Does Social Media Belong in Church?
By Linda Sevier
I recently attended a presentation "From Gutenberg to Zuckerberg: Social Media and the Church" given by Pastor Keith Anderson, pastor of Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Woburn, MA. Pastor Keith is a dynamic speaker and, being a social media devotee, I really enjoyed it. I am not sure that the majority of the crowd was sold on the concept, however.
The Q&A segment began with a question I have heard over and over from companies who are not sold on social media either. The question relates to whether social media is too time consuming and if it will distract people from other work that needs doing. People who do not see the value in social media seem to see it as a "guilty pleasure" and a waste of otherwise productive time.
What benefits can be derived by the use of social media by organizations, be they companies or religious organizations? Community building with Facebook and Linkedin Groups comes go mind. Outreach is another. Surely education too. So why do people consider it a waste of time? I really think it comes down to resistance to change.
In the context of the church, parishioners are used to the Pastor coming to visit when they are sick, and the hard copy newsletter mailed monthly as the primary means of communication. They rely on signs posted in town, vacation bible school, a preschool, or word of mouth to bring in new members. I am a Christian and when I was a child there was no need for the church to reach out to my family. We went to church every Sunday and Sunday school was something everyone did. Contact with a priest or pastor outside of church meant someone was in need of comfort or in trouble. Times have changed. Just as companies are having to change from tradition marketing to Inbound Marketing to reach prospects, I believe that the church needs to use new technologies to reach out as well.
The majority of people in the US use the Internet, email, and social media sites to get information and stay connected to the things they care about. Google is now a verb, not just a company or search engine. Churches (religious organizations of all faiths) in the US are experiencing declining attendance and financial pressures. Why not use social media to reach out and build communities outside the scope of their church building or physical community? Why not use the Internet technologies such as email newsletters to cut mailing costs? Why not use social media to reach out to teens who consider themselves too cool to attend service on Sunday or the busy family two-income family who doesn't attend services each week because they are overwhelmed with responsibilities and demands on their time. Why not reach out every day in some small way instead of waiting for the sabbath. Why not?
A question asked of Pastor Keith may explain some of the reluctance. Will parishioners feel that they need not come to services and will they stop contributing to the church? His church added a Paypal button for people to contribute on line by the way; great idea. What I wanted to say to these people was that change has happened and is happening and it won't be stopped. The real danger, in my opinion, is that the church may NOT embrace new ways to reach people, build communities, and shore up their bottom lines. They may use the fact that that not everyone wants to use computers and social media to justify ignoring it. Of course we need to mail newsletters to those without computers and reach out to them in traditional ways. Social media will not replace Pastoral visits to the sick and needy. It doesn't have to be an either-or situation.
I have already met with my Pastor to discuss Pastor Keith's presentation which she also attended. Visit the link to Pastor Keith's blog about and take a look at his slides. Perhaps you should forward the link to your church council or governing body. Become a Fan of his congregation on Facebook to learn more. Thanks to forward thinking Pastors and congregations willing to lead the way perhaps the church as we know it will not only continue, it just may thrive.