Church leaders commenting here are asking questions about Social Media. The Internet and mobile based technologies are enabling the development of an international wireless communications system. Some see an opportunity to go beyond the use of any one set of tools.

A good first question for these leaders is…

Does the use of media or technology fit with how God has uniquely wired your church?

Why fit is important

You’ve probably seen this video and this video, posted on YouTube. These videos include an astonishing list of facts and statistics about “the changing media landscape, including convergence and technology.” Here’s just one example…

10M – The number of unique visitors every month, collectively, for ABC, NBC and CBS. These businesses have been around for a combined 200 years.

250M – The number of unique visitors every month, collectively, for Myspace, YouTube & Facebook. None of these sites existed 6 years ago.

Statistics alone tell us that a huge shift is occurring. It’s a watershed moment in human history. Talking to Southern Seminary students about Social Media, the Internet and the Church, Aaron Marshall called the new tools of technology “powerful, dangerous and necessary.” President of the Seminary, Dr. Albert Mohler went even further when he said…

It’s a culture unto itself. We know with a Great Commission kind of mindset, we’re to look at any culture, any society, any people group and say we need to have a presence there for the sake of the gospel of Christ.

A culture. A society. A people group. A vast unexplored mission field being called Digital Missions, that we discussed at length here.

As Christians we know that Christ should be reflected in whatever we do and wherever we go. That would include our use of technology tools like Social Media. There are churches and individuals, however, to which God gives specific assignments.

I believe going to the Digital Mission field is one of those assignments.

When God calls He equips.

I would think that God’s call to reach people in a specific location is usually in line with what He has already been doing through the church. So developing a full-time Digital Mission outreach might begin first by determining how well the use of media and technology fits with the church’s past experiences or current culture.

The sources for making this connection can be found by looking at:

The strengths of church leaders – It will take committed leadership with an understanding of media and technology, marketing, communication, etc. to develop a team of qualified staff, vendor or consultant partners to build and manage a full-time Digital Missions outreach. These leaders will be outwardly focused, open to bold ideas and willing to try new methods.

The collective spiritual gift mix of people in the church –  Connecting with people at home or far away, reaching the unchurched, Bible study and discipleship training can all be a part of the ministry carried out via a digital outreach platform. This will take volunteers that the Spirit has made sensitive to these areas of need.

The shared experiences of the people – Media (radio, television, publishing) may already be embedded in the church culture. The people may have seen the effectiveness of media in touching lives. It may have been instrumental in bringing many to the church. There will be a recognition of how God is working through the arts and media and how it can be used to reach people outside the church.

Denominational traditions – A heritage for using media may be present in pastors, leaders or churches within a denomination or association.

How the church views fulfilling the Great Commission – There will be a passionate zeal for preaching the gospel and leading people to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Leaders will have an openness to exploring new ways for achieving the Mission in their city, region or world.

A close examination of these and other factors will help the pastor and church leaders determine how well expanding, or even beginning, a full-time media and technology outreach fits within their church’s unique culture.

If God has already provided the experiences, people, resources or strong inclinations for this type of outreach, a church can go to the next step in the process with confidence.

I’ll cover that in my next post.

Question: Does using media and technology fit with your church’s unique DNA?