Confession: I have not finished any of the books I set out to read at the beginning of the summer. I know I have plenty of time, and I also know I said I would be accountable to my readers and post reviews/reactions to the books. I am in the middle of The Dragon Variation [...]
5. Social media is not for everyone or for everything. Individuals and communities need to know what they’re going for and what medium or social media platform will be best for that. If you are looking to streamline communication between staff people, Twitter is not the place to do that. Google Docs might be a [...]
4. You can’t control everything, but you can be part of the conversation. At the social media discussion at PC(USA)’s General Assembly one lady was concerned that someone outside of the church was posting about a random mission trip not associated with the church or their denomination. Recently a youth group leader told me with [...]
The third theme from the social media event at General Assembly was: 3. Your church’s website needs to be useable Here’s something to consider if you think your church doesn’t need a website: I’m not going to attend a church without a website. If I’m new to an area or passing through, I usually don’t [...]
The second theme from the social media event at GA220 is: 2. Don’t jump in and try to do everything social media. Start with one thing. There’s a lot you can do on social media. There are a lot of sites you could be on, but start with one thing. Do one thing and do [...]
On Saturday the Spirit moved in what to many people is a strange way–over the internet. After PC(USA)’s General Assembly last week many people felt disheartened and frustrated. There were three big issues although two of them feel very connected, and you can find full information about them in other places. For a quick summary [...]
Last week at PC(USA)’s General Assembly I was on a panel about social media and the church. I listed five tips or themes that were emphasized in this post and promised to write a little more about each of them. So, tip #1: Be yourself; be authentic. Social media amplifies our Spider Senses. I am [...]
Yesterday I had the opportunity to participate in a social media discussion at the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s General Assembly that is meeting this week. Myself, Jordan Whitt with PC(USA) Special Offerings, Ryan Kemp-Pappan, and Andy James were on the panel. The big thing I would like to emphasis that was talked about yesterday is that [...]
Recently I have been reading through a Psalm each morning, and I find myself repeating a phrase throughout the day. Yesterday the phrase was from Psalm 28 “do not refuse me,” and it sparked the writing of this new hymn. This hymn is dedicated to the Presbyterian Church’s 220th General Assembly which is meeting this [...]