Congregations around the Michigan Area are using Facebook to share their spirit and celebrate faith.
KAY DEMOSS
Senior Editor-Writer, Michigan Area
A year ago Michiganumc.org began a feature called, “Snapshots of Vitality.” In the months that followed dozens of churches across the Area have been showcased week by week.
Smiling faces … young folks, old folks, city folks, village folks, up-north and down-south folks … all have appeared in the Snapshots Album. Ministries have been celebrated. Mission efforts have been spotlighted. Snapshots of Vitality have depicted disciples being made and the world being transformed.
Along the way, this editor has noticed a few things about how churches use Facebook (or not). Some of the Area’s largest churches use Facebook ineffectively. Some of the smaller churches (perhaps those with younger pastors?) use it best.
Currently a new district Superintendent, Rev. Dwayne Bagley, is on a road trip around his new appointment … the Kalamazoo District. Not only is he visiting each church under his care, Dwayne is using Facebook to chronicle his journey He is providing an outstanding witness to the vitality of Kalamazoo District congregations on the page called Kalamazoo DS. It’s a great model of effective Facebook use.
He posts photos of the outside of church buildings and the inside of sanctuaries. These are images that capture the heart and the soul of the people of God in Southwest Michigan. Says Bagley, “During my grand tour I’m trying to lift up what is going right with a view towards accentuating the positive.” Things like the wall of crosses at Lifespring Church, the Treasure-Not-Forgotten Free Store at Berrien Springs UMC, and the “Waving Jesus” window at Otsego UMC. The D.S. concludes, “I’m hoping others might see what our churches are doing and see possibilities.” As of August 5 Bagley had visited and chronicled 71 churches with two legs of the journey to go.
Those old enough to remember CBS newsman Charles Kuralt’s “On the Road” series, may recognize a similar love of the small stuff that makes life and faith great. If Kuralt was “Television’s Norman Rockwell,” perhaps Dwayne Bagley is the “Norman Rockwell of the Cabinet.”
Lots of people post “Selfies” on Facebook. Your editor encourages you to post some “Faithies” on Facebook … of selfless acts being done by members with neighbors in the name of Jesus.
A few pointers:
- “Memes” are nice … those stock photos with words on top. But real photos are better. Everyone in the pew has a camera in his or her pocket. Encourage members to use those cell phones to capture some vital snapshots.
- A vital snapshot is a close-up of disciples doing their God-thing. Like the feature photo above of Gwinn UMC scouts; more effective than a picture shot from the back of the sanctuary while a ceremony goes on up front.
- Move beyond posts that advertise coming events to posts that report on what’s going on. Church communication should be action-driven rather than calendar-driven.
- When posting an image on Facebook, remember to a) identify who is in it; b) share at least one sentence about what is going on in the photo. A picture may be worth a 1000 words but a short description boosts the witness power.
In a Circuit Rider article, “Is Preaching Still Relevant?” Frank Thomas asks, “How do you get the word of God to people if they’re not coming to church? The apparent answer is through authenticity, intellectual accuracy and honesty, social action, and a willingness to sample the new tools for proclamation and communication.”
Simple storytelling on Facebook–your church’s vitality captured in snapshots– can communicate how the Gospel is changing lives and widen the circle of God’s love.
Last Updated on December 8, 2023