Ministers Desk

Facebook doesn’t owe you anything, after all, it is a free platform for all to use…however Facebook can let you down and have you running all over the virtual world if you’re not clued up. Don’t get caught out!

Being able to connect with and generate engagement online can stand you out in a very crowded environment where everyone is seeking for the attention of your audience.

Every Minister needs to learn to ride the waves of social media, there are billions of people on Facebook every single day, don’t let that be a wasted opportunity. I recently joined the Hallelujah Challenge with over 50k people (YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT), I was in awe at how one man had honed the skills of social media to become the talking rave of this online revival and what has been labelled a “movement”.

Many churches start on Twitter and give up, with many more churches not considering it at all…but the Bible says that “my people perish for lack of knowledge”, a well-known proverb also says that “when a purpose is unknown, abuse is inevitable”. So what has this got to do with twitter?

Ministry is not easy; especially when you have the crowd to contend with. Often times we want to strike a balance that sits well with the various levels of Christians that we have been called to serve. From those still feeding on the milk of the Word (1 Cor 3:2) to the Christians cracking bones, well eating solid food (Heb 5:14). We step religiously around what we have to say and how we share the good news with fear of offending people. But did you know that the word of God is actually offensive?

The great thing about hashtags is that they are free, free to acquire and free use. That’s right, you don’t need anyone’s permission. They are clickable (searchable) which is good for research, and have no owners meaning anyone can use it. But having no owner can also be considered a negative because that means if you go for a very popular hashtag, then it’s likely lots of other people are using it as well for goodness knows what and your brand might be compromised and not well represented when people try to find you or your content via that hashtag.

It’s a narcissistic word we live in, all about I I I, iPhone, iPad, iMe, iYou all the way to selfie selfie selfie. People spend more time gazing into their handhelds for the perfect selfie in the right light and background to attract more likes than the last picture they posted seconds ago on social media platform, and the picture to this blog is a fear for many church leaders as they struggle with the threat social media in the church poses and how to connect to the younger generation who gain more affection virtually than face to face. (I kid you not).

The narcissistic society that we live in today, amplified by the selfie society and digital natives means that likes are ever so important as people find the right lighting and angle for their pictures to attract your likes. Stories of depression and even suicide are not unheard of when the likes just don’t add up. it’s a sad world we live in and we must be careful not to be consumed by the responses of people to our messages on Social Media. In fact some of the most effective messages may have no virtual response, especially where the reader is convicted and being challenged accordingly.