Facebook Got Me a Job

December 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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  I am sure you have heard stories of individuals losing their jobs because of things they have posted on social media sites like Facebook. This happened to one of my very good friends. Some people fear social networking sites because they have heard stories such as these. I think this is misplaced fear by many. It is a fear of the unknown or the unexplored. As a society we have long established communication norms. Norms for what is confidential, what is over sharing, and even norms for the small talk that leads to more substinative sharing. Social network aided communication is no different than any other channel of communication. These norms still apply, and when they are violated there are consequences. My friend would be the first to tell you that it is not because of Facebook that he lost his job, but because of what he shared. Had he shared the information in an offline context he still would have lost his job. It is common to hear stories of people loosing their jobs because of Facebook, but how common is it that you hear stories of people finding jobs because of Facebook. The infographic below, 'Can Facebook Get You A Job?' shows that 36.6 million American report using social media to land their current job. That's far more than I have heard lost their jobs because of social media. In my own experience I can report that social media has been instrumental in landing new clients for web design at Beyond the Building. Social Media is a reality in our society's communication structures and ministry organizations would be wise to incorporate social media into their communication strategies. Sites such as Facebook should not be feared, but we in the church need to master these new communication tools to more effectively communicate the message of incarnation this Advent season. Created by: MBA Online Your Input How do you think churches and ministry organizations should incorporate social media into their … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Beyond the Building, Social Media

Pastor As Social Media Guru

November 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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  I had the wonderful opportunity to present at the Austin Seminary Recent Graduate Seminar yesterday. My topic was the Pastor's Role as Social Media Guru. The presentation flew by and the discussion was engaging. In this post I will share my rough speaking outline, power point slides and links to the resources I mentioned in my presentation. I hope you find this information helpful. Please feel free to post questions and comments below. Rough Speaking Outline Intro Me Background Your Expectations My Biases How we are going to do this Socialnomics Video Other Social Media Stats Shifting trends in human communication Comm Model Oral, Written, & New Media Parenthetical Tele-Media Vs. Social Media Need for the church to become digital natives learning the digital language (learn a CMS like you know MS Word) invest in your website like you do a copy machine for the church office It is more about repurposing content and making digital the central communication method than one more thing Examples of ministries doing social well Best Practices Consistency Doesn't have to be perfect Not about doing something new, but strengthening current process and making digital primary Final Thoughts The Slides Pastor as Social Media Guru View more presentations from revrevwine Examples Of Ministry Uses of Social Media Mentioned Socialnomics Video (This is the newest revision) Liturgy Link Liturgy Link Video Presbyterian Women Article Pr. Keith Anderson's Two-Minute Bible Studies Western Presbyterian Pod Cast Church Social Media Chat … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Faith Growth, Social Media, Speaking

Communication in the Church of the Future

September 7, 2011 By 6 Comments
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  Social Media is all the buzz these days. For those in the church this new technology leaves us wondering how to use this tool as a means to support our ministries. There are questions of mastering the technology, engaging the conversation, social evangelism, social media polices, Facebook group vs. a Facebook Page, and the like. The cultural shift occurring in society is greater than social media alone.  Social Media is just one of the first manifestations of this shift. A Shift in Communication We are in the beginnings of a communication transition. Only the second such transition in the history of humanity. The first was post Gutenberg when society transitioned from the Oral tradition to that of print. This communication transition precipitated a cultural revolution and ushered in Modernity.  All of modernity was built on the written word. Information was controlled by the select few with the funds to produce and publish content. It was a communications model of one to many - pulpits, stadiums, books, TV, and Movies all existed within this model. Many to Many The popularity of Social Media is in part because it shifts the one to many model on its head. Social Media allows for communication of Many to Many.  This communication occurs with out the gatekeepers of publishing houses, TV networks or big Movie studios. Anyone can sign-up for a social networking site and instantaneously have a platform in which to communicate with Many.  Geography is no longer a barrier to communication These social networks bring individuals together without regard to national boarders, and with programs such as Google Translate language in no longer barrier to communication! Many to Many communication allows everyone to be creators and publishers of content. What Does All This Mean for the Church? I don't know exactly. We are just at the very early stages of this transition and technology continues to evolve at ever increasing pace. I do … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Beyond the Building, Community, Social Media Tagged With: , ,

What I am Reading: Social Media Resources for Ministry

October 6, 2010 By 1 Comment
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  Our main goal at Faith Growth is to assist faith communities in developing the required digital media foundation to support their ministry. Social media is a key component of this foundation. We refer to using social media tools as doing ministry “Beyond the Building.” I have come across some information this week that is of interest, and I want to pass it along to you. These resources provide helpful suggestions for organizations regarding social media.  They are targeted to the business community, however, I feel there is a great deal that ministry organizations can glean from them as well. Brian Solis has a great interview with Charlene Li author of Open Leadership.  The video is about 15 minutes and offers great insight into leadership in our current times. CIK Marketing has a good piece titled, “Link Bait.” Churches produce a great deal of content.  I do not believe that the church needs to produce new content for digital media, but repackage what is already being produced for digital consumption.  This article gives 5 suggestions for types of content that is attractive to readers. Amber Naslund shares, “4 Ways To Give Your Presentations Legs.”  Her article offers good tips for giving your offline presentations a life of their own in the online world.  Once again I reiterate that participating in the digital world is not about necessarily creating new content, but making it available in new ways. I hope you find the resources helpful for your ministry. Let me know what’s working for you as you engage ministry in a digital context in the comments below. Disclosure: If you choose to purchase Charlene’s book from the link above Faith Growth receives a commission form Amazon.com. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Beyond the Building, Social Media