Facebook is not just for individual use anymore.
Barbour Baptist Association, Alabama-Crenshaw Baptist Association, Alabama-Crenshaw Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) and Arbor Springs Baptist Church, Samantha, in Sipsey Baptist Association have recently started utilizing social media as a communication and ministry tool.
Donna Harrison, administrative ministry assistant at Barbour Association, runs the association’s Facebook page and has “found it (to be) a good way of communicating with pastors, associations and the State Board of Missions.”
Created in August 2012, the associational Facebook page has 51 “likes” or followers. Harrison said the page is used to keep in touch with Alabama Baptists and to “get the word out about revivals, special invitations or prayer requests.”
Alabama-Crenshaw WMU started its Facebook page in 2010. Wanda Means, the association’s WMU director, and Leesa Massey, associational WMU assistant director, work together to keep the page up to date and “active.”
Means said the page is used to announce many things including: any event in the association’s churches, prayer requests, disaster relief information, inspiring messages or Scripture and International Justice Mission or WMU information about human trafficking (national WMU’s emphasis).
“We (also) put up a lot of pictures of (fall festivals, WMU events, Vacation Bible School or other events),” Means said.
“We want people to look every day and make them want to know what the WMU has posted that day,” she said.
The association’s WMU page has 134 “likes.”
Arbor Springs Baptist uses its Facebook page to announce church events and prayer requests, among other things. It also features a photo of the church building, aerial view of the land and cemetery. Its page has 285 “likes.”
Shanna Malone, secretary/clerk at Alabama-Crenshaw Association, started the association’s Facebook page in 2010 and really started using it as a way of communicating prayer requests for Brycen Smith, Director of Missions Don Yancey’s grandson, after he was in an accident in January 2011.
“(Facebook was a way) to post prayer requests and updates on (Brycen) to keep everyone involved. It served its purpose well,” Malone said, noting that Brycen was able to leave the hospital February 2011 and continued healing at home.
The associational page has 54 “likes.”
Means, who said she is not “a computer person,” noted that Facebook is simple and easy to use and thinks every association and WMU should have a Facebook page. “We’re not just reaching WMU (with our Facebook page), we’re reaching outside. We are reaching others (with inspiring words and insightful information) which is what it’s all about,” Means said.
Share with others: