Social Media

I share a status on Facebook. I put tweets on Twitter. I post to a blog. I, obviously, have become part of social media. Why? To explore how this might be an effective communication tool for ministry. What have I discovered?

Facebook is a great way for me to connect with church members whom I might not regularly have an opportunity to know what is happening in their lives and I can respond to pastoral concerns in a timely way. I sense that I have a better understanding of what is happening in my FB friends lives which is certainly significant as I give shape to our programs and ministry. The fan pages give me lots of important current information that can also helpful to this end. Sharing some things about my personal life seems to offer an opportunity for others to know me somewhat better and feel more connected to me. My sharing with family and friends beyond First UMC is not only fun, but also reminds me I do have a good life beyond the church and this is certainly healthy for my being. Brandon Taylor, our youth director, used Facebook to keep parents and church member informed of a recent ski trip that was wrought with frustrations.

One hundred and forty characters can be powerful. Careful choice of words for Twitter tweets in this quick read culture can mean making a meaningful statement about a variety of issues. Many of my tweets include a link to a longer post that offers more insight about the topic. I follow a wide variety of Twitterers for information and understanding of trends and find my mind constantly trying to process what is happening in relation to my faith. This week, I have gathered a lot of Haiti disaster response information without having to search numerous websites. Thanks to James Sturgeon, First Church regularly uses Facebook and Twitter as a means of communicating and we are growing into how this can be an effective way of connecting.

Nearly five years ago I began writing a blog, A Pilgrim’s Perspective, and after 631 posts I still find this to be good way to create a conversation about issues that are challenging me. This time of personal reflection is often very directive to my spiritual journey. I also enjoy regularly reading other blogs and especially enjoy the Wesley Report and God’s Politics.

Although I enjoy social media and find it to be a new frontier that is offering all sorts of possibilities, I have discovered that the number of books read during the last six months has decreased. The stack of books by my bed is growing and I think some of them are just as or more important than Facebook etc. It’s time to visit some of my favorite authors.