This article popped up on my radar today and it's a good read to understand how Twitter can be used in a ministry situation. Here's the three points from the post.
- Your sermons can become more relevant. Every pastor thinks they know their congregation well, but Twitter/Facebook will help to know them better. Once you know the day-to-day activities of the people in your pews, you can hone sermons to your audience more effectively. For instance, if you see similar themes arising in Twitter throughout the week – loss of jobs, concern about the health of someone, frustration about a current event – you can speak specifically to the needs of the flock.
- You can remove the “barrier” between pulpit and pew. Often, people in a congregation believe that a pastor isn’t like them and can’t relate. I hear this frustration from both sides of the pulpit. If you use Twitter regularly, the veil will be torn from top to bottom. Christ pointed out many times that he was like us, except without sin. His crucifixion removed the wall between God and man. We can approach him with our every need, knowing that he’s walked in our shoes. Your congregation needs to know your humanity, too. The first time you share that you’re shoveling the driveway after the snowplow went by, it’ll start revealing how real you are. Or what about the revelation, “I’m struggling with my sermon on overcoming sin’s pull”?
- You can intensify your prayer life. I think the best thing for me about Twitter or Facebook is the realization of what others are dealing with. God commands us to bear one another’s burdens, but often in the fast-pace nature of this world, we don’t even know what’s going on in the lives around us. So when I’m glancing over the Twitter or Facebook feed, and I see sadness, frustration and exasperation, I take a few moments to pray for my brother or sister who needs God’s help. I’m not a prayer warrior like some, but God has used these sites to direct me to the needs of others. By Mark MacDonald
So, What do you think? Why is it important for ministry staff to Twitter? Help me out here!
This article popped up on my radar today and it's a good read to understand how Twitter can be used in a ministry situation. Here's the three points from the post.
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2 comments:
Good points. They show the power of the technology: the ability of the pastor to continue mentoring his flock beyond Sunday morning and serving as a witness walking out his faith. Plus, the pastor being able to see into the lives of the congregation in a way previously unavailable could be really powerful. However, I can imagine in larger congregations the pastor could be overwhelmed by the volume of information flowing his way. More, the pastor is going to have to be sensitive to the sometimes confidential aspects of his job - I'm not so sure he should be tweeting about the couple coming in for marriage counseling... I think this is probably obvious, but the technology makes it easy to accidentally reveal too much information.
Dan
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I think it's practical for a pastor to Twitter (even a larger congregation) Pete Wilson @ Crosspoint in Nashville (@pwilson) does a good job of staying connected with his folks through Twitter (but more so through his blog). That's the model I see.
Marked your site--I'll be back to visit soon!
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