WHY The Church Has To Pay Attention To Social Media If We Want To Impact The World

WHY The Church Has To Pay Attention To Social Media If We Want To Impact The World

More than 4 billion times per day someone gives their opinion on Facebook, pressing the LIKE button. Think about that. The corporate world is dependent upon the modes of communication of whatever generation we are in. The telegraph, phone, wireless connection, internet, and now, in the biggest way, social media. It’s no big revelation that if you want to succeed in business, you’re going to have to learn how to connect, engage and convert sales via social media.

But where does the church fit in?

It’s not a matter of whether or not we’re relevant. It’s an issue of whether or not we’re present. Where are we when more than 4 billion people every single 24 hours are hitting the LIKE button. People without homes have smart phones. People in nearly every nation, and if Mark Zuckerberg accomplishes his latest goal, it will be every single nation, have an internet connection. The smartphone has changed our lives and NOW it’s time we change how we evangelize and disciple. If the church doesn’t learn how to use social media, being present right in the midst of a generation that lives, breathes and sleeps with their phones, we will miss the Great Commission.

I remember the first time I realized that one quote graphic could change a life. A letter came in that said,

“I was in a dark place and you gave me hope for one more day. "

Then another came in….

"The storms are fierce right now and your post give me courage”

But the most significant of them all was,

“I was ready to leave. Send my friends a last goodbye and finally end it. I’d been thinking about it everyday. Tonight was the night. Then, I saw your post. You saved my life.”

How do we reach the people who will never step foot into our churches, come to our easel displays on a street corner, respond to our covert-‐evangelistic teams who are walking through the city? How do we reach the gang member, or the very wealthy one who has money but a broken spirit? We must be where all people all, connecting in the way that they connect. Social media is that way.

Studies show that the average user on Facebook logs in for 21 minutes per day. That gives us 7665 minutes to minister to people via a smartphone every single year.

Every single person times 7665 minutes. That’s a LOT of airspace. Selah.

The biggest challenge we have on our hands is relevance, content, and engagement. We must also learn to think beyond ‘closing the sale’ ie getting someone to say the sinners prayer. We have to go deeper. We also need to stop speaking death over a world that Jesus died for. Stop uttering words of hate for this powerful platform called social media.

God so loved the world that He gave His Son that whoever would believe in Him would have eternal life. The way we reach the ‘whoevers’ of the world is through social media. The age of blog-‐evangelism and hoping people watch our sermons on our virtual TV network is slowly fading. The average user is on Facebook alone is connecting 21 minutes every single day. More than 4 billion times per day people press the LIKE button showing they are feeling, living and interacting?

Where are we?

It’s time we learn how to create content, do ads, strategically place campaigns right into their daily feed and go where they are, every single day. I’ve done Facebook Ads with only one purpose: encourage people! You read that right, I did a Facebook Ad, paid $10 per day to send out a message, to people I targeted (specifically New Agers and Demonizers) and sent out a message of love! They come to my page, ask me to pray for them and many have come to know Jesus intimately because of that ad!

When we did our book tour this past January, we went to 10 states in 12 days, AND we did $10 per day ads, inviting people to CHURCHES to see me speak for free. Listen to this: People showed up who had never met me, didn’t know me and 2 hours earlier saw that Facebook Ad. Many of them received a prophetic word, a word of knowledge and several even received a physical healing in their body because of that Facebook Ad. Ladies and gents, we’re in a new age of evangelism and it’s time we step up!

We have to be the hostess with the moistest, not the platform with the biggest rant. We must learn to interact, engage, prophesy, exhort, teach, lead and pray with people through social media.

The beauty of this platform is what holds it together, relationships. God did not send Jesus into the world to condemn the world, but that through Him we might be saved.

We have to learn to love the worst of sinners, not be offended, live in holiness, be relevant and go where they are at. We must LOVE THOSE we disagree with. We must LOVE THOSE that are doing things we don't like. SELAH. THINK on that.

The average church or ministry page on social media resembles a billboard. We have to learn how to talk back, be real, live a ‘me too!’ lifestyle (where people actualy want what we have!) and live powerfully before a world in great need. We have to be humble, build community, find out what matters to people and live our lives with them, through a small device that is 6 inches in size, carried around in purses and pockets, and is changing our world.

I’m leading a 4 week webinar that starts July 16^th and I invite you to attend. I’ll teach you how to write great ads, how to target followers, and how to get right in front of the people who need your message. This is great for churches, speakers, authors and small business owners. I hope you’ll join me! Doors close for registration on Wednesday, July 15th.

Will YOU step up and love the world that Jesus died for?