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#DigitalEvangelism

Digital Strategy for Reaching Young Professionals

8/25/2020

310 Comments

 

Jamie Jean Schneider Domm

Digital Strategist, Social Media + Big Data, North American Division

Digital Strategy for Reaching Young Professionals Cover

Introduction

​Humanity has been asking existential questions forever. We’re wired for purpose, constantly seeking to answer the big question, “Why?” Although a record-breaking number of believers are leaving brick-and-mortar churches in America, every month, over 100,000 people go on Google and type into the search bar, “Is God Real?” Countless others search for Bible study tools. Our neighbors are asking Siri, not a pastor, “What happens after death?” or profoundly, “What is faith?” The world is going digital, but should the church? The answer is that the gospel should go to all the world, using whatever tools and gifts we have. The eyes of people are on screens, especially the youth. The church must be equipped to go where people’s attention is focused—to be in the world, but not of it. In this free handbook, we’ll demonstrate how to use social media networks for ministry and evangelize to young adults ages 18−30.
Download the Free Guide to Reaching Young Adults
310 Comments

5 Steps to Becoming a Digital Evangelist

6/10/2020

61 Comments

 

Jamie Jean Schneider Domm

Digital Strategist, Social Media + Big Data, North American Division

Two Girls Engaged in Digital Evangelism
Only 20% of Americans regularly attend church, and only 2 in 10 millennials consider regular church attendance important. The Church no longer has the option of embracing change or leaving it to the next generation. The time is now; otherwise, we will become irrelevant. Change is never easy, but anything is possible with the Lord (see Matthew 19:26).

People search online for answers to their problems. They turn to the internet for companionship, understanding, information, anonymity, and more. We must be the voice that answers back, online, to share our message of hope and wholeness. Our digital presence may be the only exposure to the Gospel many people receive. We must recognize that the mission field is online, and just as legitimate as traditional evangelism.

We need an army of digital evangelists dedicated to carrying the gospel to the digital mission field.
Here are 5 steps you can take to become a digital evangelist with resource links:
  1. Determine your target audience and platforms. The first step in reaching your audience is to develop a clear picture of who you are talking to. Seek to understand their felt needs and core values. Become a student of their culture. You must go where they spend their time and speak the language they speak. SDAdata.blog/understandingaudiences
  2. Develop a strategy. Define your purpose for being on social media and utilizing digital tools. Then frame your strategy accordingly, identifying key performance indicators for success. SDAdata.blog/foundation
  3. Research relevant content ideas. When it comes to digital evangelism, content is made to inform, to educate, and inspire. The Church should be the leader in creating content that improves the lives of others, and supports their spiritual growth. SDAdata.blog/contentevangelism
  4. Make time for engagement and community building. The church experience should extend beyond the confines of time and space in a building to an involved community that provides 24/7 support not only to members but also to our broader contacts. SDAdata.blog/community
  5. Engage in digital door-knocking. Digital door-knocking is when you share spiritual content on your social media profiles or through messaging and email to create an opportunity for people to engage with you about your faith. SDAdata.blog/digitalDK

​The life, character, and gift of Jesus Christ should be on display in your digital content and interactions. Jesus came not to uplift Himself, but to reveal an accurate picture of God’s character. It’s not about how many followers you have on your digital platforms, but how people can and do discover Jesus through you.
Jesus sought first to fulfill people’s needs; He then invited them to follow. 

We can use social media and digital tools to achieve our mission of spreading the gospel and helping people by creating content that focuses on mental, physical, and spiritual needs first. Once this foundation is established, we can invite our audience to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8, NIV). When used for digital discipleship and evangelism, this shift in focus is a way we can follow Jesus’ example for everyday ministry to real people. We can use social influence for kingdom building while utilizing modern tools and technologies.

For a practical guide to using digital technologies for outreach, community service, growth and evangelism, purchase the North American Division’s Digital Discipleship & Evangelism Guidebook at SDAdata.blog/book.

Available from AdventSource.
Print, Kindle and ePub versions available.
61 Comments

How to Start A YouTube Ministry: A Comprehensive Guide

6/2/2020

73 Comments

 

Jamie Jean Schneider Domm

Digital Strategist, Social Media + Big Data, North American Division

Justin Khoe

Digital Missionary, ​"I’m Listening with Justin Khoe; Life. Faith. And the things that matter."

Picture

INTRODUCTION

People come to YouTube for entertainment and education. It’s not an exaggeration to say that video is king! Internet video traffic accounts for 80% of all consumer Internet traffic. YouTube is the second-largest search engine and the second most-visited website in the world. This is where young people spend most of their time online.
 
Creating a YouTube account is very cheap. All you need is a camera and a device to upload from. YouTube is great for communicating ideas quickly and provides a storage place where your content never dies. It can be revisited or reposted as many times as you want.
 
In this free guide, we’ll take you through a step-by-step process for starting a YouTube channel from scratch. We strongly encourage you to take the time to go through this guide completely and review the resources before starting your YouTube channel. Or, if you already have a channel, use this guide to evaluate where changes need to be made.
Download the How to Start A YouTube Ministry Guide

​If you’re not yet convinced that your ministry should consider creating a YouTube channel, review the following statistics. 


YouTube Statistics (May 2020) 

  • More than 30 million daily users
  • Two billion monthly active users
  • Five hundred hours of video are uploaded every minute.
  • Five billion videos are watched on YouTube every day.
  • The average viewing session on mobile phones is more than 40 minutes (an over 50% increase per year).
  • YouTube reaches more 18−34 year olds than any cable network in the US.
  • Six out of 10 people prefer online video platforms to live TV.
  • 93% of Millennials go to YouTube to learn how to do something.
  • 86% of viewers regularly use YouTube to learn new things.
  • 70% of viewers use YouTube to help solve a problem.

YouTube Demographics (May 2020)
  • 73% of US adults use YouTube.
  • 62% of YouTube users are males.
  • 78% of US male adults use YouTube.
  • 68% of US women adults use YouTube.
  • 81% of 15–25-year-olds in the US use YouTube.
  • More than 15% of YouTube’s site traffic comes from the US.
  • The 35+ and 55+ age groups are the fastest-growing YouTube demographics.
  • 75% of Millennials prefer YouTube over traditional television.
  • 51% of YouTube users say they visit the site daily.
  • 37% of the coveted 18–34 demographic is binge-watching.
  • 94% of American 18- to 24-year-olds use YouTube.
  • 85% of US teen boys (ages 13–17) use YouTube daily.
  • 70% of US teen girls aged 13–17 use YouTube daily.
  • 70% of YouTube watch time comes from mobile devices.
  • YouTube services are available in more than 100 countries in 80 languages.
  • 95% of the global internet population watches YouTube.
 
If you have the calling to reach young people, YouTube is a must. This 63-page guide will help you determine relevant topics for your target audience and position your videos to maximize reach and watch time.  

Click the button below to download this free guide. ​
Download the How to Start A YouTube Ministry Guide
73 Comments

How to Engage in Digital Door-Knocking

4/14/2020

7 Comments

 

Jamie Jean Schneider Domm

Digital Strategist, Social Media + Big Data, North American Division

Digital Door Knocking - Lion knocker
It's hard to knock on someone’s door, even if we already know them. In fact, it’s not even socially acceptable nowadays to just show up unexpectedly at someone’s house in case they are busy when we stop by. We must call and schedule a visit first. Add the need for social (physical) distancing, and it becomes clear that the old way of evangelizing can no longer be the primary method. But you don't have to knock on a stranger’s door to share your faith. Nor do you have to create the content. Canvassers are not also the authors of the books they sell. The burden of content creation is not for all of us. 
​Social media allows us to share our faith and engage with our community when it’s most convenient for them. It allows our audience to self-select whether or not they want to engage.
Young people spend upwards of 9 to 18+ hours behind a screen each day. That's a lot of opportunity for us to share and reach people anywhere. Excluding periods of sleep and quarantine, how many people are normally home nine hours a day to answer the door? In normal daily life, many people leave the house early and come home late at night.
​
Digital door-knocking is when you share spiritual content on your social media profiles or through messaging and email to create an opportunity for people to engage with you about your faith. The spiritual content can be anything (a picture, text, video, blog, etc.); just be sure to include with it a personalized message about how it impacted you. Your friends and followers can scroll past it or choose to engage when it’s convenient for them. Given that a lot of people could be stuck at home with extra time on their hands because of COVID-19 or a future crisis, social media may be their main source of entertainment and connection. There’s a lot of opportunity right now for us to share and reach people everywhere using digital technologies. Success can no longer be measured only by counting people in a building but, rather, we must consider whether or not we’re building a kingdom. 

World-of-mouth opportunities online

​Word-of-mouth is still the strongest marketing mechanism for getting the word out about a product or cause. People always trust the opinion of their friends and family over what a brand says about itself. This is why reviews and testimonies are so powerful. We participate in word-of-mouth marketing every time we share about a product or experience with others. We might share in person, but word-of-mouth marketing often takes place on social media and through messaging applications and texting, etc. We do this constantly when it comes to our other interests and don’t even realize it. In terms of sharing the gospel, this just means doing the thing you do all the time online but doing it for the kingdom. In other words, be intentional with what you share.  

​Here are some digital ways individuals can distribute our messages:
  • Forward emails.
  • Text invitations with an info link to contacts, or send invitations via messenger apps.
  • Share content from your church’s profiles or a ministry you follow and add a personalized message.
  • Live-stream events, sermons, Bible study groups, etc., from your social media profiles.  
  • Hit “like,” “love,” or “wow” on ministry Facebook posts to increase organic reach.
  • Post to community groups or apps like Next Door about upcoming events.
  • Find digital ways to connect with neighbors and community; then share your faith with them.
  • Follow, friend, or join online Christian groups to help increase their digital influence.


Leverage social influence through pods

Create a culture of sharing and content engagement within your church community. Nearly everyone is on social media. Even if you have an older congregation, a good many of them are likely on Facebook and have an email address. Don't assume that they are not; ask and find out what platforms they use.
​
Social influence can be both analog and digital. Churches do well with analog distribution (printed flyers for example); however, we need to start leveraging the digital social influence of our members. Even in a small church with 50 congregants, if half were on social media and were connected to just 50 people within the community (outside of the congregation), that's a potential reach of 1,250 people. This is a low estimate, but you get the idea. Train your membership to function like a social media “pod.” A “pod” is a group used to increase engagement on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook but can apply even to email. Members of a pod agree to comment, like, and share each other’s content or the content of a particular entity such as a church or ministry. Teach your membership to engage and share your church content on a weekly basis as a form of evangelism/outreach.


Pod commitments vary but typically fall into three categories:
  1. All users must engage with every post within an hour.
  2. All users must engage with every post within 24 hours.
  3. All users must engage with relevant posts whenever they can.

A congregation that understands the value of participating in ministry this way could serve as a powerful reach vehicle for souls. To realize this potential, they must be equipped and encouraged. Determine members’ strengths and train them to use their strengths.

Be sure to:
  • Take time in meetings and during service or choir rehearsals to prioritize technology.
  • Provide hands-on training to church members.
  • Ask them to take out their phones and take action right in the moment.
  • Empower a designated person to post about key events to local groups or community apps like Next Door.
  • Encourage members to mark Facebook events with “going” or “interested” to increase organic reach.
  • Encourage them to invite others to events via email/text or on Facebook.
  • Encourage them to “like,” “wow,” or “love” important content on your Facebook profile (and other social media platforms); this increases organic traffic.
  • Tell them when to expect emails and ask them to forward emails to their contacts.
  • Send out weekly emails with links to content you want members to share or engage with.
  • Keep them posted on how their efforts are working and create a sense of teamwork.
  • Get them excited about digital discipleship through sharing your excitement and testimonies about how it has worked.

Holiday test case

My local church is predominantly older, and we have around 200 members—not a mega church by any standard. For our holiday programs and special events, the leadership asks me to lead promotion. Beyond targeting the community with social advertising, I also spend a lot of time rallying the membership to hand out flyers, forward emails, share on social media, text people, etc. This is new for them and out of their comfort zone, but we are a close-knit community, and our members really do seek to help each other.

At the end of our six-week campaign for our annual Christmas play, 393 tickets had been reserved in advance, and on the day of the event, we packed the house with around 500 in attendance. Now, the DC-Metropolitan area has a lot of holiday opportunities, so people did not have to choose us. By and large, most people who reserved tickets online said they had heard about the event from a friend or family member, via email or social media. Word-of-mouth out-performed paid social advertising. For our previous event at Easter, by contrast, with no promotion strategy and much less competition in the area, only 100 tickets were reserved in advance.

After the Christmas play, we sent a survey follow-up to gather feedback to better understand our audience and let them know that we valued their opinion. This allowed us to understand how many non-Adventists attended the program. In this case, 20% of survey respondents were not Adventists. It also gave us an opportunity for service by adding this question: Is there anything we can help you with? Let us know how we can bless you, and please provide your contact information.

Here is an example of how with the right coaching, even an older congregation can realize their untapped potential for helping their church better reach the local community through increased awareness. This example served as a test run and, since then, all the tickets for our special programs have been reserved in advance of the event.   
​
This example had immediate results, but having a congregation that consistently engages in digital door-knocking would have a long-tail effect that we may not fully appreciate this side of heaven. Using this model, our messages of hope and wholeness could be spread to every corner of the digital space and, while not everyone is able to walk through the door of a church, they will be able to connect with God.  
click here for more on digital evangelism & discipleship
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The Change We Need: Best Practices for the New Online Church

4/8/2020

12 Comments

 

Jamie Jean Schneider Domm

Digital Strategist, Social Media + Big Data, North American Division

Church Online
You might be tempted to think that we will return to normal in a few weeks or a few months. We will return to normal, but it will be a new normal. – Chuck Scroggins
In the weeks since COVID-19 shut down churches across America and the world, I’ve seen an unprecedented amount of creativity and innovation from churches and ministry leaders. What was previously considered impossible or unimportant has become both possible and important overnight. For many, such as the physically disabled and those unable to attend church in person for other reasons, these changes are welcome and long-anticipated accommodations— accommodations that should have been offered when the technology first became available. Our hesitancy to embrace change left many behind and isolated long before COVID-19. It’s unfortunate that it took a pandemic to motivate the Church to embrace digital technologies, but here we are.

Change is not only possible but also necessary. Now, we must figure out together what the “new Church” will look like. When the dust settles, society will return to a new normal with new habits and expectations. The changes we make now will set us up for success or failure in the years to come.

First and foremost, online church must be different. It can’t be just a streamed program of a few people in an otherwise empty sanctuary. Church is not a program or a building, it’s a faith community sharing their relationship with God and taking action to improve the well-being of others. We must consider the experience of the individuals participating and think empathically about what they expect and need.

Beyond meeting the spiritual needs of church members, digital technologies can be used to mobilize a congregation for community and service in the digital space. What starts in the digital space is not necessarily nor ultimately confined to the digital space. These tools and technologies can create impact in the real world and be leveraged to meet the real physical needs of the community. We can still be the hands of Christ reaching out to help others in their need; it will just be in a way that is different from what we’re currently comfortable with.

We must think creatively about how the “church experience” can be translated to the digital space. This will take the creativity and innovation of everyone, experimenting and trying new things to figure out what works best. It will be different for each congregation and community. We are now in a period of rapid development, innovation, and customization. It’s an exciting time, and I am personally energized seeing God working through His church during this time of change.   

This also means that our choice of our “home” church is no longer restricted by physical location. Churches that adapt well will draw members from everywhere to their online church experience. The barriers to entry that once prevented people from attending in person have been stripped away. Those who were previously at a disadvantage are now on equal footing with the rest of the community. When COVID-19 is all over, the structures we are now implementing should stay in place to continue to reach those we’ve previously left behind. Besides, we know the scriptures: this may be only the beginning of such troubles. There will be more pestilence and an ongoing need for digital technology. We must stop thinking of this as a temporary shift and realize technology’s long-term potential.   
​
You may be asking: How can we build community online? How can we make online church special? What are the best practices for online church? 

As we continue to adapt and modify our worship and service experiences to address these questions, here are 15 “best practices” to consider: 

  • Use interactive tools. Use tools such as live chat and social media for real-time interaction. People are social creatures; let’s create opportunities for social engagement online. This may feel like a distraction from the sermon, but understand that your audience (especially young people) have already been accessing social media while you preach. Digital interactive tools may be out of your comfort zone, but for many, they are a vital enhancement to their worship experience.

  • Rethink your service and music. Remember, put yourself in your online audience’s shoes. What are they supposed to do during song service? Some may sing along, but most won’t. It’s awkward to watch people singing and pretending a congregation is singing with them. Consider having special music instead and, overall, keep music interludes brief.

  • Shorten the service. Don’t try to fill the same amount of time as a regular church service, and limit dead space where nothing is happening. Keep the worship service moving.

  • Speak directly to the audience. Zoom in close with the camera and let the audience see your face and your expressions. A good rule of thumb is to enable your audience to see the whites of your eyes. Speak to your audience as though you are speaking to each person individually. Acknowledge your audience, engage directly with them, and encourage comments, likes, and shares. Ask them to open their Bibles and follow along with the scriptures. You can even encourage them to take notes or type in answers to your questions in the comments section of the livestream. Avoid standing alone on an empty stage with the camera zoomed out at a distance. Bringing the camera in close will make your sermon more inviting and personal. Click here for more live-streaming and video tips.  

  • Turn your livestream into evergreen content. When the service is over, repurpose longer videos into shorter focused clips that will be searchable long into the future. Church announcements have a short shelf life and should not live indefinitely on your YouTube channel or website. Cut out just the message and other key elements such as the children’s story to create content optimized for search. To learn how, visit:
    • Evergreen Livestreams: 4 Ways to Turn Livestreams into Great Video Content
    • How to Start Your Own Video Ministry (Free Course)

  • Meet together in the digital space. Use video conferencing technologies to keep your regular Bible studies and prayer meetings going. Zoom is a great tool. It’s easy to use, and a basic account is free. You may find that your attendance increases now that physical barriers like traffic have been removed. Click here for guidelines for hosting online small groups, forums, and video conferences.

  • Continue to serve the community. For too long, churches have been the building up the street. Let’s not let the church now become the empty building up the street. Church should be a group of people mobilized to serve, actively engaged in improving the well-being of their broader community. Click here for 10 ways to serve your community using digital tools during COVID-19.

  • Create content to help people move along their spiritual journey. God’s church is 24/7. Therefore, we should endeavor to put Christ on display every day through our digital influence, not just one day a week. We should create digital content that speaks to the spiritual needs of people and seeks to address their deepest longings. To get started with content creation and evangelism, read these blogs:
    • What Role Do Content Creators (Creatives) Play?
    • Basics of Content Creation and Strategy
    • A Deeper Dive into Content and Creative Planning Through Keyword Research
    • Content Evangelism: Engaging Your Audience and Improving SEO
    • Writing Effectively for Online Audiences
    • Basic Principles for Creating a Strong Social Media Post

  • Mobilize your congregation to become a reach vehicle for souls through digital door knocking. Digital door knocking is when a person shares spiritual content on their social media profiles or through messaging and email to create an opportunity for people to engage with them about their faith. Spiritual content can be anything (a picture, text, video, blog, etc.), and should include a personalized message. A person’s friends and followers can scroll past it or choose to engage when it’s convenient for them. Given that a lot of people are stuck at home with extra time in their schedule, social media may be their main source of entertainment and connection. Create a culture of sharing and content engagement within your church community. Train your members to share your church’s content (created or curated) on a weekly basis as part of ministry efforts. There’s a lot of opportunity right now for us to share and reach people everywhere using digital technologies. A congregation that understands the value of participating in ministry this way could serve as a powerful reach vehicle for souls. Success can no longer be measured only by counting people in a building; rather, we must consider whether or not we’re building a kingdom. 

  • Create opportunities for prayer online. Even the skeptical may long for someone to care enough to pray for them personally. Social media is a powerful tool for soliciting prayer requests and following up on those requests. Prayer can be just one “like,” comment, or message away. Online communication lowers the barrier to asking, making it easy for people to reach out when they may be reluctant to do so face to face. Click here for more ideas for prayer opportunities in the digital space.
    ​
  • Develop a 360° community care strategy. In this time of crisis and beyond, we should work to extend the church experience beyond the confines of time and space in a building to an involved community that provides 24/7 support not only to members but also to our broader contacts. To be effective, churches should cultivate and nurture healthy communities, both analog and digital, both within the church and in the community, thereby better positioning ourselves to provide a ministry of healing and broad networks of support. For ways to do this with your congregation, read these blog posts:
    • What's the Role of Engagers?
    • What Does Community in the Digital Space Look Like?
    • What Does a 360° Community Care Strategy Look like?

  • Empower Digital Disciples. Content creation, engagement, and distribution are not limited to the official Church brand and accounts. Make a point of reaching out to young people, and let them know that their talents in this area are highly valued even if they are not part of the core team. Some people just need permission and a little mentorship to realize their talents and passion for personal ministry. Everyone has social influence through texting, messenger applications, email, and social media. Encourage and inspire them to use it to build God's kingdom. To learn how, read these two blogs:
    • Practical Tips for Digital Discipleship and Engagement
    • Growing as Disciples

  • Invite creativity and new ideas. Listen to the tech savvy and to young people. Now is the time to make them feel that their spiritual gifts are valued by their church. Young people in particular are digital natives and instinctively know a great deal about how to leverage technology. They are eager to help shape the future of their church and will be more likely to stay if they are involved.

  • Train your members. Take the time to show your members, especially older members, how to participate and use digital tools. Ask your younger members to create tutorial videos or to FaceTime with older members to talk them through using technology for worship and ministry.

  • Protect your community. Going online means getting used to dealing with negative comments. For antagonists who threaten the health of your digital community, hiding/deleting comments, muting people, and even banning them are options. Click here to download a response assessment flow chart to help you navigate the sometimes rocky waters of online engagement.

  • Be ready to adapt to and get comfortable with change. Change is the new normal. Embrace new ideas and technologies as they become available. Get creative and don’t be afraid to try new things. If it doesn’t translate, that’s okay. You will have many more chances to figure out what works. 
 
We want our church to come back stronger and more unified from this experience. Normally, we talk about how digital technologies are a powerful means to scale up traditional ministry and evangelism, but COVID-19 has pushed the need for digital technology to become our priority. We’ve created and curated several resources we think you will find useful to help migrate your worship service and help you build an online community for your church. Visit SDAdata.org/goingdigitalcovid19 to get started.
 
Click here to learn more about digital evangelism and discipleship.

12 Comments

Where is Your God Now?

4/8/2020

9 Comments

 

Jamie Jean Schneider Domm

Digital Strategist, Social Media + Big Data, North American Division

Where is Your God Now? Cross and empty tomb.
​The weekend that the world woke up to the COVID-19 pandemic saw a wave of closings and radical changes to our daily lives never before seen in the history of mankind. The same weekend brought a stunning amount of anti-Christian rhetoric online. I am an administrator for over 50 ministry social media accounts, and my notifications were filled with hateful comments, aggressively mocking us and our collective faith and, in some cases, even blaming Christians and our “foolish” thinking through some convoluted logic that I didn’t bother to try to understand. What shook me the most was that this behavior was foretold in the Bible. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe the scriptures, but in my mind, it was always for some far future time. I certainly wasn’t expecting to experience this first-hand on March 15, 2020.
​Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation." (2 Peter 3:3–4)  
One repeated phrase stuck out for me as I combed through the comments, deleting them and banning hostile people in an effort to protect our faith communities from continued harassment in this time of crisis. I lost count of how many times I read, “Where is your God now?” Over and over again, I saw the same comment, sometimes accompanied by rude pictures mocking our Savior. The hostility from these armchair antagonists was deeply concerning.

But the question remains, “Where is my God now?” In the days that followed, I began to see an immense amount of creativity and innovation emerging from the Church as pastors and ministry leaders began to adapt.
​I realized that the answer to the mockers’ question is that my God is on the move, while we’re stuck at home.
When fleeing persecution, the early church took the gospel to new regions out of necessity. Two thousand years later, we find ourselves in a similar situation. We must now take the gospel message to the digital mission field and spread our message of hope and wholeness when it is needed most.

We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

In Daniel 3, God didn’t deliver the three Hebrew boys from the fire; He delivered them IN the fire to act as witnesses to King Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom. While in the fire, the three boys came near to God and walked with the preincarnate Christ. Their experience served a greater purpose and testifies to us even today. God didn’t create the fire, the persecution, or the pestilence, but He can steer His church in this crisis to accomplish His will for the salvation of souls. He can and will manifest His power so that the living may know that the Most High rules over mankind (Daniel 4:17). 

It appears that the world is falling apart, and people are paralyzed with fear. Where is God now? God is on the move in every church and in the heart of every digital missionary who is stepping out in faith to accomplish our mission. He doesn’t need us to fulfill His work, but He invites us to work alongside the Holy Spirit. For digital advocates like me, this is a long-awaited and surprising answer to prayer.

It’s unfortunate that it took a pandemic to motivate the Church to embrace digital technologies on a large scale. For people who know that the end is coming, we have dragged our feet too long. COVID-19 is a kick in our complacency and a wake-up call to jump on the digital bandwagon. We have had access to these tools for over a decade, and I believe the Holy Spirit has been pleading with us to use them. Previously, many of us advocated for rethinking church in the digital age to meet the needs and expectations of the younger generations. Our voices were often dismissed as too extreme. Overnight the landscape changed; now we are forced to rethink church without the building for everyone. Perhaps this is the point. We’ve gotten too accustomed to thinking of church as a place to go to for a few hours a week, and not as people in action, striving to improve the well-being of others and spreading the good news.

Now is the time to focus on the future and on what the Church can become. Until now, those of us advocating for digital technologies have been up against systems and traditions that have been difficult to change. However, these structures and mindsets are quickly becoming obsolete in this new reality. The current generation no longer has the option of embracing change or leaving it to the next generation. The time is now; otherwise, we will become irrelevant. Change is never easy, but anything is possible with the Lord.

This shock to our society is nothing to fear; God is always with us, and we must continue to embrace this new reality to continue the work. Make no mistake, we are never going back—COVID-19 will fundamentally change how businesses, organizations, and society functions. Everyone across the generations will be forced to utilize digital tools for productivity and daily life. When this is over, and we can once again embrace our brothers and sisters, we will all have to tighten our belts from the economic fallout. Travel will be a luxury, while the positive impact on the environment may solidify many of our behavioral changes. Only God knows for sure how this will change the world, but the Bible tells us that this is only the beginning of the birth pains; there is more pestilence and tribulation to come. We may never fully be able to leave physical distancing behind, but time spent in isolation can be filled with seeking for truth and assurance in our messages of hope and wholeness. People will continue to turn to the Internet for companionship, understanding, information, anonymity, and more. We must be the voice that answers back online in these times of crisis and beyond.  
​
COVID-19 is not the end, but it is a warning—a warning to God’s church to wake up and get ready. Jesus is coming, and we haven’t finished the work. This crisis is an opportunity to prepare and mobilize. It’s time for a generation of digital evangelists and disciples to carry the Gospel to the digital mission field, which may well be the final mission field. This is our generation’s Great Commission. 
More COVID-19 Resources for Churches & Ministries
9 Comments

We're All Publishers Now; Responsible Use of Your Social Media Influence

3/3/2020

2 Comments

 

Jamie Jean Schneider Domm

Digital Strategist, Social Media + Big Data, North American Division

This post has been revised from the original 2017 post.

Responsible Use of Your Social Media Influence
He who is careless and heedless in uttering words or in writing words for
publication to be sent broadcast into the world, sending forth expressions that
can never be taken back, is disqualifying himself to be entrusted with the
sacred work that devolves upon Christ’s followers at this time.
– Ellen G. White, Counsels to Writers and Editors
Long before audio-visual equipment was invented, Ellen White knew how to do the figurative mic drop better than anyone.

This quote is a powerful and relevant reminder of the solemn task we have been charged with. I encourage everyone who is on social media, especially digital missionaries, to read her Counsels to Writers and Editors.
Social media is the ultimate equalizer. It gives a voice and a platform to anyone willing to engage. – Amy Jo Martin
Social media has eased entry into the world of telling stories, sharing ideas, and expressing thoughts to a wide audience. It used to be that if you wanted to tell your story to a broad audience, you had to buy your way in through costly traditional media. Times have changed; we are all writers and publishers now. But with this ability comes responsibility.

Social media, in its essence, is people connecting with people to create a collective human story. We all want to be heard, and we all now have a platform for public speaking. You can have hundreds, thousands, even millions of people viewing your messages. But, as so often is the case, the person we need to set boundaries with is ourselves.

Your personal social media is a great opportunity to share your story and contribute to the collective conversation. It can serve as a powerful witnessing tool, revealing what God is accomplishing through you and your work. But…
Would someone know you are a Christian based on your social media?
What values are you reflecting? Would your audience like Christians based
on your behavior online?
I once listened to a powerful sermon in which the speaker asked, “If you were pulled into court today, is there enough evidence in your life to convict you of being a Christian?” Well, what evidence does your social media provide? Is your use of social media driving people away from the Church or toward Christ? Think about it.

Social media is public by nature and has blurred the lines between your work for the Church and your personal life. This can be a good thing. Follow principles of responsible use and be a living testimony to others. Be a light among the quagmire of negativity online. 
Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. – Matthew 5:16
Every opportunity to share is an opportunity to either advance or hinder the kingdom of God. People should use social media; it is a powerful tool. After all, the appeal of social media is that it reflects a basic human need, and that need is to connect and share. As digital disciples, that means connecting with each other and God as well as sharing the gospel.

It is likely that you have friends or followers on social media who are not Christians or who are questioning and struggling with their faith. As a member of the Church, you are always representing the Church even if you are not actively engaged in digital evangelism. This is especially true for pastors and others in leaderships roles. It is of vital importance that we maintain a high standard of ethics, striving to always be honest, professional, and kind. This means always verifying questionable content with credible sources before sharing, honoring the privacy of others, respecting intellectual property rights, and never releasing confidential information. However, you may share official statements from Church leadership.
 
Your posts can have a much greater impact and reach than you imagine. We recognize and value diversity of opinion within our community, but as an employee or member, your followers may confuse your opinion with the official position of the Church. While this is most likely not your intention, be mindful to:

  • Prevent confusion by avoiding posts that conflict with your ministry’s official positions on matters
  • Observe principles of impartiality
  • Avoid topics like politics where emotions can run high and can result in inflammatory or inappropriate language

Many discussions are significantly more productive in person. It is generally accepted that 93% of our communication is non-verbal (Mehrabian & Wiener, 1967; Mehrabian & Ferris, 1967). Online communication strips away the context of tone and intention. Many comments online are misunderstood without this context and provoke controversy and conflict instead of positive discourse. When asked why they left the Church, a sizable portion of former members cite something that was said to them or how they were treated by other members. My question to you is this:
How many people are you willing to drive out of the Church to make a point or to “win” your argument?
Public figures have the potential to magnify division and take thousands out of the Church. As individuals, we may discourage someone from even considering Christianity. We talk about a life lived as a reflection of Christ but turn into devils on social media. People say things online that they would never dare to say in person, and then wonder why their ministry efforts are not bearing fruit. We were all taught in primary school to T.H.I.N.K. before we speak. It is not enough for something to be True; it must also be Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind. This is especially true in online communication.
Because of the power social media can have, it’s crucial that we consider the effects our content will have on our audience. Both our negativity and our positivity grow exponentially as they are spread by our audience and friends online. When it comes to church, we can create a community of people that attack or a community of people that heal. – Kaleb Eisele, Humans of Adventism
We absolutely respect and value different perspectives among our members and ministry leaders. But as representatives of the Church, we must not use our public speaking platforms as a sounding board for the problems we see in the Church, in leadership, and in our country. We are a family; let’s resolve our internal issues privately. It would be considered obscene to go knocking on doors and to begin your evangelistic effort by lambasting the very Church you are asking people to join. So why do it online? We must protect our Church family and frame all of our digital communications with the salvation of others in mind. Social media is a powerful tool for sharing the gospel; let’s use it wisely and err on the side of caution.
The power and efficiency of our work depend largely on the character of the literature [message] that comes from our presses [social media profiles]. Therefore, great care should be exercised in the choice and preparation of the matter that is to go to the world. The greatest caution and discrimination are needed. Our energies should be devoted to the publication of literature [posts] of the purest quality and the most elevating character. Our periodicals [blogs, videos, and updates] must go forth laden with truth that has a vital, spiritual interest for the people.
– Ellen G. White, Counsels to Writers and Editors 
Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences. Carelessness in speech can and will inhibit our ability to accomplish our mission. When we turn people away from the Church, we are not only working against ourselves, we are working against God. You can also get your ministry or self in legal trouble. If you work for the Church, you may endanger your job and reputation. This can be avoided by using discretion and focusing on the positive, such as what God is accomplishing through your church or ministry. Let’s not fall into the trap of using the negative and sensational to get attention online when God calls us to focus on what is good and holy.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable―if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things. – Philippians 4:8
We all have the same goal. I truly believe that social media is a vital tool for accomplishing our mission in the 21st century. Young people are leaving the Church at a startling rate. They spend up to 18 hours a day behind a screen, and nine hours of that time is spent on social media. What messages are you sending them? We must take the gospel where they are, and not where we want them to be. But when our actions and our speech contradict each other, we only have ourselves to blame for the rising egression. Let’s work together to get the job done and go home.
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. – Matthew 24:14
click here for more on digital evangelism and discipleship
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Growing as Digital Disciples

2/27/2020

4 Comments

 

Jamie Jean Schneider Domm

Digital Strategist, Social Media + Big Data, North American Division

Growing as Digital Disciples

Content creation, engagement, and distribution are not limited to the official church brand and accounts. Make it a point to reach out to young people and let them know that their talents in this area are highly valued even if they are not part of the core team. Some people just need permission and a little mentorship to realize their talents and passion for personal ministry. Everyone has social influence through texting, messenger applications, email, and social media. Encourage and inspire them to use it to build God's kingdom.

The two primary roles in which digital disciples can serve are as engagers and distributors. For this reason, I have decided to unpack the role of digital disciples here in the guide, in-between these two sections of the digital discipleship and evangelism model.

The Bible tells us to become and make disciples. God calls us all to serve in unique ways. Ellen White encourages us to:
Let every worker in the Master’s vineyard, study, plan, devise methods, to reach the people where they are. We must do something out of the common course of things. We must arrest the attention. We must be deadly in earnest. We are on the very verge of times of trouble and perplexities that are scarcely dreamed of. – Ellen White, Letter 20, 1893
Identify people in your church who can be digital disciples, all on their own, as a means to further the mission of your church. This allows and empowers members to engage in ministry and discipleship in ways that aligns with their passion, spiritual gifts, tools of preference, and personal style. There is a spiritual void online because we are not doing enough individually as members or collectively as a Church. The mission field is wide open, it’s our duty to share the gospel through the tools available to us.

The Great Commission given to us by Jesus Christ states, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). An easy and free way to reach the nations lies in the palms of our hands. When we hesitate to make the gospel message more available, we allow our own human weaknesses and fears to get in the way of our mission. How can we justify this resistance to boldly declaring our faith online? We live in an era of religious freedom with minimal persecution in North America (in contrast to what is happening in other parts of the world). However, the predominant perception among the Church body is that evangelism is an event run exclusively by a specific set of people.

In Exodus 4:2, God asks Moses “What is in your hand?” and tells him to lead the children of Israel to the promised land. To Moses, his staff is simply a tool for directing sheep, but with God’s direction, it becomes an instrument through which miracles are performed. If God spoke to each of us today, we would answer, “a phone,” a “laptop,” or an “iPad.” Most of us have a smart phone that can be used either for distraction or for positive impact. The responsibility of every disciple is to utilize every available resource for God so at the end of the age, when we face our Master, we will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant!...” (Matthew 25:23). We must commit to work diligently online to share present truth, regardless of who we are and what our official role may be in the Church.

Tips and Ideas for Individual Digital Disciples,
Adapted from growingfruitfuldisciples.com

  • Share your faith through daily digital activities (texting, Instagram, group chats, Snapchat, Facebook posts, blogging, etc.).
  • Invite your online community to join you in learning more about knowing, loving, and serving God.
  • Be willing to humbly share the story of your life as a Christian. For example, share how you've felt God's presence even when you've made poor choices. Honestly tell how you deal with specific challenges with God's help. Explain what guides your choices. Describe the joy and comfort loving God gives you in today's troubled world.
  • Pay attention to what your friends share with you directly and online. Listen with care. Follow up and see how they are doing. Respond to requests for help. Rejoice over their personal victories. Offer to pray with and for them. Record audio prayers and send them to the person throughout the week. Keep track of prayer requests, check back with the person for updates, offer ongoing encouragement, and celebrate God at work in their life. Assess and respond to their expressed needs. Remember, God has called us to serve without judgment.
  • Go out of your way to include and uplift friends and followers who are shunned, ignored, or bullied online.
  • Support your church's ministries with personal resources (time, talent, and finances). Offer to help with online content creation, updating the website, or funding a community outreach social media ad.
  • Reflect the character of Christ in all your digital and in-person interactions with others. Being a disciple involves all of your life, including your life lived online.
  • Pray for guidance to detect where God is calling you to serve. Support those with digital callings.
  • Evaluate the culture of the platform through which you feel called to serve to more effectively reach people within your sphere of influence.

Digital Discipleship Commitments

Grow God's kingdom by:
  • Building networks for friendship, fellowship, and support through your digital influence
  • Looking for physical, mental, social, and spiritual needs within your community
  • Responding mercifully to the discovered needs in a relevant way
  • Acting compassionately on behalf of people who are disadvantaged or at risk
  • Praying for the Holy Spirit to prepare you to reach others for Christ
  • Using your social influence to help tell the world the story of Jesus
  • Being able to give a reason for your faith when asked
  • Using your social influence to share the story of your personal relationship with Jesus
  • Being willing to be humble and honest when sharing your personal spiritual journey

By living out our mission online and exemplifying the character of Christ, we can become social media ambassadors for the gospel, impacting not only our local communities, but the world.
click here for more on digital evangelism and discipleship
4 Comments

What Does a 360° Community Care Strategy Look like?

2/26/2020

1 Comment

 

Jamie Jean Schneider Domm

Digital Strategist, Social Media + Big Data, North American Division

Community Care Strategy for Digital Discipleship

The Proper Care and Feeding of Followers

Social media is a valuable tool for listening to the needs of your audience and building relationships. However, simply having a social media presence is not enough anymore. Your audience expects a response when they engage with you online—often within a few hours.
Your goal in using social media for ministry ultimately should be to understand and fulfill a need, making a tangible impact in the real world. This means listening and taking action on a daily basis.
How your online followers perceive your ministry influences their perception of not only the Adventist Church corporately, but God. Your digital voice may be the only opportunity your followers have to see Christ’s love demonstrated in their life.

Strong digital brands create connection and take a comprehensive approach to the member experience. Treat your audience members online as if you’re talking with them face-to-face. Their online interactions with you should make them want to experience your faith/mission in person. When they come to you for that personal experience, it should be a continuation of the positive relationship you’ve built with them online.

Every opportunity to connect is an opportunity to advance the kingdom of God. Do not waste your digital influence. Social media provides a unique opportunity for long-term people care that can enhance and strengthen the relationships you cultivate with members, as well as the community your ministry serves.

People search online for answers to their problems—what better place for the Church to engage them?

If someone approached you in person and told you about a struggle or loss, you would respond, right? But when people pour out their hearts online to you or your ministry, are they getting a timely and meaningful response? Does your church or ministry have a team who is dedicated to responding to people online and providing a network of support? Not everyone is ready to walk through the doors of your church, but we can still show them God's love through the care we provide online.

Your digital content may answer some of their needs or questions, but not all. Be the voice that answers back and engages with them in a meaningful way. This is what we call a 360° community care strategy.

According to the Sprout Social Index, 90% of surveyed people have used social media in some way to communicate with an organization. What’s more, over a third (34.5%) said they preferred social media to traditional channels like phone and email. Like Christ, we should be willing and prepared to meet people where they are, and today, that is frequently online.

360° member/community care includes addressing the negative. By being actively engaged online, you have the opportunity to turn negatives into positives by addressing issues and resolving problems promptly. This is especially relevant to younger generations, who naturally turn to social media first to share their thoughts and feelings. Through a culture of online customer service and digital discipleship, you can build a reputation as an organization that truly cares about its members and the community it serves.

Nearly half (46%) of people have used social media to “call out” or complain about a business. That number jumps even higher when you slice the data by generation. Unsurprisingly, millennials are quick to take their frustration to the keyboard—56% of them have complained or called out brands on social media. That means that millennials are 43% more likely to call out a brand on social media than other generations (sproutsocial). Therefore, we should endeavor to be present in the digital spaces where millennials and younger generations are likely to express their dissatisfaction with religion, the Church, or the daily struggles of life. This affords us the opportunity to not only gain a better understanding of the challenges they face but also to intervene in a positive way that can prevent them from leaving the Church or bring them into a community of faith.
We underestimate the power we hold in our online content. Used correctly, social media can help us connect with and mobilize an unbelievable number of people, and the community created there drives real-world changes.
– Kaleb Eisele, Humans of Adventism

Do not underestimate the power of engagement. There’s no ROI (return on investment) without it!

Invest the time. Build a committee of digital disciples who are available to respond to comments and messages online promptly, while being human. That means engaging with a personal tone that conveys Christ-like care. It will pay dividends for your mission. By living out our mission online and exemplifying the character of Christ, we can become social media ambassadors for the gospel, who eagerly share our content and messages online.
 
Engagement is a Personal Ministry Opportunity.
This is not a job for one person or just for pastors. Too often, pastors are burdened with the responsibility of managing the day-to-day functions of their church while also doing all the work evangelizing to the community. When we leave all the ministering duties to the pastor or elders, we limit the opportunities for church members to grow as disciples. Engagement is a personal ministry opportunity for non-techie, nurturing individuals to be involved in digital discipleship and evangelism on an ongoing basis, from anywhere.

Leaders can divide their teams into three groups based on connections, interests, and talents.
  • People dedicated to connecting with church members online and responding to their needs
  • People dedicated to responding to comments, questions, and needs directed to the church in the digital space
  • Trained digital disciples who intentionally build relationships with non-members online and look for opportunities to serve
 
Digital interactions should be treated like real-life conversations in which we respond to audience interactions, share community-generated content, and “like” or react to comments. Engagers should follow relevant online conversations and actively participate in a Christ-like manner. Digital disciples should seek to understand their audience’s needs and respond in a meaningful way. Building online relationships can impact brand awareness, trust, financial support for ministries, and more. The goal is to break down the perceived barrier between the individual and your corporate brand. Strive to be authentic and as transparent as possible. This is how you build trust and authenticity.

Brands are Communicated, Not Just Created

A brand is based entirely on a person's experience. Think holistically about your engagement strategy, and remember that evangelism is more effective when it is built on a relationship. Therefore, our online identity or Adventist brand and faith must go beyond what we know and the message we have to share; it must be based on how much we care if we are serious about digital evangelism. We must change the way we use social media. Aim to create conversations and meaningful community that bridges the gap between the digital and the real world. Then be prepared to meet in the real world. Remember, brand touchpoints all work together.
There should be no disconnect between how a person is nurtured in the pews and how they are treated online, and vice versa.
Social media is an extension of our church brand and voice online. Our brand is how our church is perceived. As stated previously, our online interactions with people should make them want to experience our faith/mission in person. Then, when they come for that onsite experience, it should be a continuation of the positive relationship you've build with them online. Therefore, your church greeters and hospitality teams are also part of the engagers team. They are the onsite church ambassadors, and the atmosphere they create is vital to the visitor/member experience.

How our online community perceives us influences their perception of not only the Adventist Church corporately but God. Our digital voice may be the only opportunity they have to see Christ's love demonstrated in their life.

The Church should be the clear leader in people care.

Major corporations know that customer service is the key to long-term growth. Loyalty comes when organizations (brands) help people solve problems and address their felt needs.
Our mission is to maximize the highs; minimize the lows. Loyalty is created when brands help people solve problems and address their felt needs. The Church should be a clear leader in member and visitor experience as well as in people care. Remember that approximately a quarter of people are in crisis at any given moment in North America. We should be using digital tools to understand perceptions and needs to determine the most meaningful ways to serve.

Investing time can make a huge difference in the health of the local church and its ability to effectively build relationships with the community it serves. When we use our social influence to listen and ask simple questions like, “Are you okay?” or “How can I help?”, the intentionality behind our interactions becomes a powerful witnessing tool. Whether from a personal account or a ministry account, engaging in genuine conversations online is a means to live out Christ’s example of meeting people where they are and tending to their needs. We embody the spirit of the good Samaritan every time we respond to a cry for help. A 360° community care strategy is one that is driven by purposely reaching out to whoever we encounter online.

I believe that the next great awakening will be a digital one. We have the ability to preach and live out the gospel in view of millions of people, so let’s do it. We need every single one of us to commit to being a digital disciple within our sphere of social influence, using social media and digital tools as vehicles to reach out and care for God’s children.
click here for more on digital evangelism and discipleship
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What Does Community in the Digital Space Look Like?

2/11/2020

1 Comment

 

Jamie Jean Schneider Domm

Digital Strategist, Social Media + Big Data, North American Division

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Gorgeous2God is an online ministry dedicated to the difficult issues that teenage girls face. The content is relevant, tackling issues and topics that many don’t feel comfortable talking about in church. As of the writing of this guide, the ministry has over 45,000 followers on social media, millions of impressions, and over 200,000 video views. These stats are great, but the real value in something like Gorgeous2God is not the number of likes; it’s in meeting a very real need and filling a spiritual void for our teens, who have challenges today that older generations didn’t have to face. The advent of the digital age has made navigating young adulthood more complicated, and youth are often left to deal with their problems alone. The need for this ministry is great.
The #gorgeous2god blog has given teen girls a place to search for answers to the challenging questions they face about love, life, health, and faith. I have met so many young girls who are hurting and looking for someone to listen—girls who are suicidal, becoming dependent on alcohol, or who have just shut down completely.

This was the reason we created the Confidential Q & A section of the blog: girls can write in anonymously about anything they are struggling with, and they are answered by a Christian counselor who can show them compassion and offer sound advice without judgment. 

—Erica Jones
Assistant Director of Women’s Ministries, North American Division
 
The confidential Q&A part of this ministry serves to create a support system, offering crisis help and community care management. It is the top-visited page on the website, and girls write in from all over on a range of topics, including self-harm, sexuality, loneliness, depression, anxiety, and relationships. When they have nobody they can trust or talk to, Gorgeous2God has given young girls a safe place for Christian guidance on real-life issues.

The impact of this ministry is felt through countless testimonials:

This [person’s question] resonated with me on a such a deep level. It's as if this question and response was written just for me. Please keep me in prayer, too, as I struggle with the same temptations.

“This post popped up on my feed at just the right time in my life. It's almost as if you knew my life exactly. Thank you for writing this. Truly, thank you.”


What if every church offered a safe place without judgment?

Too often, Christians wall themselves into a protective bubble and don’t know how to respond to the difficult realities people face daily. Unfortunately, the feedback that many teens receive feels like it’s coming from a position of moral superiority, leaving them feeling judged and isolated.
When we offer a place where people can share without fear of condemnation, where we listen more than we talk, where our advice stems from understanding and compassion rather than moral judgments, they find that the
Church—faith—is relevant.

— Erica Jones
Assistant Director of Women’s Ministries, North American Division

It’s a privilege and a great responsibility when people come to us for answers. It’s not just community members either. Church members are not immune to the struggles and temptations of life. Let’s give people a safe place to land by demonstrating Jesus’ love and compassion for them. The Church should be seen as a place for sinners to find community and help. This is what we should be known for.  


Pay attention to cries for help

As a church body, we need to pay attention to cries for help. Every individual has some social influence and can actively use this influence to improve the well-being of others. In a famous example, the actor Pete Davidson from Saturday Night Live (SNL) posted online: “I really don’t want to be on this Earth anymore.” This alarming post resulted in a spur of online messages, phone calls, and people showing up in person to check on him and provide encouragement. Not everyone is famous with millions of followers to analyze their every comment and post, but they are no less valuable to God. The Church body should be setting the example in this kind of community care. It’s not uncommon for people to post a cry for help online. If we use our sphere of digital influence to stay connected to our friends and community, we can be there when people need us by simply paying attention and taking action.

The following are two actual Instagram posts from a friend of mine, who normally shares only her social media best. These tipped me (and others) off that something was very wrong, and we were able to reach out to her in a timely manner to provide the necessary support. Because we had invested time in building a relationship with her in person and online, we recognized this radical departure in posting behavior as a warning sign.

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When you invest in building relationships, you can better recognize warning signs and know how to respond.
When a church member makes a cry for help online, is the Church body paying attention? We should work to extend the church experience beyond the confines of time and space in a building to an involved community that provides 24/7 support not only to members but also to our broader contacts. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. We must really listen and take time in a busy world. We must also go online with purpose, not just for amusement and to pass time. By being intentional, we can make meaningful and measurable differences in people's lives. To be effective, churches should cultivate and nurture healthy communities, both analog and digital, both within the church and in the community, thereby better positioning ourselves to provide a ministry of healing and broad networks of support.


Recommended action steps:
  • Pay attention
  • Notice changes in posting behavior and/or language
  • Take action/reach out (text, email, call, meet, etc.)
  • Ask questions; never assume
  • Assess the situation; determine causes and factors
  • Listen
  • Encourage and uplift
  • Pray for and with the person
  • Ask them, “what can I do to help?”
  • Continue to follow up week after week
  • Continue to assess the situation and find ways to help/encourage
  • Repeat as long as necessary
  • If the person is a victim of a crime, abuse, or other forms of violence, direct them immediately to the proper authorities and resources found here: https://www.enditnownorthamerica.org/get-help
  • If a person appears suicidal, direct them to the national suicide prevention center: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

How does community building work in the digital space?

Community building in the digital space works in much the same way as in the physical world. Expert evangelists tell me that the most effective form of evangelism is friendship evangelism. Digital tools simply allow us to scale up friendship evangelism, but this takes getting out of our comfort zone and being intentional about interacting with people, paying attention, and following up in meaningful ways. This kind of outreach can involve every member of the Church, using the communication tools each individual feels the most comfortable with.

Scale up friendship evangelism by:
  • Being connected through social media and other digital tools
  • Learning more about people's lives through social media in addition to socializing in person
  • Taking the time to engage and show interest
  • Using digital tools to inform and invite friends to fellowship opportunities/events
  • Taking advantage of opportunities to serve people by better understanding their expressed needs, for example, help with moving, distress after loss of a loved one, etc.
  • Starting meaningful conversations
  • Listening more than you speak
  • Utilizing digital tools to follow up and stay in contact with people

Give them Community, Love, and Support

It all starts by connecting with the people you meet inside and outside the Church, understanding that not all online relationships have to remain in the digital space. The closer we get to people, the more involved we can be in their lives, and the more influence we can have. Our goal should be to take them from the digital experience to an in-person experience whenever possible. When we seek daily to serve and uplift others, our faith can have a real-world impact that is relevant to all ages.

According to The Knot, 19% of brides met their spouse online in 2017, making online dating an increasingly popular way to meet prospective partners. It's natural for us to first connect with people in the digital space before developing more meaningful relationships. The Church shouldn't shy away from this change in culture. Digital discipleship is an opportunity for those gifted in fellowship to build relationships and trust within the local community and beyond.
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Hiding within those mounds of data is knowledge that could change the life of a patient, or change the world.

Atul Butte, Researcher
University of California, San Francisco

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