The Ties that Bind
The power of social media to connect us with each other and with the gospel
Urgency and caution. Complexity and simplicity.
Humanity and technology. Differing opinions and strategies and priorities. Has any recent topic in the church elicited such a wide range of varying emotions, convictions and action points as that of social media? Not just pros and cons, but shades of meaning and involvement.
Whatever our church size, budget and age demographics, whatever our comfort with technology, we all wish to engage culture in a way that wins a hearing for the gospel.
In his Sept. 28, 2012, post “Why Social Media Is the Digital Campfire of Today,” blogger Steve Fogg wrote: “Social media platforms increasingly are the places where we share stories of our lives, our hopes, dreams, the banality, the ordinariness of our lives—and everything in between. . . . Are we prepared to be where the people are?”
If much of today’s culture is sharing meaningful life via social media, then wouldn’t the Christian who’s living out the gospel be wisely involved in social media? But what does “wisely involved” mean? Can’t it look different for different churches?
Indeed.
In this issue of EFCA Today, we look at how EFCA churches are leveraging social media to “do church” and advance the gospel—combining theory with practical ideas.
We’re not immune to the realities of media addiction, which can damage our most important relationships and sabotage space for creative thought. (Oh, the risk of “living in a perpetual state of distraction and interruption,” as captured in a video published this year.)
But social media is far from a passing fad, something that “others” can be concerned with while we pursue ministry-as-we-know-it (even amazingly fruitful ministry). It’s here to stay.
“Every new medium has a dark side,” acknowledges EFCA Pastor David Park. “I know that TV did, and certainly the VCR did, but ultimately, each enables new people to discover and connect, and that should never be dismissed by people of faith, at least not out of hand.”
Explore with us what fellow EFCA leaders have to say about the impact of social media in their churches. No two theories, practices and strategies are the same. Yet what is the same for all you’ll meet in these pages is a passion to present the gospel where people are gathered.
The Ties That Bind
Urgency and Caution Complexity and Simplicity
Humanity and technology. Differing opinions and strategies and priorities. Has any recent topic in the church elicited such a wide range of varying emotions, convictions and action points as that of social media? Not just pros and cons, but shades of meaning and involvement.
Whatever our church size, budget and age demographics, whatever our comfort with technology, we all wish to engage culture in a way that wins a hearing for the gospel.
In his Sept. 28, 2012, post “Why Social Media Is the Digital Campfire of Today,” blogger Steve Fogg wrote: “Social media platforms increasingly are the places where we share stories of our lives, our hopes, dreams, the banality, the ordinariness of our lives—and everything in between… . Are we prepared to be where the people are?”
If much of today’s culture is sharing meaningful life via social media, then wouldn’t the Christian who’s living out the gospel be wisely involved in social media? But what does “wisely involved” mean? Can’t it look different for different churches?
Indeed.
In this issue of EFCA Today, we look at how EFCA churches are leveraging social media to “do church” and advance the gospel—combining theory with practical ideas.
We’re not immune to the realities of media addiction, which can damage our most important relationships and sabotage space for creative thought. (Oh, the risk of “living in a perpetual state of distraction and interruption,” as captured in a video published this year.)
But social media is far from a passing fad, something that “others” can be concerned with while we pursue ministry-as-we-know-it (even amazingly fruitful ministry). It’s here to stay.
“Every new medium has a dark side,” acknowledges EFCA Pastor David Park. “I know that TV did, and certainly the VCR did, but ultimately, each enables new people to discover and connect, and that should never be dismissed by people of faith, at least not out of hand.”
Explore with us what fellow EFCA leaders have to say about the impact of social media in their churches. No two theories, practices and strategies are the same. Yet what is the same for all you’ll meet in these pages is a passion to present the gospel where people are gathered.