Why churches should be leading in social media
Yesterday I published a review of the book "The Social Church: A Theology of Digital Communication" on my personal blog. (Read it here.) If you are a church leader, I recommend getting a copy of this book in your hands immediately. There really is no time to waste when it comes to harnessing technology to reach people in your community.
The reality is, social media is the way to connect. Whether it's texting, tweeting, Facebook-posting, pinning or Instagramming, most people are active on at least one social media platform. Social media is quickly becoming the best way, and in some cases the only way, to reach people. And lest you think it's not effective, I have my own example for you.
Last month I participated in a fundraising initiative spearheaded by the Dressember Foundation to raise money for International Justice Mission. I set a goal of raising $1,000, then started telling people what I was doing. Besides word-of-mouth, I only used social media to promote my participation in the campaign and ask for donations. I wrote blog posts, shared photos on Instagram, posted about it on Facebook, and tweeted about it on both my personal and ELM Creative Twitter accounts.
Thanks to the friends and family members who bought into the mission of the campaign, I reached the goal. Not that many years ago, raising $1,000 via social media would've been laughable, mostly because it didn't exist. Now it's the nexus of many a community, including the one your church is in. To reject social media within the church today is folly.
Some churches wait for people to come to them. But if there's no effort to draw in or attract new attendees, this usually gains them nothing. Churches have to start being proactive about bringing people in. It's like being the outsider at a party, you desperately want someone to befriend you and bring you into the group so you can join in the fun. That's how it is for many people outside the church. Church can be an intimidating world of special catch phrases, cliques, and unfriendliness until someone goes to the newcomer and welcomes them in.
Today social media is a key way to bring people in by showing them what your church has going on, what it's mission is, and what it brings to the community. But let's be honest, it involves a lot more than just setting up a Facebook page and slapping some information on it. If Christians claim to be followers of the Maker of the universe, the One true God, then they should be giving Him their best. Everything they do should be a reflection of Whom they're doing it for. And that, of course, includes social media.
This is why churches shouldn't just be utilizing social media, they should be leading the way in social media. It shouldn't be an add-on, a chore, or something done because "we have to" or "everyone else is doing it." It should be something that, like everything within the church, is done with excellence as a service to and reflection of God.
So let's get started! Contact me today; I would love to work with you and your church to build a strong, excellent social media presence.
The reality is, social media is the way to connect. Whether it's texting, tweeting, Facebook-posting, pinning or Instagramming, most people are active on at least one social media platform. Social media is quickly becoming the best way, and in some cases the only way, to reach people. And lest you think it's not effective, I have my own example for you.
Last month I participated in a fundraising initiative spearheaded by the Dressember Foundation to raise money for International Justice Mission. I set a goal of raising $1,000, then started telling people what I was doing. Besides word-of-mouth, I only used social media to promote my participation in the campaign and ask for donations. I wrote blog posts, shared photos on Instagram, posted about it on Facebook, and tweeted about it on both my personal and ELM Creative Twitter accounts.
Thanks to the friends and family members who bought into the mission of the campaign, I reached the goal. Not that many years ago, raising $1,000 via social media would've been laughable, mostly because it didn't exist. Now it's the nexus of many a community, including the one your church is in. To reject social media within the church today is folly.
Some churches wait for people to come to them. But if there's no effort to draw in or attract new attendees, this usually gains them nothing. Churches have to start being proactive about bringing people in. It's like being the outsider at a party, you desperately want someone to befriend you and bring you into the group so you can join in the fun. That's how it is for many people outside the church. Church can be an intimidating world of special catch phrases, cliques, and unfriendliness until someone goes to the newcomer and welcomes them in.
Today social media is a key way to bring people in by showing them what your church has going on, what it's mission is, and what it brings to the community. But let's be honest, it involves a lot more than just setting up a Facebook page and slapping some information on it. If Christians claim to be followers of the Maker of the universe, the One true God, then they should be giving Him their best. Everything they do should be a reflection of Whom they're doing it for. And that, of course, includes social media.
This is why churches shouldn't just be utilizing social media, they should be leading the way in social media. It shouldn't be an add-on, a chore, or something done because "we have to" or "everyone else is doing it." It should be something that, like everything within the church, is done with excellence as a service to and reflection of God.
So let's get started! Contact me today; I would love to work with you and your church to build a strong, excellent social media presence.
Comments
Post a Comment