The perfect time to learn and experiment in social media
By Chris Martin
LifeWay Christian Resources
I don’t have any data to back this up, but I don’t really think I need it: It is safe to say that more churches and pastors have used social media to connect with their people in the last month than ever in the history of the Church or the internet. It has been a sight to behold. …
In my role at LifeWay, I am responsible for advising our 60-plus social media managers on social media best practices. I meet with all of them over the course of a given month. My advice to them the past few weeks has been this: “It has never been a better time to experiment on social media.”
That is also my advice to you today. It has never been a better time to learn and grow and experiment on social media. Why? Two basic reasons:
1. More people are using social media than ever.
Toward the end of March, Facebook reported that record numbers of people were using their apps — specifically, countries hardest hit by the coronavirus had seen a 50% increase in messaging on Facebook-owned platforms.
We have seen a serious increase in engagement across almost every active social media account we manage at LifeWay. A lot more people are spending an above-average amount of time on social media. Some folks are doing it because they can’t go to work. Others are doing it because they can’t go to church or other activities.
For a whole host of reasons, more people are scrolling social media platforms than usual. This means you have more people paying attention to your church social media accounts than ever. When you have a captive audience, it’s the perfect time to try all kinds of experimental content: live Q&As with a pastor or staff member, Facebook Live worship sing-a-longs with the worship pastor, bedtime stories with the children’s minister. Try all kinds of fun content you’ve never tried before to serve your people and see what sticks.
2. Content standards are flexible.
The second important ingredient that makes our present time such a great time to learn, grow and experiment on social media is that social media users’ expectations for content quality are lower than usual.
Local news outlets have anchors reporting traffic and weather from their living rooms. Late-night television hosts are recording shows from their kitchens. NASCAR is airing video-game versions of races in place of the real-life racing that is on hold. All of this is happening and no one is really complaining.
If video production crews that normally run operations in the millions of dollars are making do with a computer and a webcam, your church’s livestream service or Sunday School video quality doesn’t need to be pristine.
No one in your congregation expects you to have “virtual church” figured out right now. Don’t put undue pressure on yourself to have everything right all the time.
One of the hallmarks of learning and experimentation is failure. We mustn’t be afraid of failure when we experiment with social media in this time. It is important that we don’t experiment with insensitive, humorous content right now, making light of a tragic situation.
But if our new live worship sing-a-long or evening story time doesn’t work as well with our audience as we’d hoped, that’s OK.
Our church families feel more disconnected from one another than ever before. But most of them are probably using social media more than ever before. Let’s all do what we can to serve them with social media content that points them to the Savior of the world, the source of their hope in scary times.
Experiment. Try things you have never tried. Point your people to Jesus and encourage them with God’s word in innovative ways.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Chris Martin is a social media manager for LifeWay Christian Resources and student ministry director at City Church in Murfreesboro, Tenn. (BP)
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The Church in Action
We are in the process of starting a fundraiser and communicating with a local church to get rice and oil to people. This church has already started donating rice, but they have already run out of funds. If we can raise enough funds, we will add some vegetables to the donations.
Baptist representatives serving in Asia
Pray for our local Pregnancy Care Center that has remained open [for essential needs] because the local abortion clinic has remained open. They too are on the front lines, and the doctors that serve at Huntsville Pregnancy Resource Center (HPRC) have supported this decision as being necessary even during this pandemic. They are still in the business of saving lives — spiritually and physically!
Madison Baptist Association
Facebook post
McElwain Baptist Church is offering a wonderful service to residents in the Crestline, Mountain Brook and Eastwood Mall area. (Although everyone is invited to use this service.) They have a drive-thru gasoline service station set up where they will pump your gas for you. If you are high risk for COVID-19 and are being extra careful about touching gas pumps that everyone in the city is touching, take advantage of this awesome service.
The McElwain gas station is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to noon and 2 to 5 p.m.
Birmingham Metro Baptist Association
Facebook post
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Letters to the Editor
Pastors and sabbaticals
Thank you for the story on ministerial sabbaticals featured in the March 19 issue of TAB.
The Center for Congregational Resources at Samford University has worked with over 150 ministers in the past 14 years to help them experience Sabbath time. At the end of their Sabbath leave, we ask how long it took for the minister to “step off the treadmill.” Almost all say two weeks.
Though ministers usually have vacation leave, we know they need more time before they begin to experience the rest that Sabbath time allows. Sabbath leaves are not extended vacations. They represent time away for the minister and his or her family to experience renewal of spirit, mind, body and emotion through a Sabbath leave plan shaped around their goals. Our research shows that both minister and church benefit.
Our program provides assistance helping ministers create Sabbath plans as well as the opportunity to apply for grant funding in support of the Sabbath leave.
For information, contact the Center for Congregational Resources at 205-726-4064 or visit our website at samford.edu/ congregational-resources.
Director Michael Wilson
Center for Congregational Resources at Samford University
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I firmly believe God is doing a work in each of us during this time of quarantine.
Tiffany Hudson
Director for Vanderbilt University Baptist Collegiate Ministry
Never, and I do mean never, have Southern Baptists needed to gather together to pray for one another, for America and for the world like we need to pray right now.
President Ronnie Floyd
SBC Executive Committee
Jesus, through the person of the Holy Spirit, is constantly present with every believer. He should be as real to us in the shopping mall as the Sunday School class, as real in the recliner as the pew.
Bob Adams
Retired pastor
Medical personnel need the masks greatly right now. Besides, they didn’t belong to us anyway, they belonged to God! God just let us hold on to them for a little while until He could use them to bless others.
Richard Brunson
North Carolina Baptists On Mission
In my Bible reading this morning, I was reminded by the Spirit that Jesus can calm storm-tossed seas. I must not be like the disciples who lost faith in the midst of the storm. There is nothing He cannot do when we put our trust in Him (Luke 8:22–25).
Pastor Bill Wilks
NorthPark Baptist Church, Trussville
Why does Jesus tell us not to worry, to not be anxious about the future? I think it is because He knows that worry distracts us from following Christ. … Worry served as a distraction from following the very one, Jesus, who can take all that worry and anxiety away.
Matt Madison
Southern Baptist chaplain and Alabama Baptist
The current global pandemic will create interest among churchgoers and nonreligious people about what the Bible says about plagues, disasters and the end times. The urgency pastors feel is less about stockpiling toilet paper and more about helping people be ready for Christ’s return.
Scott McConnell
Executive director, LifeWay Research
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From the Twitterverse
@jenniferwilkin
Generosity flourishes when we do not fear loss.
@jburnham549
Whatever commands the love of your heart shapes the direction of your life. #lovewelltoday
@PaulTripp
In times of trouble, there’s comfort in the cross because it is a constant reminder that God can bring very good things out of very bad things.
@SamAllberry
“You’re not preaching to a camera. You’re preaching to people — through a camera.” Wisdom from a colleague at church today.
@shadesmtn
World religions say do your best work and hope you can get to heaven. Jesus says I have done the work, and you can know you can get to heaven.
@BryanDGill
There was something strangely special about sharing the Lord’s Supper in our homes but in community with thousands of other @shadesmtn believers at the same time.
@jingraham83
“The celebration of Easter tells us what lies on the other side of COVID-19 and on the other side of all our trials: life with God.” — @esaumccaulley
@bradleybrisco
“Jesus is Lord” is not merely a confessional doctrine/statement that is settled once and for all; it is a daily recognition and decision to fall under His reign.
@fxenabler
Hey, church people faithfully streaming low budget, shaky, amateur daily prayer or Sunday service from your messy house because you want to serve your church community and offer what you can to God in love: that’s your perfume poured over Jesus’ feet. It’s beautiful. Keep going.
@DrMichaelLBrown
I would far rather have the whole world hate me and God say to me, “Well done” than have the whole world love me and God say, “I’m disappointed with you.”
@ChrchCurmudgeon
Please pray for our children’s ministry director. She fell off a stepstool and suffered injuries to her head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.
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