Social media use in relation to church is nothing new, but many churches are using social media to change how they reach and interact with others.
It’s not just about sharing scripture or marketing upcoming events. Instead, churches are extending their walls to encompass social media followers too.
If you want to get more from your social platforms, start using it to change how you do church. You’ll not only reach more people, but possibly grow your church too.
Open Conversations With Non-Believers
People of all types are on social media, including non-believers. While striking up conversations in person is sometimes awkward, people are more likely to ask questions or be open to faith-based conversations online.
Part of this is just general communications preferences. In fact, almost 75% of LivePerson survey millennial respondents in the US and UK prefer digital communications. As this simple Quora question exposes, people also tend to feel more confident and secure online.
This makes social media the perfect place to open up difficult conversations about faith with non-believers and the unchurched.
Engage With Sermons In Real-Time
Usually, you’d prefer if members put down their phones during church services, but what if you incorporated social media into those services? According to a LifeWay Research study, 68% of Protestant churches now offer Wi-Fi to staff and guests. Put the Wi-Fi and social media to good use by letting members engage with sermons in real-time.
Allow them to ask questions, offer feedback, share comments with other members and more. This could happen on your Facebook page or Twitter. If you don’t want everyone getting distracted, offer a 10 minute break where members send you comments via social media for you to respond to during the last portion of services.
Create Engaged Communities
One of the best ways social media is changing how you do church is by creating engaged communities. Instead of just limiting activities to members, involve everyone who wants to follow your accounts. For instance, create a regular Bible study group where you suggest what to read and then everyone discusses what they’ve read, what it means to them and asks questions.
If you have enough volunteers to host and moderate the groups, create multiple groups to appeal to more people. This allows for you to engage more with people 24/7 versus just during services.
Host Social Media Services
You could easily get lost in statistics and nay-saying articles about church growth declining. However, this doesn’t mean fewer people have faith. Instead, some may have moved to areas where they don’t have a church that fits their needs or they have odd schedules that don’t allow them to attend services.
Help them out by hosting social media services. You could live stream your services on Facebook and interact with comments and questions. Post a link to your sermons on Twitter and Facebook and set a time where you’ll be available to further explain anything.
Learn What’s Most Important To Followers
Do you ever feel like you don’t know your followers well enough, including your own church members? Completely change the way you do church by using social media to get to know them. Ask questions to see what’s important to them. By listening to their responses, you’ll be able to create better church programs, adjust sermons, reach more people and better engage with your members.
Making Faith Full-Time Versus Part-Time
Who hasn’t heard the old saying about how some people are Christian only on Sundays? Despite how silly that might sound, it’s easy for people to feel less connected to their faith when they only interact with other spiritual people one or two days a week.
Use social media to keep faith and church at the forefront all week long. Church doesn’t have to end when everyone goes home. Help people stay stronger in their faith by posting regularly on social media and interacting with them. Having that guidance all the time from church staff, volunteers, members and even faithful social media followers helps make faith something that’s full-time versus part-time.
Combine social media with your church website to help reach even more people. Don’t have many social followers? See how we can help you reach more people today!
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