DAY 8 - 31 Days of Evangelism Tips and Training

Facebook: An Opportunity Lost
 
We humans are social creatures. Actually, we are driven to be social. In a different day the front porch or the street corner were places to socialize. With the age of electronic communication the front porch became virtual. For a while email was the social choice. But email was specific, you wrote to a particular person or group of persons.  Email turned out to be not very social. Then, one bright young man figured how to create a virtual front porch. He called it Facebook.

Now, you can say whatever is on your mind to everyone or to no one in particular. You just hang out on the virtual front porch. People can stop and listen or keep going. The electronic social network was born. 

Like any other human convention, the value of social networks lies in how much God is valued by those who use the network. I realize when a statement like this is made things can seem a little crazy. Someone is thinking, oh great, he wants me to post all my pastor’s sermons in my status updates. Someone else is thinking this means they can only post bible verses or share tracts. But none of these are the reason for my statement.

What I mean by valuing God is just that – do others know how much you value God by the way you use Facebook? For example I frequently see someone appreciating a tip about housecleaning and posting it so that anyone on the virtual front porch will hear about it.  Other times, I see constant updates about vacations, sporting events, or day trips. I know what people think of their bosses, friends, children’s teachers, or auto mechanic. I read about meals, liked or disliked.  Then there is a category of posts that are related to prayer requests. But comments about God and how he is running your world are few and far between. 

Let’s face it, Facebook elevates the mundane parts of life and glorifies them. Oh really, how does that happen?  It happens when we post more about the latest coupon or sporting event than we do about God’s goodness to us each day. Keep talking about your everyday stuff – just include God!

If you are still breathing while you are reading this you owe that breath to God. Sounds like something you might want to let others know about – God kept you alive today. Seems newsworthy to me. Maybe you realized that for the 1 millionth time that your sins are forgiven. What better thing to tell others about.

Facebook encourages you to focus on what doesn’t matter. When the unthinkable events of life happen, Facebook quickly loses its appeal. Facebook can be a good thing. It can help you redeem the time. It can help you encourage others with what is vital rather than what is mundane. Facebook can help you realize how much you value God over the mundane. Don’t let Facebook be an opportunity lost.

By Jay Younts  

Jay Younts is the Shepherd Press blogger. He is the author of Everyday Talk and other materials on parenting. He has been teaching and speaking on parenting issues for 30 years. Jay and his wife, Ruth, live in Fountain Inn, South Carolina.

Source: http://www.shepherdpress.com/facebook-an-opportunity-lost/ 

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10 Tips for Using Facebook Effectively in Christian Witness

The rise of social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter has had a huge impact on how people interact with each other. Our lives are now communicated to others 24 hours a day, news travels faster than it ever did before, almost instantaneously. We communicate with more friends, more often, and more easily. Whilst social media websites can bring problems they have also brought many opportunities, not least for how Christians can seek to spread the message of the gospel and be a witness for Christ. Here are 10 tips on how you can use websites such as Facebook effectively as a Christian.

1. Ensure that your online testimony is consistent

 

Are the pictures and videos that you post giving a clear message, or have things become muddied by the videos and links that you post? The effect of posting a gospel text is greatly diminished if moments before you had uploaded pictures of yourself at a rock concert! Very often more people will see what you post on Facebook than you imagine, and will very easily see the inconsistencies. Don't be sending out a mixed and confusing message.

2. Generate posts appropriate to current events

 

Whenever possible try to post something relevant to current events. Where people's minds are taken up with the latest news story, a scripture text, link or comment related to whatever is current is more likely to attract their attention than something chosen at random.

3. Link and share and comment on other people's posts

 

Do you want your Facebook friends to share what you have posted? Then you have to return the favor. Engage with your friends and don't have your profile as a one way street where you never seem to respond to anything which other people post, yet desire their attention in everything you post.

4. Don't overdo it!

 

Sometimes we can be too eager in posting links on Facebook. If you are posting 15 or 20 times every day on your Facebook page, even where those posts are edifying, people will very soon switch off. Constantly cluttering up someones news feed will only cause them to ignore much of what we post, and likely miss that which is most important.

5. Don't underdo it!

 

Equally we must make sure we give people a reason to follow us. A single bible verse hidden amongst a months worth of posts about unimportant items will unlikely have much effect. A regular witness will add weight to what we say and make people more likely to read the article or view the video that we have posted.

6. Link your social media profiles

 

Do you have both Facebook and Twitter, perhaps a blog also? In that case link them together so that you can reach a wider audience with what you post.

7. Select your posts carefully

 

Where people see you have quoted a Christian preacher or author they may well assume that you are recommending all that that person teaches. This may well not be the case! Take care to choose who you quote, what versions of scripture may be used and any possible inferences that could be taken the source of you link. Good quotes from dubious sources are best avoided.

8. Use suitable filtering

 

Who do you want to see the post? Sometimes the answer may not be everyone, in which case it my be appropriate to restrict some posts to particular lists of people. Ensure however that you do not use this a means of avoiding letting others know of your faith. Posts which clearly proclaim the gospel should be open for everyone to view.

9. Post at the most opportune time

 

You will naturally want your post to be viewed by as many people as possible. The early hours of the morning is then unlikely to the be the best time to upload it. It will depend on your particular audience as to when you will post for maximum effect, however in general the majority of people are most often online in the early evening. This will usually be the best time to reach the widest audience.

10. Don't restrict your witness to social media

 

The Internet is not a replacement for traditional means of witnessing. Whilst Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other sites may present new opportunities for witnessing, they are not an alternative to personal evangelism, but an aid. Speak to your friends face to face, reach out to your neighbors with the gospel and engage in the outreach of your church. 

 

Source: Posted by Andrew McDonald 

http://protestant-standard.blogspot.com/2013/05/10-tips-for-using-facebook-effectively.html