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Mission Strategy

Social Media and the Social Graces

The goal of Social Media is to engage others in a topic of mutual interest.

Social media is just beginning to be explored by churches. Judging from 2×2’s analytics, there is great interest. Much of it may come from lurkers just starting to remove their socks so they can dip their big toe in the water. We recommend diving in!

There is great potential for the church in the use of social media, but it requires engagement. Engagement requires time. More important, engagement requires sincerity and the careful exercise of the social graces.

Think of Facebook dialog as if you were at a party. How far would your conversation go if all you did was acknowledge someone else’s comment? If there is to be a flicker of life at this digital party, you must foster dialog. When you acknowledge a comment, leave the door open a crack to let your virtual guests come in — if and when they feel comfortable.

Here are some simple social graces to use in engaging with your readers.

  • Respond with a question.
    Glad you enjoyed our review of “We Have a Pope.” How did you like the ending?
  • Answer a question.
    Good question! Thanks for asking! Here’s our answer: . . . .
  • Add some additional information to the comment, even if it means sending them to another site. This is expected on the web and can be helpful to you, too.
    Glad you enjoyed our post on children’s sermons. You might also enjoy this web site (add link).
  • Make an invitation. 
    If you are interested in movies, you might like to attend our movie night next Friday. We’re showing….
  • Acknowledge a commenter’s expertise.
    Thanks for pointing out our mistake in today’s post. We corrected it right away. Overall, did you like what we are trying to say? Please, if you disagree, let us know!
  • Invite participation.
    Thanks for your comment. You seem to know what you are talking about. Would you like to contribute a post to our site? Our readers would love to hear your point of view!
  • Ask for links.
    Thanks for telling us about that youth project. Do you have a link we can share with our readers? 

One caution: readers expect the owner of a Facebook page to be a real, live person. If they share serious concerns, you must be prepared to have the most qualified person in the church respond with true empathy and unselfish advice.

Your guests may choose to remain anonymous, but there should be real names attached to the responses from your congregation. Truth and transparency are vital.

Engaging in social media is work, but it is the easiest way for the church to reach the most people. It is well worth the effort.

If you don’t invest the appropriate time and resources and have an open attitude, your Facebook presence will be as effective as the generic caveat on every church bulletin board. “All welcome.”

21 Jun 2012

A Recipe for Change: Lessons Learned in the Church Kitchen

Mom was Pennsylvania Dutch through and through. Dad, too, except that his Pennsylvania Dutch parents traveled to India where they raised seven children and worked as missionaries for 20 years.

The result: our comparatively bland Pa Dutch diet was occasionally infused with eastern spices, the names of which did not fit on the tiny spice jar labels.

Despite the early introduction of exotic flavoring, it wasn’t until well into adulthood that I embraced the joy of cooking with spices.

I learned to cook with spices in church.

Little Redeemer in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia has roots among Pa Dutch traditions, except that a good number of founding members shared a mongrel Scotch/Irish/English heritage. Still, the typical pot luck dinner at Redeemer was decidedly bland and heavy on meat, potatoes and pastry.

Then, around the turn of this latest century, we enjoyed having a student vicar from Puerto Rico. When he was about to leave, we planned a farewell party. “Any requests?” we asked.

“I’m really hungry for sancocho,” he responded. “Puerto Rican beef stew,” he translated. He waxed nostalgic at the thought of the peppery stew. When he noticed the horrified faces, he assured us. “It’s not spicy, just tasty.”

I googled sancocho and found a recipe with a lengthy list of ingredients, many of which were unfamiliar.

I have a basic rule in cooking. If I don’t know what it is I don’t put it in the pot.

I pared down the ingredients to the familiar, made some substitutes for convenience and filled a large pasta pot with the diverse ingredients: beef, spices, a ton of vegetables, lemons, bananas and burgundy. As I prepared to transport the pot to the church. My teenage son came running to help. “What smells so good?”

Once at the church, I did what any cook does. I stood back and watched. The pot quickly emptied. The vicar went back for seconds. Thirds, too. Success.

But sancocho was just the beginning of a new world of cooking.

It was at about the same time that our membership began to pick up among East African immigrants. Their cuisine was similar to the Puerto Rican fare I had just conquered. I learned still more about curries, garlic and fresh ginger.

And it was fun.

Savory soups and stews soon became the hallmark of Redeemer fellowship. Food was becoming a catalyst for change in our church.

Cultures began to blend with every stir of the pot. Changes which had been unimaginable a decade ago, were happening — under our very satisfied noses.

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20 Jun 2012

The Virtues of the Modern Evangelist

There was a song taught to children back in the 50s or 60s. It taught us to think of ourselves as missionaries.

Just around the corner lives a stranger child.
Did you smile at him? Were you kind to him?
Did you tell her of the one who loves us so?
Father, Comforter and Friend.

( I updated the lyrics to include the “forgotten” gender.) The question today is “When do we stop thinking of ourselves as missionaries and evangelists and start leaving that to the paid “experts.”

Today many churches and denominations have lost the sense of evangelism. It is just a big word that’s part of a church name. St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, for example. Often—despite the name—congregations, regional bodies and denominations forget that their purpose is to spread the gospel to every stranger. It is so easy to become something of a club—one in which you have no right to play if you don’t sufficiently pay.

Fixing this requires an attitude adjustment—an infusion of “evangelical” thinking.

There is good news! It has never been easier or less expensive to fulfill our evangelical purpose. Any church of any size can participate.

Things have changed in the world of evangelism. Decades ago, missionaries had to be carefully trained. They needed to thoroughly understand theology and immerse themselves in a new culture and language. While, this is still helpful, the internet makes it possible for any congregant to interact with any other Christian anywhere in the world. Language barriers are toppling. So are cultural barriers.

There may be some dangers in opening mission work to the less trained, but there is a cure for that. Train us!

Training can begin with the fostering of evangelical traits.

  • Evangelists must be patient. Patience means listening. Patience means allowing for missteps. Patience means taking time—as much time as it takes.
  • Evangelists must be generous. Generosity does not have to mean money. Think first in terms of giving time and attention.
  • Evangelists must think constantly of others. The minute the attention turns inward, toward your congregation and your people or yourself, you will begin to fail.
  • Evangelists must be transparent. Deceitful practices leave lasting scars.There is no room for deceit in preaching the Gospel. Jesus looked for this trait in his disciples and he found it in Nathaniel. “Truly, here is an Israelite within whom there is no deceit.”
  • Evangelists preach a consistent message. We can make the Bible very complicated and confuse even ourselves. If we are confused, our message will be lost on those new to the Gospel. It may help to stick with one Gospel to get started. The Gospel of John is simple and direct, but deep in interpretation that crosses cultural barriers. It is also very inclusive with stories of Jesus’ interaction with men and women, Jew and Gentile, and both the educated and working class.
  • Evangelists cannot be arrogant. God made us all equal in His love.
  • Evangelists cannot be selfish. Our work is not about us.
  • Evangelists must be humble, patient and kind, slow to anger, and steadfast in love and teaching. 
  • They must be curious—full of questions, helping others to discover answers.

Begin your congregational outreach by fostering these traits in your congregation. Start telling the old, old story. Your web site can be your hub. Start publishing mission content and Christians from all over the world will begin to find you.

15 Jun 2012

Blogging for Your Church This Summer

Many churches run on fumes all summer. Pity! Summer is the time of year that people tend to make big changes in their lives. They wait for summer to move and change jobs. They may begin their search for a new church home, right when many churches are all but closed, except for Sunday worship.

Consider this when planning summer ministry. There is a lot to think about. The church web site or blog is a good place to prepare for summer ministry.

Review your site and make sure that any summer events or services that might attract visitors are well-publicized and that the events are truly welcoming to new people. Explain the events on your web site as if the reader knows nothing about your church. If you are doing a good job with your web site or blog, many readers will be learning about your church for the first time.

From Advent in late November and December, to Easter in March or April, followed by the Ascension and Pentecost, all church activities revolve around events in the life of Christ. This is followed by the long church season of ordinary time or in many traditions the season of or after Pentecost. This is the longest season of the liturgical year (June through most of November) or about half the calendar year.

The lectionary typically explores the everyday ministry of Jesus during this time. It is an opportunity for your congregation to be creative.

As you blog this summer, begin with the church lectionary for ideas. Try to tie them into ministry. For example, if the gospel is about healing miracles, explore your congregation’s or denomination’s ministry to those dealing with illness.

Summer is often a time when the favorite hymns are sung. Explore the hymns of Pentecost. Look up the history of a hymn and share it. Run a poll on favorite hymns.

Look at the congregation’s calendar. Will you have a Vacation Bible School? Publicize it. Read the curriculum and share ideas from it. (Give proper credit!) You may not be able to get older children or adults involved during your VBS, but many VBS curriculums publish material for older kids and adults. Get a copy and write posts on the topics presented. Make sure every parent gets the link, so they can learn along with their children.

Scan the church calendar for picnics, service projects and church camp events. Publicize them beforehand. Follow up with photos and testimonials from participants.

In late summer, start to write about back-to-school events. Let people know that activities will soon resume. Work at attracting support for them.

Plan a Rally Day and start to publicize it.

Make sure that any reader who happens across your summer web site is introduced to your church at its most vibrant.

11 Jun 2012

The Church: Is bigger better?

The Ambassadors from Redeemer have visited nearly 50 churches since we were locked out of our own church.

We started with congregations near us, close to the city. Most of our early visits were to small congregations.

As we drifted toward the suburbs, we found congregations to be a little larger. But in all our visits we have visited only three or four churches with more than 100 in attendance (all but one on significant holidays).

As a general observation, the larger the church the more similar things are. The liturgy is more set in stone. The hymns choices are more predictable. You have the organ. You have the choir (with paid section leaders, in some cases). The involvement of the people is more standard. People file out of the sanctuary in groups that don’t interact much. The bulletins look alike. The list of activities could be cut and pasted from one to the other.

Smaller churches are unpredictable, more likely to be innovative in their worship, more diverse and more inclusive. They are livelier and more spontaneous. More people are involved — sometimes in unusual ways. There is more going on between the people, even in the worship setting.

(See our Ambassadors Report.)

No wonder most people belong to small churches! That may not be where the money is, but it is where there is a lot of action. And still the attention of church leadership is on bigger congregations — that overall fewer people will join—because most people choose to belong to smaller churches.

How do we grow small churches without forcing them to lose their personality? How do we tap their energy and ideas? Or are we most interested in tapping their assets? That’s a real question. There is an  economic dichotomy in the Church that is the source of a great deal of church conflict. The economic model that the Church aspires to is not the economic model that people support with their hearts or their pocketbooks.

Most of the economy of churches revolves around the ability to pay clergy and support hierarchy, but that’s not necessarily where ministry is most effective.

But that’s how the Church measures success.

07 Jun 2012

Church Lingo: Keeping Our Message Obscure

Simplicity is a sign of truth and a criterion of beauty. Complexity can be a way of hiding the truth.”
— Helena Rubinstein

The message of Christianity is simple. God is love. Because God loves us, we are to love one another.

This simple message becomes obscure in the hands of theologians and church professionals. There is incentive to make it complicated. Church leadership has a very long tradition of cultivating mystery about their work.

Like many cloistered professions, the Church creates its own lingo. We know what we’re talking about. Why don’t you?

The difference is that our “business” is the message. We need to communicate clearly.

When we make our message obscure we defeat our purpose. It is no wonder that the “we” of the church is a shrinking number.

Let’s look at some of the hot buzzwords in the church today. (Warning! All words commonly used in the church are not actual words!)

Mission: Mission originally meant the act of sending. It has come to describe organizing for the propagation of faith. In that sense, it is a compelling word to Christians. Today, it is attached to almost every enterprise and is often the “hook” for fund-raising. Almost every solicitation for funds from any church-related institution has this word displayed prominently. People are far more likely to give to a “Mission Fund” then to sacrifice for the day-to-day operating expenses of bureaucracies—which is where the money can go. And so we have the Synod Mission Fund, the Seminary Mission Fund and the churchwide Mission Fund. The better to attract dollars. Congregations! Hurry! Start your own mission fund and get your piece of the pie!

Missional: This is an attempt to make mission an adjective so the word “mission” can be used more often. Coming soon: more non-words like “missioning.”

Discernment: This is the act of figuring things out. Discernment seems more intentional and focused. It is used often by church leaders and denominations. They spend a great deal of time trying to figure things out. When they can’t, they write about discernment and it seems like they have accomplished something or are about to accomplish something truly great. Results of discernment are not discussed nearly as often as the acts of discernment. Very few people actually recall the discernment process or a discernment meeting. They were probably busy trying to figure things out while someone else did the discerning.

Viability: Church leaders love to talk about viability — the ability to stay alive. They usually focus on other people’s viability and not their own.

Transform: This has been a church catch word for a while. The word “change” was just too scary. Nobody wanted to be “changed” by church leaders. They are not standing in line to be “transformed” either, but it sounds better. It is never quite clear what the goal of church transformation is or when transformation actually occurs, but we are all working at it.

Transformational Ministry: This is a much talked about but seldom seen phenomenon. Often, it has little to do with transformation or ministry. It has more to do with economic viability (see above). Congregations can transform greatly but go unrecognized until they can contribute more to the denomination or hire more professional help. If you are really good at transforming no one will notice. It is like a magic act. The rabbit appears and then it disappears. But what happened to the rabbit when it disappeared? It doesn’t matter to the church as long as the act keeps playing and it can be chalked up as transformational ministry.

Thus ends today’s vocabulary review. Do you have a favorite church buzzword?

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05 Jun 2012

Mission Work Then and Mission Work Now

God works mysterious wondersNot so many years past, mission work in far away places was something congregations knew about and supported but little more. It was impractical and impossible for congregational members to be directly involved in distant outreach.

Mission work was the realm of specially trained and denominationally sponsored missionaries who traveled to faraway places, often with their families. They either found work in foreign places and evangelized on the side (the tent-making approach) or worked full time — preaching, building hospitals and schools, gaining trust and creating Christian community.

The method was a choice driven by the philosophy of a denomination or sponsoring group. Christianity spread around the world, but it took decades to train native leadership to take over the “mission fields,” a popular term that became politically incorrect a couple of decades ago.

Back home, sponsoring congregations looked forward to periodic reports. Missionaries would return home, visit congregations with stories and photos, and raise support for future work.

That was then.

2×2 is discovering that it is now possible for congregations to become directly involved in mission efforts. We stumbled upon this mission. We put mission content on our website. For all we knew, there it would sit. But within a year faraway congregations found the content and contacted us. Today, congregations in Kenya and Pakistan correspond with 2×2 regularly. We learn about their ministries, share experiences, prayers and scriptures and offer ideas for ministry.

A few weeks ago, 2×2 sent an MP3 recording of a simple anthem we thought would translate well in any culture or language. One African church wrote to us this weekend to tell us their children learned the anthem from the recording and sang it in worship last Sunday.

Another congregation asked for ideas for Good Friday and later for a youth retreat. Another asked for help with a children’s curriculum.

We make it a policy to answer requests as best we can. When we have no answer from our own experience, we point to online resources.

But there’s more to it. We are learning from their ministries as well. The “mission field” includes us!

This was not possible ten years ago. Today, any congregation can expand its mission expression anywhere in the world. The role of regional and denominational offices is likely to change. They may begin to concentrate on helping congregations create and maintain direct connections.

Congregations are entering new territory and must “get over” the sense that mission work is only for the experts—an attitude we’ve encountered even in local outreach. This path was followed in the past because it was the only way possible. The danger we face today is to assume that this is the only proper way to reach out with the Gospel. Because top-down control was the only way then, does not mean it is the only way now.

There are signs that this transition will not come easily. Denominational leaders have invested a great deal in creating mission infrastructure that is becoming outdated. There will be challenges to be sure, but they must be met, because things are going to change. (Use the word “transform” if it helps!)

The Church is not experiencing anything exceptional. Every realm of society is learning the uncharted byroads of the information superhighway.

How this develops congregation to congregation remains to be seen as we explore new territory. Meanwhile, our suggestion is for congregations to keep it real.

  • Communication must be heartfelt and genuine with participants working to share actual experiences with credentials honestly presented. What your congregation cannot handle should be referred to those who can.
  • Explore possibilities but never assume patronizing or expert status.
  • Study the methods of the past. Learn from their vast experience and adapt.
  • Never publish anything about another faith fellowship without their knowledge and permission. You may make life difficult for Christians in cultures that do not encourage minority religions.
  • Make sure communication is two-way. Other cultures have a lot to teach us!
  • Be prepared for the energy of distant congregations to change your congregation’s perspective.
  • How will you find one another? Add helpful ministry content regularly to your congregation’s web site. Write in a way that search engines will find you. Wait. It may take months, God will work his wonders in mysterious ways.

God is doing something new, but if we stick to the old mission manuals, the Church will never be able to perceive it.

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14 May 2012

Transform Your Church: Make Like a Preschooler


Where do we look for answers?Preschoolers may be your most valuable church members.

Preschoolers understand God. It comes naturally to them. A preschooler’s faith is pure. So much of religion involves the ability to embrace the imaginary, to befriend the unseen, to live day to day, trusting that all needs will be supplied.

All of this faith is wrapped up in the ability to ask questions. Simple questions. Obvious questions. Surprising questions. Questions for which adults are embarrassed to admit they don’t have sure answers.

By the time we drop out of Sunday School — and these days that’s at about age 10 — we like to think we have the answers. From that point on we avoid forums that might reveal our shortcomings. This has two results: we either become inactive or we begin to follow blindly. Who or what we follow can determine an entire congregation’s success or failure.

Some congregations look to their pastors for answers and accept decisions. This does not create healthy Christian community. Pastors change. Viewpoints change. Circumstances change. Today these changes shift with jackrabbit speed and unpredictability. Congregations must be able to ask and answer questions independently. This is a trait that must be nurtured.

How? Someone has to start — by asking questions!

Transformational change will not occur without fostering this congregational habit. Emulate your preschoolers.

There are six types of questions.

  1. Questions that clarify
    What are we asking? Why do we believe this?
    How does this relate to our faith or our lives?
  2. Questions that challenge assumptions
    Are we sure our church wants to grow? Are we ready for growth?
    What alternatives are there to the course we are about to take?
    Is this really what we want? Is this good for us?
  3. Questions that look for reasons and evidence
    Why are we considering this?
    What brought us to this discussion?
    Has this path been followed before? With what results?
  4. Questions that shift viewpoints
    Is this the only way to look at this issue?
    How would someone with a different background view this discussion?
    What would our foreparents think? What will our children think?
    Ask, why do we think this is a good idea? Is this even necessary?
    Play “devil’s advocate.”
  5. Questions that look for implications and consequences
    Let’s say we took the actions we are proposing.
    What good or bad will come of this?
    How will it affect us? How will it affect others? How will it affect the future?
    Are the potential outcomes in line with our beliefs and desires?
  6. Questions about the question
    What is the point of this discussion?
    Why are we asking these questions?
    What are the real issues behind the questions?
    Is this something we should be considering?
    Is this important? Is this necessary?
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11 May 2012

Qualitative Church Statistics vs Quantitative Church Statistics

2×2 has discussed this issue before, but yesterday we heard a social media expert say the same things we were saying from a marketing perspective.

Brian Solis, a leading market analyst, uses the terms qualitative measurement as compared to quantitative measurements.

He discussed how the quantitative statistics of the past mean less in the world that is evolving.

How many members you have on your congregational roster means little compared to the engagement you can measure among both members and nonmembers. There are new possibilities for building relationships with the community that do not fit the old church model. The borders of your community are expanding. (2×2 is just a little church, but we get ministry questions from all over the world.)

This will affect church institutions as well. Supporting Lutheran Social Ministry agencies was a popular option for churches in decades past. Often a representative would attend a service to give a Temple Talk and report on their agency’s good work. Today many churches get involved in local humanitarian efforts through their associations in the community and work. They hear their frequent messages outside of church, are attracted to their causes, and sense they can help. The church’s social agencies (which do a great job!) will get short shrift —unless they too learn to engage with the community in new ways. Secular Social Service agencies are very good at this and will get church members’ attention.

Engagement is a new emphasis. It’s always been important to ministry. Before the advent of Social Media there was no way to measure it. You never know how many people read your fliers and newspaper ads. You can only guess how many people might have listened to your radio spot. Pastors had no idea if their sermons had any lasting effect whatsoever. We shaped our ministries on tradition and guesswork.

Engagement can now be measured. You know how many people visit your web site. You know what topics led them to you. You know which pages they visit and how long they spend on each page. You can engage your visitors with comments, polls and forms long before you meet them.

In some ways it is good that the Church tends to lag behind. We can be beneficiaries of other people’s trailblazing.

But the Church cannot afford to lag too far behind. All churches compete against an overwhelming amount of secular competition.

When our Ambassadors plan a visit, we visit a congregation’s web site first. You can bet that other potential visitors are doing the same thing. We are surprised at how many churches still have NO web site. Many who have web sites have not updated them in years. We clicked on a link for “latest newsletter” and read news from 2009. Even the best SEPA congregational web site we visited was just beginning to get on board with its web potential. They were paying a firm to curate secular feature-type news, a good thing, but still missing the interactive potential of Social Media.

We can’t say it too often or too loud. All congregations must get involved in Social Media if they are to be taken seriously in coming years.

A good denominational goal would be to help every congregation get started and learn to keep up with this vital but fast-changing communication/evangelism medium. You will have to hold a lot of hands in this venture, but it is necessary and worth it. This is concrete help that congregations need and denominations are best positioned to supply.

2×2 can help!

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09 May 2012

Creating an Online Bridge Between Church and Community

Church happens on Sunday, right? Sunday is only one seventh of the church week. But old habits are hard to break. Even the deepest theological thinkers tend to concentrate on Sunday church activities.

If your message goes out to only Sunday morning Christians,
you have a very narrow audience. 

Social Media hands church leaders all the tools needed to extend the church week.

In the past, communicating with people who are not in church on Sunday was a challenge.

  • Newsletters are cumbersome to put together and circulate. They are expensive, too.
  • Phone chains serve a purpose for critical news of death or serious misfortune requiring community prayer.
  • Knocking on doors — it’s just not done anymore!
  • Advertising is expensive and requires planning ahead.

Out of sight Monday through Saturday tends to be out of mind. This has influenced our expectations of ministry.

Social Media changes this. You can and should be communicating daily with church members in a conversation anyone can join.

There are many Social Media tools to consider. Let’s concentrate on three —Facebook, Blogging and Google+.

Facebook

Your members are likely to be spending more than an hour every day checking their Facebook accounts. Statistics show most people spend 20 minutes at a time on Facebook, but they check their account several times a day. The Facebook demographics are growing in every age category. Even the elderly are finding they can connect with distant children and grandchildren.

Develop a strategy that will be welcome to followers, not intrusive.

Churches can share their Sunday morning world in many ways. They can:

  • Post pictures
  • Post video
  • Highlight sermon summaries
  • Tell about activities
  • Pose thought-provoking questions
  • Excerpt a Bible study
  • Feature a meaningful quote
  • Post a teaser question from an upcoming sermon
  • Ask for help on a project
  • Promote an upcoming event

Remember to engage, engage, engage.

Blogs

Blogs are effective, too. Used properly, they will attract an audience of people you do not see on Sunday morning. They are not limited in length and can have a longer “shelf life.”

Blogs are most effective when they address topics of broad interest — not just parish news. Your focus must be outward. If you limit your topics to current church activities, you will burn out. Results will be poor.

We recommend using both a blog and Facebook.

Google+

This is the new kid on the Social Media block and it is up against a well-established giant (Facebook). Nevertheless, it is gaining ground and has definite potential advantages.

  • Google “owns” the search engine world! Activity on their Social Media platform will help you find traffic.
  • Google also owns YouTube, which is growing incredibly fast.
  • Google has pledged to keep their Social Media platform advertising free. (Facebook is all about advertising).

Google+ is beginning to gain acceptance.

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05 May 2012