Media Tip: Social Media Networks

One of the fastest growing forms of technology in today’s society is social media networks. Websites like Facebook. Twitter, and YouTube are widely used by millions of people. However, good Christian people are divided on the issue of Social Media, and I will discuss these reservations later. It is my opinion that these social networks can be very powerful media tools in a church’s ministry.

Social Media Networks can be used to make general announcements to your church members. Do you want to remind everyone that there is a Youth Activity going on tomorrow? Or have you ever forgot to make a particular announcement or part of announcement on Sunday morning? Make it on Facebook and Twitter and everyone who has profile and follows the church will receive the update. YouTube can be used to display church videos. Maybe you put together a Year-in-Review video, place it on the church’s YouTube channel. Did the Youth Group sing a special song in the Sunday Service? Place it on YouTube for friends and family of the teens to see (assuming they live somewhere else or were absent from the service that day).

Encourage your members who use social media to like the church on Facebook or follow it on Twitter so that they can stay informed on the latest updates and events of the church. Create an overhead visual, or download one, to place on your Powerpoint that plays before the service (if you have one, and I suggest you should, but that’s for another Tip). By doing this, a visitor may see that, decide to like the church on Facebook because they want to see what’s going on, and may eventually return to the church for one of the events you post about.

 

Social Media Networks are outlets for advertising. Tip of the Week #1 was to advertise for everything. Utilizing this tool is another facet of advertising. The truth of this is evident by the thousands and thousands of businesses that have Facebook and Twitter pages.

If there is anyone reading this who is opposed to social media, let me quickly say that it is not wrong, immoral, or compromising to own a social media profile. The Social Media Networks are merely a tool. It is how you use this tool that makes it wicked or not. The people that use these networks to post immoral and crude comments, vile pictures, and inappropriate links are being wicked, but the tool itself is not what is wicked, it’s the person using it. Social media can be a very powerful tool for a church when it is used to promote godliness and encourage people.

Additional ideas for uses of social networks is Daily or Weekly Bible verses, encouraging Scripture reading, posting links to the latest sermon audio files, asking for prayer on urgent and current prayer requests, and giving short devotional thoughts or proverbs for godly living.

Don’t have a social network page yourself? Someone in your church does. Ask for volunteers to create a church page and keep it up to date with current events.

You have a page, but your church doesn’t? Suggest it to your pastor. I’d ask you to even consider volunteering to moderate it. Use this as an opportunity to serve your local church and, in turn, serve God.

Biblical principles to guide your social media network uses:

• Ephesians 4:29-30 “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

• Hebrews 3:13 “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

• Matthew 5:37 “But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”

• Galatians 6:2 “Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”

• Colossians 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”

I could list many, many more principles to guide your usage of social media, but you know them because they guide your daily life. Social media is just another aspect of your daily life and it is guided by the same principles. Live your life for the Lord and use the tools at your disposal to accomplish His work.

Posted in: Media Tips