Does your church have a Facebook page? The process of creating an organization page is fairly simple, and an organization page can be a great communication tool for a church of any size.
Step 1: Go to your personal Facebook home page on your computer (a church page manager must already have a personal account). At the upper right above your cover photo, there is a downward facing arrow — click it. Then choose “Create Page,” which will take you to a new screen.
Step 2: Choose the “Company, Organization or Institution” button. Then select “Religious Organization” from the drop-down menu. Type the name of your church in the text box.
Step 3: Follow the steps to complete your church profile. You will want to upload a profile picture (for example, a church logo). Next upload a cover photo (the large photo displayed at the top of the page). That’s all the initial setup requires.
Note that if you are setting up a page on a mobile device, the process is similar. From the Facebook app, touch the icon with three parallel lines (sometimes called the side or hamburger menu). Choose Pages, then follow the steps above.
Once your page is live on Facebook, you’ll want to invite friends to like the page and attract others to your page by filling it with information and content. (TAB)
For more information about how your church can improve in the areas of technology, website and social media, email TAB’s Haley Piersol at hpiersol@thealabamabaptist.org.
Watch a video tutorial on setting up a church Facebook page on our YouTube channel TAB Media.
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Facebook, the Culture War and the Four-Way Test
By Rob Paul
Church Revitalization Resources
Social media is a powerful tool but there also is a dark side to social media as it continues to be a primary battlefield for fighting the ongoing and escalating culture war.
What if we employed a set of ethics that govern the way we use social media to engage in the culture war? Before you post, share or retweet, consider these questions that follow the same pattern as The Rotary Club’s statement of business ethics known as “The Four-Way Test of the things we think, say or do”:
• First, is it the truth? — Truth should always be important for those of us who are called by the name of Christ. We have no reason to deal in anything less. Verify before you post.
• Second, is it fair to all concerned? — The world operates on the ethic that if you want fair you should purchase a ticket. That should not be the case for Christians. We should always be concerned with how something affects others, not just our friends and those who agree with us. Before you retweet the insensitive remarks of someone you follow on Twitter, think about how it might affect your friends or family who are “among the least of these.”
Relationships with others
• Third, will it build goodwill and better friendships? — If I post an inflammatory meme that expresses my view on gun control, homosexuality, immigration or any number of other hot-button topics, will it affect my ability to have a cup of coffee and a conversation with someone who has a differing view?
• Fourth, will it be beneficial to all concerned? — Let me ask this one in a specific Christian context. Will it help or hinder the Kingdom? Will it help or hurt your witness? I’m thinking about an old saying my grandmother used to share — something about catching more flies with honey.
Titus 3:2–5a instructs us “to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and lovingkindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us.”
Editor’s Note — Rob Paul is a former Alabama Baptist pastor now working with Church Revitalization Resources as a specialized ministry coach. He focuses on topics related to church revitalization, church growth, strategic planning and missions and evangelism. Read more of his articles at robpaul.net.
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