The latest edition of Leadership Journal arrived in my mailbox yesterday.
In an article called "What's Changing, What's Not", Dave Travis writes:
"Senior pastors under 40 who are leading large churches all use social media... This is a radical shift in how we understand leadership. Fifteen years ago, pastors were wondering how they could be less accessible. Today, younger pastors want more access."
Is your pastor part of this trend? Are there pros? Cons?
4 comments:
Well social media definitely keeps me more in touch with the people I care about than I might otherwise. But it also narrows you to a certain demographic (albeit one that is always growing)
But having the pastor as someone who is accessible and also seeing how they have a normal life (which I think is what social media does) I think goes a long way to making a church a community rather than a place.
My only concern with Social Media is - does it take away from your time with God? If you are checking your email, updating your FaceBook, Twittering, Blogging, etc., does this in fact take time away from praying, reading the Bible, meditating and having meaningful conversations with individuals? Can Social Media venues become to a point of distraction? I think it is a fine line.
Luke - I like how you think. The idea that church is a community rather than a place is primary. Social media allows for community to form outside the conventional "walls" of the church space.
Anonymous - You are absolutely right! Social media can be addicting and could consume every waking hour of the day. We live in an age where solitude and disconnection from people, social media and otherwise, are becoming increasingly difficult to practice. I love what Henri Nouwen says, "Solitude is the furnace of transformation. Without solitude we remain victims of our society and continue to be entangled in the illusions of the false self."
Anon - ya with anything its finding the fine balance. Lots of people are quite addicted to social media. But I don't think we should avoid them just becuase they can be dangerous.
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