about.
Let’s say you’re new to the area, and you want to meet some people - but the people you work with are all losers or snobs, and you aren’t sure how you managed to have so time to be in clubs/ activities way back in your High School days. Enter Meetup. You have an interest in pugs, or antiquated lawn gnomes, and you search for these topics locally. Meetup hooks you up with those in your area also interested in your strange hobbies and let’s you join in on their events! Before long, you’re standing in a sea of old lawn gnomes and new friends.
I’ve already used this tool as a way to find others who are interested in sustainable architecture and farmer’s markets in my area. Tons of fun!
Check out this video below:
Wouldn’t this be a neat way to naturally and relationally connect with other Christians in your area who are searching out God down similar pathways? Those in more organic-styled church networks are finding it difficult to coordinate times for everyone to get together, but this opens the door, AND it communicates to others in your area about your gatherings. I like this because it allows just about anyone in the Meetup group to organize an event, and let everyone else know about it. It takes the attention off the “leaders” pulling off all the events, and allows Joe to invite everyone over for burgers or Lucy to call all the women to pray over her new-born child.
Are there some down sides to this? Maybe. Should we be so concerned with meeting people who have similar interests? Is it really SO hard to find friends these days that we look people up on the internet to check them out before meeting with them? What ever happened to baking cookies and knocking on our neighbor’s door?
Any other thoughts?
Last 5 posts by Mark
- Chicago Spiritual Map: Rogers Park - August 8th, 2008
- Google is Searching for Jesus - August 7th, 2008
July 25th, 2007 at 8:35 am
We’ve done Meetup a few times (actually, we found out about this group from Meetup.com), but a church planter friend of mine (Taylor Williams) in Quincy, MA, is part of several groups (photography, spirituality, among others). We’ve thought several times about joining a Poodle Meetup Group.
The only catch is that you have to pay a monthly fee if you start a group, but not if you join an already existing one. Chances are, as is the case in Boston, there are already existing spirituality / Christianity groups in Chi-town.
We haven’t really gotten into it because there weren’t in our immediate neighborhood, but if one is nearby, it’s a logical way to connect.
July 25th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
Steve pointed me over here. A very nice blog both in content and aesthetics. Thanks for contributing to Christ’s presence on the web!
Meetup has been fun and interesting. I’ve found a few groups that are great and a few that aren’t quite my cup of tea, but getting people together to chat about something deeper than the weather has been great. Like Steve said, I’m part of a large photography group and am an organizer for a board game group. I’ve really enjoyed each group–largely because while I’m with the group I’m doing something I’m passionate about. It sure helps to know before you ever arrive that the people who you’ll be with are also passionate about the same thing. Conversation really flows.
The danger I’ve faced is spreading myself too thin–either by joining too many groups or by being part of groups that aren’t in my immediate city (which limits the amount of time/interaction I get to have with my fellow Quincians). But all-in-all I’ve really enjoyed using meetup. I’m even considering starting a meetup group for a movie + discussion or other conversation based events to draw people into contact with our Jesus community. We’ll see how it goes.
July 28th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Meetup.com was really big several years ago–in fact, my site prominently links some alt.Christian meetups still, as an artifact from those times. Then the site started charging an exorbitant fee for its monthly services (from being free), and most people have abandoned it…at least it seems to me. What seems to have replaced it, at least in my little corner of the universe, are Emergent Cohorts and Julian Meetings.
July 30th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Taylor and Mike. Great to hear your comments.
Steve and Taylor - love your site and am praying for Boston regularly.
Mike - GREAT site, (I’m making more connections all the time through zoecarnate). I agree that paying for community can limit its growth. There is a new website about to go live called “simplechurch.com” and right now it seems to be free to post your community on there….for now.
It seems like money only slows down what would otherwise be catalytic growth. Hrmm…