Basic overview of social media (assumptions, pitfalls and possibilities) along with some questions and tips when thinking about a church's digital ministry. This was presented at the 2014 National Church Leadership Institute in Atlanta.
4. Who are you?
What is your context for ministry?
What networks do you use on a regular basis?
5. Social Media Assumptions
★ only a medium of communication and expression;
★ generational air giving insight into a particular
worldview;
★ highly contextually and and embraced with relativity;
★ demands a high sense of self-worth as it has a
flattening effect on community and leadership;
★ will not save [insert org]
6. Social Media Pitfalls
★ idol, savior or quick fix
★ as distraction
★ as careless expression
★ as overestimated ROI
★ as echo chamber
★ as over-and-above F2F
★ as an entry to bullying and unwanted contact
7. Social Media Possibilities
★ builds up and strengthens the Body of Christ
★ allows the church to model a different way of living
★ compels the church to see the world beyond itself
★ liberates expressions of creativity and creation
★ provides accountability
★ offers a place of communal care and spiritual
renewal
8. Renovation or Revolution: Assessment
★ Survey the Congregation. What do folks in your church
currently use to connect online? usage, widespread,
individual, anecdotal, etc.
★ Survey the Community. What are people using in your
community to connect? news, restaurants, services,
alerts, etc.
★ Survey Yourself. What do you use, why, how, to what
degree, etc.?
9. Renovation or Revolution: Evaluation
★ The convergence between your
wants/practices and the needs/practices
of the community.
★ The sweet spot between pushing, pulling
and exploring.
★ What is optimistic and achievable.
10. Renovation or Revolution: Tips
★ Normalize usernames across platforms
★ Declutter current online presence
★ Set app play time