A
generation ago,
the only way to
share the gospel in great numbers
was in print (books, magazines,
brochures), through traditional
mass media (radio, TV, movies) or live
events (sermons, crusades, rallies). All of
those options were either expensive or took
a significant organization to make happen.
Today, we live in a different world -- the
world of social media. It's a world where
in
fluence has been turned upside down.
Social media, as a whole, is not Facebook.
It's not Twitter. It's not Pinterest. It's not blogs
or any of the terms you may have heard in discussions
about the Internet. Just as a brick is part of a house,
Facebook, Twitter, blogging and the like are part of the
greater domain of social
media
. All together, they
form a valuable approach to
evangelism.
Social Media is effective
because literally billions
are participating, and at its
heart, it's about relationships.
What Makes Social Media So Effective?
At its core, social media is a conversation. The real
power of social media is in engaging with people who
take interest in interacting with friends. These users
will post their own opinions, photos, videos and links
to websites and news articles.
And it's big. For in-
stance, with more
than a billion users,
from the perspective of
population, Facebook is
the third largest "country"
behind China and India.
Why are we not send-
ing missionaries to that
"country"?
Why are we not planting
churches there?
In the online age, we need to
stop thinking of "missions" solely in terms of geo-
graphic boundaries and shift our thinking to include
the digital mission field.
What makes this in-
credibly powerful is the
fact that so many people
can very easily take your
words and integrate them
into their story. They can
comment about your post
and re-post it to their own followers, which will start
a conversation you could never have had otherwise.
That conversation can then be seen and continued
exponentially
among their followers and friends.
What Should You Post?
Remember that your social media presence is an
extension of you. So post about issues that matter to
5
The War Cry | AUGUST 2014
A U G U S T
Frontlines
continued
Photoillustration Ashley H. Clarke, The Salvation Army
Why Social Media
Matters for Evangelism
More People Than You Can Imagine
Are Waiting to Share Your Story
by
PHIL COOKE
"
The most important thing when it comes to
social media?
Do it.
Get out there and share
your faith with an online generation.
"
Robyn Bridgeo, Social Media Chaplain at SAVN.TV
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