Facebook & My Church

[Mike]

If these are the type of "consultants" your pastor is depending on for advice...then you have a bigger problem than scripted FB entries, my friend.

Be careful, my LCMS sister! This is a guy hand-picked by the synod as a consultant to churches. But that doesn't make it much better. He's still a bean counter, in my opinion formed by 1/2 the picture.

Jeff, I know exactly what you're saying, and I agree. I am a stick in the mud.

Actually, my agreement is with the idea of church leaders being leaders and supporting the mission of the church. But to this unique situation, I say, give us a chance to be leaders; not drones! This is a very big church; not a mega-church, but a big one, worshiping ~1500 people a week. We have a good amount of "leaders" and people who are viewed as such. All they need to say is, "We'd like some support. If you're on Facebook, and you see some posts from the staff, we'd appreciate it if you could help us along." That's it. No script. No "expectations". And if/when responses come from the heart and not a note pad, they will likely sound much more authentic.

I have to go now and find something boring to do, bringing a staleness to air around me. ;)

Anyway, I'd like to open this up to others if anyone has anything to say about Facebook and churches.

 

[jasoncran]

mike is that bad in person eh. steve?

 

[handy]

Be careful, my LCMS sister! This is a guy hand-picked by the synod as a consultant to churches. But that doesn't make it much better. He's still a bean counter, in my opinion formed by 1/2 the picture.

Yeah, my pastor warned me about synod's like yours....

If you like, you can FB "friend" me...I'll help y'all along...make disparaging remarks about "consultants" and "mega-churches" etc...


...that is, if you don't bore me to death. ead


Seriously, I really find the idea of "consultants" for churches distasteful...I really do.

If different members of the same church are all on FB and the church finds it's a great way to get the word out about things and have chatter amongst the members, OK...great as a matter of fact...but for the leadership to contrive something....in the immortal words of Alfred E. Newman...Blech!

 

[jasoncran]

sorry, i find that the holy spirit most able to do his will without programs or consultants. its one thing to use media, but another to do what appears to be a gospel using seeker friendly methods.

church isnt a social club.

 

[Mike]

Seriously, I really find the idea of "consultants" for churches distasteful...I really do.

It does sound a bit "corporate America" to me. Not that I'm against corporate America - just not in my church.

in the immortal words of Alfred E. Newman...Blech!

I thought he said, "What, me?", as in: "That is, if you don't bore me to death." "What, me?"

 

[handy]

It does sound a bit "corporate America" to me. Not that I'm against corporate America - just not in my church.

I thought he said, "What, me?", as in: "That is, if you don't bore me to death." "What, me?"

Ahhh, our Alfred was a sage of many thoughts...there was the ever popular "What, me worry?" but also the wisdom of a well-timed "Blech!"

And, mixing corporate marketing techniques to somehow make the Gospel more attractive seems to be going in a very wrong direction.

It seems as if this thread has different issues being addressed...a church using FaceBook as a tool, the greater issue of the church hiring consultants to apply worldly marketing techniques to further its work, not to mention the over all boringness of Mike...with a liberal dose of Alfred E. just to keep things perking along.

As for the first two, again, I don't have a problem with a church having a FaceBook account, as a matter of fact, I think it's a great idea and another very handy way to keep members of a church informed of what's going on. No problemo...

But, come on...hiring consultants in order to ... what? What would be the goal of hiring consultants for a church?

As I'm kvetching along on this, one thing that does crop up in the back of my mind is 1 Corinthians 9:19-23:

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

In light of this, perhaps there is a place for worldly marketing techniques within the church...

perhaps....

....but, I would think one would need be very careful in how those techniques are applied and to ask the church's leadership to be deceptive in how and why they are responding to a FaceBook entry seems to be going in the wrong direction from the get go.



(As for the other "issue", Mike...if we didn't love you, we wouldn't tease you! :smt056 )

 

[Classik]

So far so what?

 

[stovebolts]

(As for the other "issue", Mike...if we didn't love you, we wouldn't tease you! :smt056 )

What?... He's got a face only a mother could love

 

[WIP]

I don't have a FB account and so I know very little about it. My understanding is that it is basically a personal blog site. If this is true, I can see how a church might use this as a way of reaching out. The pastor or other church members could post sermons and other testimony for others to see. It's out there but not pushed out there, if you catch my drift.

 

[Romansonetwentytwo]

Hey Mike-
I refuse to use it, I feel it serves no real purpose especially to a church. If you want to know what's going on in the church, be there!!! If the church wants to grow and reach new people they should do it by getting out there in the community and through the word of God. Not some made up rhetoric on Facebook. I feel your pain on this one and agree with you.

 

[WIP]

Hey Mike-
I refuse to use it, I feel it serves no real purpose especially to a church. If you want to know what's going on in the church, be there!!! If the church wants to grow and reach new people they should do it by getting out there in the community and through the word of God. Not some made up rhetoric on Facebook. I feel your pain on this one and agree with you.

Not to argue but because I'm curious. I sense a certain animosity toward a church using electronic media to reach out. God used the printed media to reach out to us so on what is basis for your judgment against the electronic format? After all, this site is an example of reaching out electronically. I guess my understanding of witnessing is getting the attention of non-believers and planting seeds of faith. Maybe I don't know enough about Facebook, what it is, or how it is used.

 

[Classik]

Not to argue but because I'm curious. I sense a certain animosity toward a church using electronic media to reach out. God used the printed media to reach out to us so on what is basis for your judgment against the electronic format? After all, this site is an example of reaching out electronically. I guess my understanding of witnessing is getting the attention of non-believers and planting seeds of faith. Maybe I don't know enough about Facebook, what it is, or how it is used.

Good brain
I love that missile

 

[Destructus86]

Yeah, that doesn't really sound right. The church needs to keep in sincere. My church uses facebook as do most of the members. The pastor or someone in charge of the facebook account will post a comment or statement about the Sunday message and people will sometimes comment about it as well. It's natural, not forced. And it feels like it. That isn't to say you can't post funny things or random comments here and there...but it has to be NATURAL.