Social Media in Ministry and Discipleship

I have several growing convictions regarding the so-called "social media" applications
(Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, YouVersion, LinkedIn, and MeetUp are just a few examples) on today's internet:

• These are disruptive tools and technologies whose impact on society is only beginning to be understood. Think about all the ways that the automobile changed US society. Television. The PC. Some changes were positive, some negative -- but once the technology existed, disruptive change was inevitable and influenced our culture throughout. Old ways of doing things were abandoned -- new opportunities arose. Those who understood early the implications of these changes were better able to respond to them -- sometimes for self, sometimes for the Kingdom. To illustrate what I mean, consider this video:
  

• Much of the revolution revolves around "community" (real or artificial). This seems to present real opportunities for the church which also, when it is seen in it's truest form, is substantially about community -- and one of the most genuine expressions of it that the world has ever seen.

• Many believers will be (already are) participating in these internet communities and finding value in that participation. This, too, presents ready-made opportunities for the Kingdom.

• The impulse to recreate "Christian" versions of these communities is fundamentally misguided! We've all seen the efforts: Come to this site -- It's like "MySpace", but for Christians! Try _______.com, it's like YouTube but without the questionable content. This is monastery thinking. There may be some corner cases in which it is appropriate, but it shouldn't be the way most of us live our online lives.

• Instead, we should live our lives online in the midst of our neighbors -- joining in their communities and allowing them a taste of ours. I try to use Facebook, Twitter, YouVerse, and a blog or two -- but not exclusively for religious thought. Instead, I'm in communities with whom I share an interest in technical topics. And those who follow me due to our shared interest in Linux, get a glimpse on a regular basis of my passion for discipleship and the value I find in sharing life with other believers. I'm in touch through facebook with friends from earlier stages in my life -- and as they check to see how that geeky bookworm they knew in high school has made out in life, they see where I find the strength to deal with issues we have in common (like parenting teenagers!).

• This approach is not without risk. There can be huge barriers to understanding between those who see things through the lenses of our culture and those who see things through a Kingdom world-view. As an extreme example, witness the disconnect exemplified in the comments to this blog post. Some see this story as a beautiful and touching account of God working in the life of a precocious and charming child. Others see it as horrific child abuse. I'm dismayed at the apparent lack of interest in understanding across the divide and reminded that religious persecution lurks not so far beneath the surface of our veneer of civilization. And yet, the solution is still not to withdraw to the monastery and post such comments only where they'll be understood by all who read them. Rather, we engage more fully in the communities of our neighbors so they have opportunity to see us as real people who love our children, are interested in life, who struggle with problems and temptations, but who are being made into new creations -- fit to live in the Kingdom of our Savior.
  

One of my current quests is the exploration of how these tools can be effectively used in ministry and the Christian life. How can they be used for more effective evangelism? How can they be used for more effective discipleship? How can they be used to help people move from the experience of an artificial substitute for real social interaction to the experience of a genuine community that provides tangible support for the struggles of life?

I hope that you'll help me answer those questions? What are you or your church doing that is working? Send me your stories, via comment or via email (scottpurcell78750@gmail.com). Let's work to grasp the implications as quickly as we can and seize the opportunities presented for use in the kingdom!

Scott