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HowChristian ParentsCan UseSocialMediaTurn YourSocial MediaTeam Loose—ToHelp Families!by Jonathan Smith8 MinistryTech.comIt’s hard to believe, but socialmedia as we know it todayhas only been around for thepast decade. As a medium ofcommunication, social medianow dominates all other formsof communication. Social mediais the number one reason folksget online. Facebook recentlyannounced that they haveover two billion users. That’salmost one third of the planetusing a single platform forcommunication.Social media discussions inministry used to center aroundhow to use it. What role does it havein the church? How can we useit effectively to spread the gospelmessage? Who should manageit? These were good discussionsas churches are naturally able topost current content to the varioussocial media platforms thanks tothe content created for Sundayseach week. There are also plenty ofresources available on the topic ofhow to use social media effectivelyin churches and ministries.There is, however, a new areaopening up where churches can usetheir knowledge of social media tohelp those they serve. I hope thatwe can all agree that the primarygoal of the Christian life is to begrowing to become more like Christ.Christianity is not standing still, itis constantly moving toward beinglike our Savior. This side of heaven,that is a continuous process thatends when believers are ultimatelysanctified with Christ when He callsHis church. We call it “progressivesanctification” because it is nevercompleted during our lifetime.So how can churches and ministries apply progressive sanctificationto social media? Thanks for asking. One area of tremendous needand ministry potential is helping toclose the technology and knowledgegap between parents and their kidsregarding the use of social media.Churches seeking to minister tothose in their communities will findmany opportunities when it comes toparenting and social media.If there is any organization bestpositioned to help parents growand become more sanctified as theywork to help their children growand become more sanctified, it isthe church. It should be natural forparents to turn to the church forhelp in this area, but is the churchready to help them or is it morefocused on its own social mediapresence on helping parents andchildren grow in how they usetheirs?There is a lot of demand forhelp in this area. I travel and speakfrequently on the topic and knowthere are many others who do aswell. Here are three ways churchescan take their knowledge of socialmedia and use it to help parents helptheir kids become more like Christ.Churches seeking to minister to their communities will find many opportunities when it comesto parenting and social media. Churches can taketheir knowledge of social media and use it to helpparents help their kids become more like Christ.Available Fall 2017Social Media for TeenagersA resource for teensand people who care about themWritten byJonathan SmithMinistryTech Contributing Editor& National Speakerwww.TRISTANPublishing.comAugust 2017 9

Stay CurrentShare ResourcesOne of the benefits of social mediais that we are able to reach peoplewe may not normally reach. Wecan post something and those inour church can share it, allowingus to exponentially reach folkswho may not normally checkout anything our ministry posts.Churches can leverage this sharingto post information on parentingand social media.This is also one way churchescan show gratitude for all thoseshares. Instead of keeping thesocial media team locked in anoffice, that team can be used toshare information on parentingand social media and provide tipsand helps to parents and kids alike.Provide EducationSocial media education can be ahuge outreach ministry. Rememberthe social media team locked in the10 MinistryTech.comoffice? What if they taught classesfor those in your community onhow to use social media? What ifthese classes allowed you to servefolks who normally would neverset foot in your building? Weteach classes on finances, why notparenting classes with a focus onsocial media?Parents are looking tounderstand what Snapchat is,for example, and then how tohelp their kids use it responsibly.Layer a Christian worldviewon top of that and social mediaeducation is now an outreachopportunity for your churchto show love to those in yourcommunity. Survey after surveyand study after study show thatall parents, from all backgrounds,and with any worldview, strugglewith helping their kids use socialmedia responsibly because theythemselves don’t understand it.Social media is always changing,and it’s easy to get left behind.What’s new today is old tomorrow.Want to know what’s going to bethe next big social media platform?Watch where the teens go. Whilechurches may be slower thanteens to start using new socialmedia platforms, eventually, theyget there. As the church stayscurrent it can also help parentsstay up-to-date.It’s understandable that parentsmay be nervous, as keeping up ishard to do, but this is where yourministry can continue to shareresources and provide educationinto the future. The opportunitiesto serve parents and youth aroundyou will continue as social mediaitself continues to evolve.The goal is Christlikeness.Christlikeness is a progressiveprocess that we should all workhard at. Churches should use thesocial media resources they’ve beengiven to help educate parents sothey can be better equipped to helptheir kids not only use social mediaresponsibly, but also in a mannerthat pleases God and advancesHis Kingdom. MTJonathan Smith is theDirector of Technologyat Faith Ministries inLafayette, Indiana. Youcan reach Jonathan atjsmith@faithlafayette.organd follow him on Twitter @JonathanESmith.AdditionalResourcesFor additional resources onparenting and social media, aswell as information on hostinga parenting and technologyconference, please visit http://faithlafayette.org/parenttech.Refer back to this site oftenas resources are added astechnology and social mediacontinue to evolve.There are two mini-books onsocial media coming this fallfrom Tristan Publishing. One isSocial Media for Teenagers. Thismini-book is written to teenagersand helps them address thechallenges they face using socialmedia and teaches them how touse it for God’s glory.The other book is 101 Ways tobe Nice and Good Online. Thismini-book is a list for all ages onhow to be a good online citizenfrom a Christian worldview. It’sa great way to grow online byworking on one or two ideasat a time.Be on the lookout nextyear for a book from TristanPublishing for parents withspecifics on social mediaplatforms and how to honorGod as you raise children in asocial media driven world.For more information emailinfo@tristanpublishing.com.Be a Part of This Fall’sBiggest Outreach EventSeptember 17, 2017Register your church to receive these great benefits:*National Back to Church Sundayis the largest annual, communitybased church outreach effortdesigned to empower the Churchand its members with the toolsneeded to invite everyone back tochurch!Join the movement to reach morepeople and grow your churchwhile creating a lasting culture ofoutreach by equipping your membersto be inviters! Visit the all newBacktochurch.com site to learn more.Register for FREE & learn more at:BackToChurch.com*Even if you have registered in the past, you must register for 2017 to receive the free resources.August 2017 11

1Social2Guidelinesfor ChurchMediaAllow the Human Side of YourOrganization to Shine! by Bill GiffordSocial media touches all aspects of our lives, fromwork, to school, to religious institutions. Socialnetworking sites, on-the-spot communication devices, email—these all work together to enhancecommunication, foster faith sharing and deepenrelationships.Is social media important for churches?12 MinistryTech.comYes!Social media allows the humanside of an organization to shine. Achurch is not about the brick andmortar. The pastor is a real personjust like everyone else; he hasstruggles, triumphs and questionsjust as we all do. Using social mediaallows the pastor and staff toconnect with their members andbuild relationships. Other ministriesoutside your organization also get toexperience the personal side of thechurch, and that can attract newmembers.We noticed this powerfuleffect through our own companypostings on social media and ourblog. The biggest responses camefrom personal things like picturesof our first snowfall in the UpperMidwest, a picture of chocolatesfrom a partner, and our team at thecompany holiday party. Althoughmany of our blogs discuss importantaspects of church software andinclude pictures, the response rateis lower. Why? The blogs are viewedas information to consume; peoplelearn from them and move on.People are more likely to respond toa personal story about Icon Systemsand its employees.Social media can also be veryuseful at a more administrativelevel. Facebook, Twitter, Google and other social media platformsare great ways for churches tocommunicate with members,organize events and attract newvisitors.Although social media isconvenient and fun, it can havedrawbacks. Following some basicrules can help keep social media safeand enjoyable for all.Disclaimer: The following listprovides a few guidelines for healthyboundaries and safety of the churchin the virtual world of networkingand communication. Every organization should develop their own policyto fit the unique needs of the church.1Treat everything youshare on social media likeit’s public. All communicationsent digitally (email, socialnetworking sites, notes or posts)is not confidential. It’s so easy forsomeone to take a screenshot of aconversation or post and share itpublicly with others.2Keep records.All transcripts of online chats,blogs and videos should be savedwhen possible.3Use private groupswhere needed.4Be mindful of youraudience.Adults who minister to youth andwho want to connect via a socialnetworking website can set up aprivate group account for the youthand their families. That way, eventsand activities can be discussedopenly and everyone can stayinformed.All clergy and adults who work withyouth should consider the content ofany post that could be read by youth.Your words are often considered thevoice of the church.5Sometimes face-to-faceconversations aremore appropriate.Email or instant messaging is notappropriate for matters that arepastorally or legally sensitive,emotionally charged or requireextensive conversation. If amessage is longer than a coupleof sentences, it might be better totalk in person.6Set healthy boundaries.7Be smart about whatyou say.In the world of social media,boundaries and safety practicesmust mirror the physical world.For example, a youth leader wouldnot hold a conversation alone witha child, and should also not have aprivate chat on Facebook.As the saying goes, common senseisn’t always common practice.The purpose of social media is tocommunicate with and inform yournetwork, but make sure you do sotastefully and without revealingtoo much information. For instance,avoid advertising the location(or future location) of minors. It’ssafer not to post something likethe following:‘The annual youth group lockin will be at the local YMCA onSaturday night from 9pm to 8am.See you there!’August 2017 13

8Get permission.Make sure you havepermission when posting prayerrequests; some people may not wantpersonal matters shared online.If you do get permission, keep inmind some situations are extremelysensitive and you don’t need to shareevery little detail.Don’t post this: ‘Please pray forSusan—she is driving out of statethis weekend to care for her motherwho is experiencing postoperativecomplications after her rhinoplasty.’Post this instead: ‘Please pray forSusan—she is traveling this weekendto visit her mother.’9Respect copyrights.Speaking of permission, verifythe material isn’t copyrighted whenposting things that are not your own(e.g., professional directory photos,clip art, videos, articles). Share a linkto a video instead of embedding it onthe church’s website, or share a linkto an article instead of copying andpasting it in a blog post. (Here’s a poston sourcing free or low-cost photos.)10You probably already refrain fromposting offensive content, but alsomake sure your posts are relevant andPeople who are new to a neighborhoodare more likely to respond to an invitationto church. With the New Mover OutreachProgram, it’s easy to invite every newmover to church!control what others say, but mostsocial media platforms allow you toblock repeat offenders who continueto post offensive items.1112Monitor social mediaaccounts regularly.Assign church staff or volunteersto monitor posts and delete anyinappropriate content. Givingmore than one person access to theaccounts is a smart idea; that way ifyour social media manager goes onvacation or leaves, the accounts willstill be updated. As insurance, post adisclaimer. (Just do a Google searchfor ‘Social Media Disclaimer’ if youneed some examples.) You can’tPost content thatis relevant.REACH EVERY NEW NEIGHBORWITH AN INVITATION TO CHURCH!meaningful to everyone visiting thesite. For instance, referring to an insidejoke can alienate those who don’t knowthe story behind the humor.STEP 1Enter yourchurch address.STEP 2STEP 3Refine your selection to fit your budget.STEP 4Choose an invitation design.PREPARE TO GREET AND WELCOME NEW MOVERS.Explore free at:NewMoverOutreach.comThe next generation inchurch management software.Learn how to changesecurity settings.Remember, social media pages canserve as a first impression to peopleoutside of the church. Althoughcontent such as group discussionsshould be private, make sure someof the information is public soothers can learn about the churchand its mission. To use Facebookas an example, the church couldhave a public Fan Page with postsfor everyone to see and also have aprivate group for members to sharepictures, videos and prayer requests.Read our post about Facebook to getinstructions for creating a closed orsecret group and other useful tips.Collaborateand stayconnected.Using social media allowsChoose nearby neighborhoods.How many familiesmoved in nearyour church?RubixYour invitations are automatically mailed every monthto new families in your selected area!NewMoverOutreach.com 1.800.991.6011FREE SET-UP!USE COUPON CODE: MJNEWMOVERAND SAVE 79.your organization to reach diversemembers both within and outsideyour church, from college studentsto busy moms. Implementingguidelines for how your organizationengages in social media will helpensure safety to your staff andmembers. Learn about additionalsteps you can take to ensure safetywith background checks of staff andvolunteers through IconCMO. MTBill Gifford is the president of Icon Systems inMoorhead, Minnesota. For more than 20 years,Icon Systems has been developing software thatGet my free trialwill meet the needs of any religious organization—from church plants to denominationaloffices. To find out more visit www.iconcmo.com.14 MinistryTech.comAugust 2017 15

Where should your church be on social media?The answer isn’t easy, primarily because of the qualifier: “your church.” Keep foremost in your mind as you planand execute any social media strategy that you are doing this as a representative of Jesus, serving his sheep in thechurch. This is a challenging group of sheep! They come in all ages and all stages of interest in and interaction withsocial media. To answer where a church should be, you both need to look at where to be in the secular world of socialmedia, and then you need to apply it to your church.Current socialmedia trendsOne of the best overviews of currenttrends in social media was put outthis year by WordStream. It wasupdated in May 2017. Among otherfascinating tidbits it shared that: 83 percent of female Internet usersand 75 percent of male Internetusers are on Facebook. 22 percent of the world’s totalpopulation uses Facebook.Social Mediafor ChurchesWhere to Be,andHow to Use Itby Yvon Prehn The world of social media is vast. New options appear frequently. It’s both exciting (inthat we have new ways to reach and disciple our world for Jesus) and at the same time overwhelming becauseof the challenges in the time and skills needed to make the most of these opportunities.In the midst of this challenge, what channels should your church focus on, where should you be spendingyour time? And how do you get all the work done you want to in order to make the most of social media foryour church? First, we’ll look at the where and then some ideas for the how.16 MinistryTech.com 32 percent of teenagers considerInstagram to be the most importantsocial network. Most Instagram users are between18 to 29 years old, which is about 6in 10 online adults. 81 percent of Millennials checkTwitter at least once per day. On any given day, Snapchat reaches41 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds inthe US. YouTube (and even YouTube onmobile devices alone) reaches more18- to 34- and 18- to 49-year-oldsthan any cable network in the U.S.Social media is both exciting (in that we havenew ways to reach and disciple our world forJesus) and at the same time overwhelmingbecause of the challenges in the time and skillsneeded to make the most of these opportunities.Word Stream developed severalconclusions:1.  Facebook continues to be the mostwidely used social media platform,reaching 79 percent of AmericanInternet users. Based on the total U.S.population—not just Internet users—that’s 68 percent of U.S. adults!2.  Every other platform trails behind:Instagram receives the silvermedal with 32 percent of users;Pinterest comes in a close third with31 percent, followed by LinkedInand Twitter at 29 percent and 24percent respectively.Another excellent overview ofsocial media usage was compiled inJanuary 2017 by the Pew ResearchCenter. Their statistics weresimilar to the study above, but twosummary quotes are worth noting: s more Americans have adoptedAsocial media, the social mediaIllustration by Harryarts / Freepikuser base has also grown morerepresentative of the broaderpopulati

social media. Google the phrase "church social media" and you'll be served up over 200 million articles about using social platforms for your ministry. There's no longer any question about whether your church should be on social media or not, but being on social media isn't enough. You need to prioritize using it well.