Facebook | Joel Southerland | Church and Social Media

Millennials – We Want our Facebook & Phone! | Church and Social Media

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A recent study suggested that young professionals value access to their smartphone and Facebook more than money.

The findings come thanks to Cisco’s second annual Connected World Technology Report, a study released today that says attracting and maintaining Millennial talent takes more than the number of zeroes attached to a weekly paycheck. The company surveyed 1,400 college students aged 18 to 23 and 1,400 young professionals under the age of 30 across 14 countries. HR and IT managers take note: “The growing use of the Internet and mobile devices in the workplace is creating a significant impact on job decisions, hiring and work-life balance,” the report concluded. “The ability to use social media, mobile devices, and the Internet more freely in the workplace is strong enough to influence job choice, sometimes more than salary.”

Millennial’s want more than money – they want access to their network.

How does this effect your church?

It means that using, and encouraging the use of, these tools means a lot to a younger generation. Instead of bemoaning the use of mobile devices and social media a church should encourage their use.

Connect with people where they are and they are on their phone and Facebook!

Encourage them to read their bibles on their mobile device, iPhone and iPad
Post snippets from the sermon on Facebook
Explore mobile giving
Give something away for the person who takes the best sermon notes on their phone and emails them in
Use texting for contacting parents with children or preschoolers in extended care

….the list could go on and on!

Take a moment and rate how friendly your church and church service is to mobile devices and Social Media. You might improve your outreach to Millennials by doing so!

And, leave your suggestions below….

Facebook Makes Your Brain Bigger ? – Church | Social Media

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Recently a study revealed that people on Facebook have more brain matter.

Researchers said:
Scientists have found a direct link between the number of “friends” a person has on Facebook and the size of certain brain regions, raising the possibility that using online social networks might change our brains.
The four brain areas involved are known to play a role in memory, emotional responses and social interactions.

So, if you needed a reason to spend a little time on Facebook there you have it!
Assuming all of us have unchurched friends on Facebook here are some Spiritual things you can do on Facebook to help grow your brain!

1. Create a Prayer List of lost / unchurched people
Why not create a private list on Facebook and put people in it who do not go to church or who are not believers and spend time everyday reviewing their status updates and praying for their salvation. You might be able to pray specifically for a life situation someone is going through that God would use it to bring them to (or back to) Christ.

2. Create a Prayer list of Ministry needs
When you spend time on Facebook why not keep a journal with you and jot down prayer requests when you see people going through difficult times. It is surprising how much people share on Facebook – even detailed health information. Send them a private message and let them know you prayed for them that day.

3. Invite people to church
Instead of putting out a status update that says, “I go to XYZ church and would love for you to visit with me”, why not send a private and personalized invitation.
Send them a message like this: “Bob, I noticed from your Facebook status that things have been kind of rocky in your marriage and family life recently. I do not mean to be nosy but thought I would let you know how my relationship with God has improved my family life. Before I was a believer and started going to church my marriage wasn’t so great…. (expound and end with) My church is offering a marriage workshop and I would love for you and your wife to go with my wife and I.”
You get the idea.

If you spend time on Facebook praying and inviting people to church there is a good chance you will make an eternal impact in someone’s life and get a bigger brain in the process!

Mom Spending too much time on Facebook? (Video) – Church | Social Media

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A few days ago I wrote about mothers on Facebook. Here’s a humorous video that says maybe they should spend a little less time there….

Your Mom is (Probably) on Facebook – Church | Social Media

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eMarketer just recently released a study that estimates 23 million US moms are on Facebook – or a whopping 2/3’s of US moms!! That comes as no secret to anyone who has been on Facebook for a while – moms use Social Media to stay in touch with their children and to “check out” all that is going on in the lives of the friends of their children. However, what we didn’t know is just the sheer volume of mothers on Facebook.

eMarketer estimates 23 million US moms are on Facebook this year—a figure that counts women with children under 18 in the household who use the site at least once each month. That represents well over two-thirds of all online moms in the country. Overall, eMarketer estimates that just 57.1% of internet users (including children) use Facebook monthly.

What is the significance for the church? The significance is that you now have the ability to reach out to at least 2/3’s of the moms in your local community!

The significance is that you now have the ability to reach out to at least 2/3’s of the moms in your local community!

Your church should be using Social Media, and specifically Facebook, to find a way to witness, minister to, and add value to the lives of mothers. Mom’s want you to help them with the home, shopping, their children, organization, balancing life, and a host of other things the church can speak to. Why not start a ministry just to mothers and use Facebook to do all of the advertising and promotion of that ministry? You would probably be an instant hit in your community!

What are some ways you can think of that a church could use Facebook to reach out to mothers?

Leave your comments below.

Your Facebook Wall – Dealing with the Dirt

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I’m a fairly upbeat and positive guy. I don’t like a lot of negative talk and I don’t like hanging out with folks who whine, complain, and in general have bad attitudes. It probably has to do with all the Zig Ziglar books I read early on in my life and the things I heard him say over and over. One of the best quotes by Zig is,

“We all need a daily check up from the neck up to avoid stinkin ‘thinkin’ which ultimately leads to hardening of the attitudes.”

I don’t want ‘stinkin thinkin’ friends – even if they are on Facebook. And, to be honest, there is a lot of stinkin thinking, posting, commenting, and talking going on with Facebook – and sometimes it will bleed over to your profile wall.

Here is what you need to know about your Facebook wall – IT IS YOUR FACEBOOK WALL!! It is your personal property – you own it.

You do not have to allow anything to go on your wall you don’t want on your wall.

I take great pangs to keep my wall cleaned up and presentable. I view my wall like my living room – when people come to my home I want their first impression of my home to be a good one – because my home is an extension of me. My wife keeps the whole house clean all the time – but the Living room and foyer are never allowed to get cluttered because it is the first thing people see when they come over.

When people look for you on Social Media the first thing most of them see is your Facebook wall – so don’t leave dirt / clutter on your wall. I’m going to give you permission to do what needs to be done – clean up your wall and deal with the dirt.

Here are three things you now have permission to do:

1. Delete any negative post on your wall

Don’t sit around debating on whether or not you should delete the negative or hurtful comment that was made about you, someone else, or something else. It may be in the form of a post or comment on a post – DELETE IT! Do not worry if it is going to hurt someone’s feelings – they obviously didn’t consider that when they posted it on your wall. If you feel you must acknowledge your deletion then send them your reasoning in a private message. It it is stinkin’ thinkin’ and if you don’t like it then get rid of it.

2. Unfriend someone if necessary

This is the “capital punishment” of Facebook right? You have told someone they are not your friend. How could you? I just gave you permission to do it – blame it on me! If there is someone on your friend list that you are constantly having to delete their dirt from your wall then just end it with 1 click.

3. Get the goats and teddy bears out of your living room

I’m on Facebook for church, ministry, and relationship reasons. I’m not on Facebook for Mafia Wars, Teddy Bears, Farms, etc. I don’t need a goat, grenade, machine gun, or a barn – so don’t post it on my wall. I try my best to keep all of that off my wall because I don’t want that to be what people see when they visit.

There you go – you have permission to Deal with the Dirt on your Facebook wall.

What are some of the things you would consider “dirt” on your wall – leave your Facebook comments below.

And, if you Facebook “Like” this post below it will show up on your wall and your friends might get the hint! 🙂

Millionaires and Social Media

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Do you know what the Social Media of choice is for Millionaires? LinkedIn? Twitter? Google +? MySpace (just kidding)?

According to the Wall Street Journal the answer is ……. Facebook!

Millionaires chose Facebook over Twitter and LinkedIn – and I was surprised. For a while Facebook has had the reputation of being the Social Media of choice for:

middle schoolers
nosy Moms
Grandmothers

…but not so fast my friend!!

A new study shows that 46% of online users with investable assets of $1 million or more are members of Facebook, up from 26% a year ago.

It seems that people of means prefer Facebook for networking as well!

What does that mean to the church. It means we cannot dismiss Facebook as a tool for kids and grandmothers. Often those with means live in communities that are difficult to access – private, gated, expansive, guards, etc. So how do you get in their homes? Facebook may be the key. Your church should have a strong presence on Facebook and should be using it to promote your ministry and share the gospel!

After all, Millionaires need Jesus too! Don’t believe me …CLICK HERE.

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3 Reasons your Church needs a Facebook page

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Every church ought to have a Facebook page. If your church doesn’t go here to find out how to get one started. A Facebook page is an essential tool to helping you reach your Jerusalem and for keeping your members informed of what’s going on. If you need convincing, here are 3 reasons to have the Facebook page:

1. Announce Events

The page is a great way to keep members and non-members informed of what’s going on at your church. Instead of just making your announcements on Sundays you can now make your announcements more frequently and more timely than ever before. How much better is it to announce your event the day before than 5 or 6 days before? How much better is it to announce it 3 times vs 1 time? Use a Facebook page to supplement the promotion of events at church.

2. Build Reputation

One of the great things a page does is let you connect with non-members, the lost, the unchurched, etc. If you get them to “like” your page they will see your announcements and promotions in their home feed and will know a lot about your church even though they may never have been. They can see the things you do for families, youth, children, etc before they attend. You can use the page to build the reputation of your church and reach out to people you would never have the opportunity to otherwise.

3. Interact

When you start posting on your page people will start commenting and asking questions. It is a great way for you to have interaction with people you might not otherwise have interaction with. You will get to add value to the lives of people you might not otherwise get the opportunity to. When you see a comment or a question don’t view it as a nuisance but view it as an opportunity to interact.

If you don’t have a Facebook page for your church … go start one now and you’ll start reaping the benefits almost immediately!

Facebook can help Your Church do Ministry

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Facebook has the capacity to help a church staff, a pastor, a SS teacher, a youth leader, etc do ministry.

How?

Simple. Facebook is a community where people share things about themselves. We live in a day where people will often post needs on Facebook before they call anyone else. They will announce the emergency, accident, doctor news, hospital stay, marriage problem on their Facebook status before they call the church – if they ever call the church!

It puts pressure on the church to keep up with what’s going on.

Here are 3 ways to do ministry on Facebook:

1. Scan Members

If you put all of your members in a list (and you should) spend 15 minutes a day looking at their status updates. You might discover something you didn’t know. It doesn’t take long – even if you have hundreds. Don’t get caught up reading every status and looking at every picture – just scan and make notes.

2. Scan Unchurched

Keep the unchurched people you are friends with in a list and give them a quick look. You might find an outreach opportunity. It may be a visit you could make – a phone call – or simply a wall post.

3. Search keywords

As a back up feature go to the search bar and search keywords like: pray, prayer, hospital, accident, marriage, etc. You might find something you missed and have the opportunity to do ministry.

Facebook is an awesome tool we have been given to help us do the work of ministry. Don’t miss the opportunity.

Pastor: Have you found some other ways to do ministry through Facebook? Share below…

Church Member: Have you experienced Facebook ministry from a church or would you be open to it? Leave your story below….

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Facebook can get you Fired – Here’s how to Avoid it.

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Last week I read an article in the AJC about a sheriff deputy that had to resign because of some things he said on Facebook. He made inappropriate comments about a slew of things.

We read that now and everybody thinks, “Boy, he’s not bright to say things like that.” Yet when I take a casual look at Facebook I see people (and ministers) doing the same thing all the time.

Here are four safeguards to make sure you don’t become a Facebook Fire! I used Hall & Oates song titles from the 80’s to help make my point.

1. “Private Eyes” (’81)

Principle: Anyone can see what you post – whether they are on Facebook or not

It’s odd to see people post negative things about people they are friends with – as if they are not going to see it! That doesn’t make much sense.

It also doesn’t make much sense to post negative or hurtful remarks about people you aren’t Facebook friends with! You have to assume that everyone is going to see everything. Your boss doesn’t have Facebook? Assume his wife does and she has a friend who is friends with one of your friends and that person sees it and “snips” it and within 4 minutes of you posting it the comment is sitting in your boss’s email inbox!! That scenario could be true if it was your boss, friend, relative, church member, pastor, mother, etc.

Facebook Tip: Keep it clean. Nice. Positive.

2. “Some things are better left Unsaid” (’84)

Principle: Just because you can say it does not mean you should say it.

A lot of things may come to your mind to say from time to time.

Clever things.

Hurtful things.

Mean-spirited things.

Emotional things.

Angry things.

It might be a good time in that moment to run your Facebook post or comment through someone who loves you. Your spouse, friend, pastor, etc. If there is a chance it could be taken the wrong way you don’t have to say it.

Facebook Tip: When you are in an emotional state don’t post on Facebook. Let it pass.

3. “Say it Isn’t So” (’83)

Principle: If it needs more explaining than you can accomplish in a status update then don’t try to do it in a status update.

If you send a Tweet you only have 140 characters to explain yourself. Facebook has a little more – 420 characters. Neither one make for a good paragraph. If what you are needing to say requires more than that – don’t try to make it fit! You will be misunderstood and you will be prone to hurt people. Facebook status’ aren’t for making long statements so don’t try.

Facebook Tip: Before you send your status see check to see if you have assumed knowledge on the part of those who will read it. If it carries a lot of assumptions you might not want to send it.

4. “Everything your Heart Desires” (’88)

Principle: Remember there is a permanent record of what you say on Facebook and Social Media

We were threatened with that permanent record when we first entered elementary school. Some teacher told us, “If you don’t behave you will get a bad grade in conduct and it will go on your permanent record.” I don’t know of any employer that checks the conduct grade of our elementary years.

However, Facebook & Twitter do provide your future employer a permanent record and they do check it. Your future spouse might as well. Your parents may not be on Facebook now but they may be in the future.

Facebook Tip: Do not say anything about anyone you don’t want them to see. Do not post anything you would not want a future employer, spouse, child, etc to read.

Follow those safeguards and you should keep yourself from getting Fired!

What have you seen on Facebook or Twitter that made you cringe? Let us know below…

1 Big Reason to use Facebook in Ministry

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Why should your church or ministry use Social Media – Facebook especially?

Here’s why – According to Arbitron, Inc & Edison research 51% of Americans age 12 and over are on Facebook!! 51% have profiles on Facebook!

In 2008 that number was only 8%!

So if you are going to reach your community for Christ you need to be aware that you can reach half of them via Facebook. Who would not want to invest in that type of marketing and outreach effort?

If you:

Hold a church service …. 51% of the community will not come.
Knock on doors … You won’t get 51% to answer.
Make phone calls …. no way 51% will pick up (especially if you call the home phone which some people no longer have)

Invest some energy and resources in reaching that 51% (and growing) who will sit in their living room and let you speak into their lives … through Facebook!

Do you know some ways a church can use Facebook?

Leave your comments below….

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