Tag Archive - evangelism

A YouTube Channel Example – Church | Social Media

April 23, 2012 in YouTube with 0 Comments

Yesterday I attended North Metro Baptist where Frank Cox is the pastor. Since Thursday night Team Impact had been conducting an evangelistic event and over 120 people had received Christ so far. One family told me they brought their son’s ball team and the entire team, plus some parents, trusted Christ. It was a great event.

During the service last night the team took a social media moment and told everyone how to connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. It is something every church should consider doing on a regular basis.

The team mentioned their YouTube channel and “teased” the audience with what was on there. It was a “I’d tell you if I could but you just have to see it” kind of moment. I checked out their channel.

Here is a video from their channel below. Their YouTube channel is excellent. Check it out for some ideas for your church.

 

Facebook Makes Your Brain Bigger ? – Church | Social Media

March 5, 2012 in Facebook, Social Media - General with 0 Comments

Brain

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!

Can the Church Reach Everyone on the Planet with Social Media? – Church | Social Media

February 5, 2012 in Social Media - General, Twitter with 0 Comments

Planet

Recently I ran across this quote on the web about Twitter:

We think we can reach every person on the planet.”
–Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, as quoted by The Wall Street Journal’s Digits blog

Imagine that – a social media company has the desire to reach every person on the planet. Twitter wants to get their message out to every nation, tribe, language and people group in the world. They want every person to be able to enjoy the bliss of sharing their lives and thoughts 140 characters at a time. They want everyone to be able to connect with each other and enjoy the community that comes from sharing.

Hmmm…

Doesn’t that sound a lot like the mission of the church?

It seems as if we ought to have more drive, determination, and energy to get our Message out to the world than Twitter does. However, nothing says we can’t go along on their ride. Twitter is one of the tools the church could use to get the message of hte gospel out to their community and to the world.

  • Does your church utilize hashtags?
  • Have you tried to get a local topic trending?
  • Have yo used Twitter to search for ministry and evangelism opportunities in your area?

The ideas are limitless but do not wait to get started. Start somewhere now….today…this week.

Maybe YOU can’t reach everyone in THE world, but you can get the message to everyone in YOUR world!

3 Reasons your Church needs a Facebook page

August 22, 2011 in Facebook with 0 Comments

Facebook Like Social Media Church

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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!

 

3 things Southern Baptist Leaders (and Pastors) could learn from Twitter.

June 13, 2011 in Social Media - General, Twitter with 2 Comments

Twitter Hashtag.

The Southern Baptist Convention  is underway. The Social Media changes that have come this year are very evident. Last year when I led TalkSBC we were ground breaking in the use of video and Social Media to cover the convention. We tweeted, posted, blogged, Youtubed, and Ustreamed when no one else was.

This year  – that has all changed. BP has released it’s official Twitter hashtag (#sbc20ll or #sbc11 ) and the Social Media coverage is taking care of itself. With all of the Tweeting going on what can the SBC learn (and pastors too!)?

1. Let the conversation take place

It seems that in the past that SBC leaders were afraid of the conversation.  Nothing was officially stated but when you spoke with leaders you had the feeling they were hoping to stifle the conversations taking place. It felt as if the philosophy was to supress the conversation and it would go away. So, entities issued anti-blogging guidelines and employees were told to stay off Social Media. Maybe if the conversations were ignored they would go away.

They did not go away.

They are not going away.

You should not want them to go away.

When the conversations take place you find out what people are really thinking.

The SBC and pastors should want the conversation to take place about the convention and about your church. When the conversations take place you find out what people are really thinking. You discover their frustrations. Joys. Desires. Fears. Concerns. Likes. Dislikes. You find out who has a following and who doesn’t. You get to listen to all walks and stations in life. You hear from the young, the old, the retired, the upstart, the newbie and the oldie.

Let the conversation happen. It’s beneficial.

2. Listen to the conversation

You have to listen. Pastors and leaders cannot ignore the conversations. You have to pay attention. Take notes. Think of Social Media conversations as the Textus Receptus of our day! It’s not one tweet that is going to make you change – its the culmination of all those tweets that are going to make you pay attention.

I’m not talking about a knee-jerk reaction to random comments. Just listen. Things are being said. Feelings are being shared. In the midst of all that you may discover something that needs fixed. You may discover a great idea. You may discover an innovator that needs to be listened to and heeded.

Pay attention.

3. Respond to the conversation

How great would it be if after the convention a study was put together of all that was being said on Twitter (Social Media) and a study was done on what Southern Baptists feel need to be changed / done to make our Convention great again?

What if SBC leaders of all entities responded to tweets and comments in the days ahead? What if they answered questions? What if they responded to criticism? What if they celebrated alongside? What if they made phone calls? Wrote letters? Invited people to lunch? Listened? Corrected? Affirmed?

If that happened the feelings among Southern Baptists would immediately change. No one thinks they have all the answers – they just want the comments they have to be heard.

Let the conversation happen.

Listen to the conversation.

Respond to the conversation.

Pastor: You should follow the same plan. Search Social Media to find out what is being said about your church. Encourage the conversation. Listen as your members speak. Respond to what they are saying.

It’s a simple plan that could reap great benefits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Social Media and Baby Boomers

May 27, 2011 in Social Media - General with 0 Comments

Old Telephone. Social Media. Church. Baby boomers

There are approximately 80 million Baby Boomers (age 46-64) in the United States alone. It is a fast growing segment of the population. And….there’s more.

Consider this:

  • Baby Boomers are the largest generation
  • Baby Boomers sit at the top of most corporations
  • 70%k of Law Firm partners are Baby Boomers
  • Baby Boomers have more wealth than any other generation

So what does that have to do with the Church and Social Media?

Now consider this:

Half (47%) of internet users ages 50-64 and one in four (26%) users age 65 and older now use social networking sites.

Half of online adults ages 50-64 and one in four wired seniors now count themselves among the Facebooking and LinkedIn masses. That’s up from just 25% of online adults ages 50-64 and 13% of those ages 65 and older who reported social networking use one year ago in a survey conducted in April 2009.

Social Media is not just for the young!

If you want your church to reach out to the Boomers – use Social Media! Use Facebook! Use Twitter!

In your church, how many Boomers are on Social Media?

Leave comments below….

1 Big Reason to use Facebook in Ministry

May 24, 2011 in Facebook, Social Media - General with 0 Comments

51% Americans on Facebook. Church Should use Social Media.

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….

Dominos. Social Media. Church.

May 20, 2011 in Social Media - General with 0 Comments

Dominos. Social Media. Church.

Most every church I know could learn something from Domino’s Pizza. Listen as Ramon shares how he uses Social Media to create buzz about his product and stores.

While you listen, think of ideas of how your church or ministry could use Social Media to create buzz about your church and the gospel.

Post your ideas below.

sme_bw2010_ramon_deleon_v2 from Michael A. Stelzner on Vimeo.

The World has Changed. Has your church?

May 11, 2011 in Social Media - General with 0 Comments

Social Media and the Church

We do not live in the same world we did thirty, twenty, or even ten years ago. This planet we live on is changing. The way we live on this planet is changing. Right before our eyes our world is becoming smaller through digital technology.

So, we have to ask the question – is the church keeping up? Is the church leveraging all the social media and technology tools at our disposal to reach our world and community for Christ?

Consider these statistics from Hubspot:

  • 67% of B2C companies and 41% of B2B companies have acquired customers through FaceBook

  • 57% of businesses have acquired customers through their company blog

  • 42% of companies have acquired a customer through Twitter

  • The number of marketers who report that Facebook is “critical” or “important” to their business has increased to 83% in just two years

I know what you are saying – “Those are business statistics. We are a church. We do ministry we don’t sell products!”

If businesses are savvy enough to use social media to get more customers shouldn’t the church be savvy enough to reach more people with social media?

Shouldn’t we be better at it than they are?

Isn’t our message more important than theirs?

Your church being on social media platforms -and having a strategy with it – shouldn’t be an option - it is a necessity in this digital world!

The world has changed….has your church?

What are some ways you have seen social media used in ministry or church circles that have been effective? Leave your comments below.

 

Osama Death spreads like Twitter Wildfire – can the Gospel?

May 5, 2011 in Social Media - General, Twitter with 0 Comments

osama bin laden

If you stayed awake and are involved in Social Media you saw the event unfold right before your eyes. When the networks broke into regular programming a few minutes before 11 PM (East Coast) the Social Media landscape began to light up with the news. As a matter of fact, Twitter says it set an all time record for TPS (Tweets per second). According to Tech Crunch,

The event had the highest sustained rate of tweets ever according to Twitter, reaching 3,000 tweets per second between 10:45 and 2:20am, raking in 38.7 million tweets in 3 hours and 35 minutes. At its peak it averaged 3440 TPS from 10:45pm  to 12:30pm EST, at an average of 12,4 million tweets an hour. For comparison, this year’s Super Bowl had sustained 20 minutes at 3,000 TPS.

Imagine almost 40 million people proclaiming the death of a man in 3 1/2 hours. If you were watching live, or saw replays, of  the Mets/Phillies game it was great to see how the news was spreading from mobile device to mobile device right before our eyes.

Now, why can’t we get the Gospel out like that? If the news of someone’s death spread that quickly shouldn’t the news of a RISEN SAVIOR spread even faster!!

We are not speculating, we know, that news can spread that fast. What if the church Tweeted the gospel at the same rate? What if every 3 1/2 hours 37.5 million people read/heard the good news? That means with almost 7 billion people on the planet the whole world would hear in a little over 27 days!

   In less than a month the whole world could hear!

What about it? Tell me how your church or ministry is using Social Media to get the good news out to your community and the world.

Leave your comments below…..

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