Is social media an effective tool for advancing God’s Kingdom? What’s appropriate and what’s not for using social media inside our churches?
The social media strategist and author Justin Wise joins Connecting Faith to talk about A Theology Of Digital Communication. That’s the subtitle to his new book The Social Church, and he offers big picture perspective, strategies, and a biblical framework for communicating the gospel through social media.
He tackles a timely question from a listening friend. How do churches primarily composed of those of us who are faith veterans deal with the new landscape of faith in a digital age?
Highlight – Grappling with changes
It’s challenging to understate the change taking place in the way our world communicates. Justin says it’s one of history’s biggest shifts, yet he believes more is still on its way. The digital flood is coming! Like Noah, our task is to continue building the ark.
Despite the newness and uncertainties, Justin notes that digital communication simply helps connect people and further build relationships in the church. Within this new paradigm, we need to explore what it really will mean to be an ‘online church’.
“God is perfectly capable of moving & changing lives through an internet connection.” – Justin Wise
We note an inescapable reality – the medium is the message. That is to say – the package in which a message is delivered has a substantive influence on how that message will come across and be perceived. Thus we have to understand how our message will be altered depending upon the platform we’re utilizing.
When it comes to the worship service and its intersection with social media via our mobile phones, Justin says it’s key for church leaders to be looking around and taking in what’s actually happening.
How is our church using social media right now?
