Bruxy Cavey is the pastor of The Meeting Place, a cutting edge network of congregations that gather in movie theatres and are making serious inroads into the younger demographic. I read somewhere that Cavey has become a Facebook fan. He uses the social networking website to stay in touch with hundreds of people.
My kids got me on Facebook a while back. I don't use it a lot, but every week one or two new people appear on my computer asking if they can be my "Facebook friends" -- including some of my kids' young adult friends who think my wife and I are really cool. (I'm not kidding.)
And, to my surprise a name popped up on my Facebook wall of an affiliate from my church who has been long gone for several years. I've tried to contact the family several times by old-fashioned methods -- mailed notes, phone messages and e-mails (how outdated!) -- and suddenly, here he is on my Facebook. He's going through some life transitions and apparently wants me to know abou it. There's a pastoral opportunity that I don't think could have come about any other way.
Most congregations still do most of their communicating with photocopied newletters full of all kinds of in house information -- the church version of customer advertising. I wonder whether the cost in time, money and trees is really worth it. Maybe it is for a certain generation.
How come we're not really getting into tools like Facebook. If you want to know where to find young people and how to stay in touch with lots of them quickly, this is it.
About Me
- getreconnected
- I get paid to be a preacher and pastor, but I'm really interested in the fascinating places God, faith and religion show up in people's lives. I live in the beautiful village of Fenwick in the Niagara Region of Ontario and my church is in St. Catharines. Currently, I live with my wife, Rev. Diane Walker, just we two, because all of our four little birdies have flown the nest. Two will be getting married in 2012. And we are the ridiculously doting grandparents of two.
Grandpa and Levi
2 comments:
Good thoughts! -- can you give me a quick lesson as to how to "get on" face book -- or should I ask my daughter? Interestingly, the Christian Education Director at the church I'm serving as interim pastor just came back from a conference at which, she reported, a lot of this kind of thing was talked about -- the need for churches (and pastors, I'm assuming) to get into the internet communication loop (which is an old fashioned word, I'd guess) to be relevant to those younger than us -- and either connected, or not connected with organized religion
Hi there Nittenaway. How's the grandkids? Saw mine on the weekend. He's great! As for Facebook, ask your daughter. My son set me up. It's pretty easy, really. You go to facebook.com and follow the instructions -- but you might as well ask for help if it's available.
As with everything, there's an upside and a downside. We hear about how isolating the internet is -- but I know my kids have this incredible network of friends they keep in touch with that I couldn't have dreamt of having when I was their age.
We also think that technology is going to corrupt the Gospel, but the church has always adapted to new technologies. Heck, that's how the Reformation got going. No surprise that it coincided with the printing press.
Post a Comment