The Facebook for Pastors e-book phenomenon marches on! I wanted to thank all the people who have downloaded the free e-book and sent their comments and encouragement to me on Facebook and email! Not to mention the ones who’ve added me to their Facebook friends list!
Thanks also for all the blog posts, links, and comments from people! The last three days have seen more than 2,000 downloads from my site–but people tell me they have passed the e-book on to many more people. Some have made 20-30 printed copies and gave them to staff and others they know! Who knows how many copies there are floating around in cyberspace and in the brick-and-mortar world? Awesome! Thanks!
Hearts and Hands International
The e-book is dedicated to the kids of Hearts and Hands International (HHII) an organization that helps kids around the world by assisting with programs and volunteer teams that help the needs of children at risk.
Imagine if just everyone who downloaded from the site made a $10 donation to Hearts and Hands International we would have already raised $20,000 to help orphans around the globe! Food for thought…and prayer.
Speaking of HHII, see this great video on YouTube you can see an example from China showing where your $10 donation to Hearts and Hands will be put to work. This is a news report from Chinese media in China in Chinese, but even if you don’t speak Chinese you will enjoy it!
Watch the video so can get to know Hearts and Hands founder Ken Surritte a little better if you watch this from about 1:21 into the video, you’ll see Ken speaking in English, interacting with kids, the media, and nationals in China and get an idea about his work and passion for helping children.
>> Incidentally, I was an English pastor in a Chinese church, and all I can say in Chinese is “Let’s pray!”, “Let’s Eat!” and “Let’s Go Home!” Not much, but pretty handy phrases in church though! Not bragging, but I can say those three things in Mandarin, Cantonese, French, and Spanish! Hey–I get hungry at church, and after I eat, I am ready to go home for a nap!
Keep the Church 2.0 Conversation Going!
Back to Facebook for Pastors, I think the conversation is just starting about Facebook in ministry and more people will add to the ideas put forth in the e-book. (BTW: Pray for me I have another free e-book rolling about in my head. I like giving away free e-books!) Other leaders will no doubt have more insights as the conversation about “Church 2.0” continues.
In fact, Greg Atkinson (who wrote the foreword in my e-book) is working on just that, he is hosting forums around the country to talk about Church 2.0 as he works on his traditionally published book “Church 2.0.” If Greg is in a city near you, consider joining the conversation. And plan to buy his book!
Facebook for Pastors Blog Post Starter Kit:
Also, here are a couple posts that added a little more information to the conversation about Facebook for Pastors: It’s Official Facebook is for Pastors and Why “You All” Should Be on Facebook.
Neil Cox from Indy Christian has been an encourager and mentor to people who use the Internet in ministry for as long as I can remember using the Internet (since 1996 for me). He had some thoughts on Facebook after he read the preview manuscript I sent him.
The ideas below are from an email he sent to me, I asked if I could post them here because I think they are worth thinking about. He sent them to me in random bullets, I think they stand on their own as idea starters. Perhaps you might get an idea or two for blogging about the ministry potential of Facebook. Come on bloggers talk it out!
- Thought… If a pastor is in the business of accelerating the Great Commission, perhaps especially by expediting/empowering Christians in their city…. could you think of a better online tool to use & proliferate than Facebook? Obviously we use it here in the CityReaching wiki concept… linking CityReachers around the country.
- Facebook isn’t full-grown yet — eg… ‘groups’ aren’t (yet) particularly functional. Maybe ‘pages’ (which can install apps) will be.
- Who’s going to develop the Facebook applications that push the gospel forward?
- Think Facebook is just a passing fad? Perhaps Wall Street knows something you don’t know. They’re at the very least well-read, because they’re not accustomed to just throwing money around. And certainly not $15 Billion dollars — the current estimated market-cap.
- I’ve shaken hands with people in our small church for 5 years… and know next-to-nothing about ‘em. But now suddenly I know people in my own church better in one week, as a result of friending folks from our church’s Facebook group (which I started — just as you said in your book… ‘If you don’t, somebody will.’)
- If pastors don’t have time to interact with their mega-amount-of-friends on Facebook… perhaps it begs the issue of how to ’shepherd’ one’s flock.
- Chris, you’re right… pastors, it IS going to happen, with or without you. Now’s your chance to help shape/mobilize them.
- Too bad the multicultural opportunity isn’t addressed. Read Andrew Sears article re Facebook as a telling tale about multicultural friend-set.)
- Facebook helps Christians maintain a consistent lifestyle… in my neighborhood or church. And how great is it, that YOUNG people put themselves ‘out there’ as believers… openly… and thus get well-networked (read ‘tied in’) with other encouraging young Christians. Getting our high-schoolers well-positioned in Facebook may be an answer to kids falling out of church, as they leave their (heretofore) Christian friend-network behind and head off to college. Now, instead, they have their network established and it’ll be helpful as they adjust to college life.
- “One way communication is over!” …. is sooooo right-on. Dunno if it would be instructive or not, but here’s an article I wrote… “The Audience Is Up To Something”
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