Using Social Networks for Ministry

I am a regular reader of Shaun King’s blog, Shaun In the City.  I actually found his blog through the social network, StumbleUpon.  One of the things that  keeps me reading his blog is how efficiently he uses social networking.  A few things I’ve watched him use it for is:

• announcing the new ministry he started at the beginning of the year (Courageous Church)
• inviting people to attend services at the church (over 600 attended the first service)
• recruiting volunteers to help with the church
• getting people to loan him equipment for a speaking engagement
• donations for their new office space
• finding a contractor for some small jobs at the church

Since the recent upheaval around the Iran elections, blogging and Twitter have received a lot of attention and we see how they can be used in many different situations.

If you are interested in learning to use social networking for ministry or business, you might want to check out the BUG Conference, a one day marketing clinic at the Highlands Church in Birmingham, Alabama.  I have already registered and am looking forward to learning a lot about using social networking more efficiently and effectively.

Maybe I’ll see you there.

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Tags: Blogging, BUG conference, marketing through social networks, ministry and social networks, social networks, Twitter

Yesterday there was a lot of tweeting and blogging about a Pastor who resigned after an affair with his assistant.  What made this particularly interesting to me is the power of social networking.  Most of the people who were tweeting and blogging about the pastor had never met him personally.  Like me, they either read his blog and/or followed him on Twitter.  He is very well known among social networking pastors and ministry leaders.

The pastor, himself, wrote a blog post about his resignation and the affair.  His church also posted a copy of an e-mail on their web site that was sent to church members.  All of this says a lot about the power of the Internet and social networking.  Tweeters and bloggers alike, were speaking of the pastor as if they know him.  Most said they were praying for him and his family.  Some were also praying for the woman involved.

If you’re looking for the name of the pastor or a link to his blog, you won’t find it here.  My purpose is not to cast aspersions upon the pastor or the other woman.  My purpose is to emphasize that we no longer live in a bubble and we can’t hide our mistakes or our sins.  This church is in North Georgia in a small town that most people have never heard of.  The pastor involved planted this church five years ago and it has grown to over 1,000 members.  It is the kind of contemporary church that you would not expect to see in a town that is just this side of being called rural.  This pastor had a lot of influence in his community and across the nation.  All because of the Internet and Social Networking.

Christians know that God sees everything we do.  There was a time when we could hide our faults, sins and propensities from each other and thought we were safe.  Eventually our issues might be found out but more than likely, they wouldn’t go any further than our community.  That isn’t the case today.  The Bible tells us that to whom much is given much is expected (Luke 12:48).  To that passage of scripture you might add, “to whom much is given, much will be exposed.”

As we go forward in ministry, we should keep in mind that information (accurate or not) is just a mouse click away.  What we do today, may be posted all over the world within a matter of minutes or hours.  Let’s pray for all of our pastors, ministry leaders, their families and their places of worship.  As my pastor reminded us on Sunday, we are the church – we take it everywhere we go.

A final note – this pastor made a mistake that affects him, his family and his church.  Regardless of his sins, this pastor’s ministry helped bring many people to Christ.  Let’s not penalize his family, friends and church; and let us not negate his positive accomplishments in ministry.

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Tags: Pastor's affair, pastor's fall, Social network, Twitter

You Are Invited

Destiny World Church in Austell, Georgia is sponsoring a Town Hall meeting to discuss issues relating to jobs, homes, mortgages, investments, health care, future employment and opportunities. The prophet Hosea wrote that our people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. We believe this forum offers the community an opportunity to ask questions, learn from knowledgeable professionals, and, hopefully, lay the ground work for attendees to connect with additional information and resources that can help them survive, grow and prosper during these turbulent economic times.

The Economy, Jobs and the Power of Knowledge

U.S. businesses have lost 5.7 million (non farm) jobs since December 2007 and 3.9 million jobs in just the last 6 months.  Many of these (20^th century) jobs will disappear as we know them today. In addition, most people affected by these lay-offs, who may be undereducated, unskilled, or over qualified.  These people will need to retrain and retool for 21^st century type jobs that require greater education, high-tech skills, certificates of completing special training and an ability to manage information that solves complex problems or produces new knowledge for high-growth businesses and industries.

Speakers

Vivian Richardson, Regional Director, Department of Labor
Richard Goode, Mortgage Banker and Planner, Suntrust Corp.
Dr. Ciyata Coleman, Economist, Internal Revenue Service

Date, Time, Location

The Town Hall meeting will be held on Tuesday June 16, 2009 from 7:30 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at Destiny World Church located at 7400 Factory Shoals Road in Austell, GA 30168. The meeting is open to the public.  Take your friends, family members and co-workers.

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Tags: department of labor, economist, economy, mortgage banker, town hall meeting