OCEAN BEACH CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
How to Use Groups
One of the best features of the OBCF Members App is the "Groups" feature. This allows you to communicate with members of various groups without the need for text chains. Now there is no need to start a new text chain or struggle to find the latest one for home groups, prayer groups and the like. Just join the appropriate group in the app and you're all set. If you aren't getting the notifications you want for groups, check our directions on how to set up your notifications here.
To communicate in groups you will need to join one first. To join a group, tap the "Groups" icon at the bottom of the app or the "Groups" image on the home screen of the app.
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You'll need to join a group in order to communicate in the chat. Once on the "Group" screen, tap the "Group List" link. On the next screen, search for the group you would like to join. Public groups will say "Join Group." These groups can be joined by anyone. you just need to press the "Join Group" link and you will be given access. Private groups are locked and require administrative permission to access. If you would like to join a private group, you will need to speak with the ministry leader/group leader and request to join. As you can see, most groups are set to private because they are designed to be semi-private discussions.
Once you join a group you will be able to post in said group. This will change the way your "Groups" screen in the app looks. You will have a new "share something" box that you can click on. You also see of the posts from ALL the groups you are a part of. You will also see a slider with all the groups you are a part of.
When you select the text box, you will be directed to a screen with all of the groups you are a part of. Select the group you want to leave the comment on. You will have the option to create a title and to design the post using the options at the bottom of the screen.
How to Customize Group Messages
There are a TON of customization option for your posts in groups. First let's take a look at customizing a standard post.
First let's take a look at the fonts format tool. Clicking the "Aa" icon will change the bottom bar to a font format tool. You can use this tool to make your text bold, italicized, or underlined. You can add links and create bullet points as well.
How to Add/Take A Picture in Group Messages
Next up is the camera icon. This one will open the media on your phone and will have a couple of icons at the bottom of the screen. The camera icon will open the camera on your phone and allow you to take a picture of something you are looking at and upload it right to the app.
You can also get to the following screens by selecting the "Photo" link on the home screen of the app.
You'll need to give permission for the app to use your camera and mic. If you select the option that says "While using the app" you won't have to do this step again in the future.
You should then have the ability to take a picture. When the picture has been taken, you'll be given the choice to retake or accept it.
Once you have the picture you want, you will be given the chance to edit it using the built in photo editor. Just select the "edit" button to finetune your image. When you're done with it, click the download button.
How to Add A GIF
GIF's are a great way to express emotion in a fun and engaging way. Using GIF's in messages really helps to give a chat group a lot of personality. The GIFs in this app are managed by Wix and so some GIFs might not be appropriate to share in the OBCF Members App. For more info about this please make sure you read our app policy available in app.
These directions start from with-in a message in a group chat. If you need to know how to get to the following screens, start here.
First let's take a look at the fonts format tool. Clicking the "Aa" icon will change the bottom bar to a font format tool. You can use this tool to make your text bold, italicized, or underlined. You can add links and create bullet points as well.
You will then be greeted with a screen that has popular GIFs on it.
Type in your "keyword" in the search bar at the top of the screen. For our example we used the keyword "pray." Scroll on the screen until you find one that works for the message you are creating. Once you find it, tap on the GIF you want to use.
You should be taken back to your message after tapping the GIF you want to use. Fill in the title for your post at the top of the screen and write the message you want to send with the GIF underneath it.
If decide that you would rather use a different GIF after you have already picked one, tap on the GIF that is attached to your message. This will pull up a "replace" button at the bottom of the screen. Tap on the "Replace" button.
How to Share Documents
Sometimes we may need to share documents within our church groups—such as Word files, Excel spreadsheets, or PDFs. If you’d like to share a document, please follow the steps below to ensure it’s uploaded properly.
Be mindful not to share any personal or private information through the app. Ocean Beach Christian Fellowship (OBCF) and its affiliates cannot be held responsible for the protection of personal or sensitive information shared within group chats or posts. Please share wisely and with discretion.
To share a document, open up a message in the appropriate Group. If you need instruction on how to open a message in Groups, please start here. Once you have the message open in the correct group, select the paper clip at the bottom of the screen. Then tap "upload from device."
When you click on the link, you will be taken into the files on your phone. The screen that pops up will be different for each person depending on how your phone is set up, so your screen might not look exactly like the example below. To search for files on your phone, tap the 3 lines in the top left of the screen. This will open up a menu that will allow you to search your phone and any cloud storage you have connected to your phone. You might need to sign into accounts like Google, iCloud or Dropbox before you can use them with the app.
Once you find the correct file, tap it. You will be taken to the following screen. Just tap "next" in the top right of the screen.
Once the document is attached, fill in the title and write a message if one needs to go along with the document, then tap "post" in the top right of the screen. If you accidentally attached the wrong document, select the "replace" button in the bottom left of the screen. Follow the previous steps to find the correct document.
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