The bottom line on FaceBook is there are people connected to it. It is not a website or merely an Internet product; it is a network of people. Each person in the network is someone for whom Christ gave himself. That is an important perspective for a pastor, where ever people gather, there are opportunities to minister.
As I mentioned before, you can use FaceBook to learn more about your audience. People post thoughts and feelings on the site. They list their preferences for just about everything. On FaceBook you will meet people who are dreaming about new things, and people who are feeling low and needing a word of encouragement.
You can always find someone to serve and understand better how to pray more specifically for people. There are many ministry opportunities for sharing the gospel too. You don’t have to come across preaching all the time, but you can find many times where you will be able to steer someone toward faith in Christ, even lead someone to make a personal commitment to him.
Roger Sharp is one of my FaceBook friends who is a ministry leader who is using FaceBook to reach out to people. Roger has more than 1,000 FaceBook friends and he manages a FaceBook group called “Two Chix Apologetics” with more than 500 members. He also helps manage the blog www.confidentchristianity.com. I asked Roger to share some of his thoughts and ministry experiences with FaceBook.
What made you decide to start using facebook? When did you start?
What a great question! I think back now and can’t remember what life was like without Facebook…….it has become both an obsession, but a real tool for ministry. I find my spare time now consists of Facebook first and foremost, catching up with theological and philosophical books I didn’t read while in Seminary, watching the latest cool YouTube video, and keeping culturally relevant on FoxNews or CNN. To answer the question of ‘why’ I simply wanted to keep up with the students in my Youth Choir/Drama/Orchestra at church. Most of them were either Facebooker’s (fun term) or MySpacer’s. I checked out MySpace (still have an account, but not used so much) and was horrified by it’s content. So, I checked out Facebook and found a relatively safe environment. I started on Facebook about November of 2006 I believe. I quickly realized that I could help my wife, Mary Jo with her studies by creating a group within Facebook appropriate to her and my fields of study.
Have you have the opportunity to share the gospel on FaceBook?
Many times. In fact, the cut throat atheists I encounter force me to keep my theology in check and worked out in strict detail. They can spot problems in theology or philosophy better and quicker than most Christians!
Has using FaceBook helped you become closer to people you serve in minsitry?
It most definitely helps with the teenagers and college students. Their lives revolve around cyberspace much more so than anything else…..their ipod tunes are online, their homework assignments are online, their calendars for extra-curricular events is online. They live online and Facebook knows it. The August 27th, 2007 Newsweek front page article is about The Facebook Effect. It explains this phenomenon and how Mark Zuckerberg (founder of Facebook) saw this coming…..
What advice would you give to pastors who are just starting to use facebook?
My first bit of advice would be to be prepared to encounter the culture…..this includes their carnality. Be prepared to get offended, called names, challenged, provoked, etc. Facebook (at least right now) consists of mostly college and high school aged students. We all know this is the age that knows everything. :) If you challenge their belief system with faulty logic or unfounded assumptions, they will let you know all about it. Have thick skin…..Be as wise as serpents, but as gentle as a lamb.
My second bit of advice would be to post on Facebook and not let it get in the way of personal ministry. Facebook is addictive! Be careful this does not get in the way of local ministry.
My last bit of advice would be to consider the face on the Facebook box as a real person. Pray for him or her as you would anyone else in your congregation.
What a great tool for ministry…..
In the next few posts, I will give ideas for setting up your profile and how to get the most out of the FaceBook experience.
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