Don’t Build a Site!

Note: FYI Advisory Council member Toben Heim joins us today as a guest blogger to share ideas from the marketing world that can help you rethink the ways you communicate with kids.  Look for more guest blogs from Toben and others in the future!

For many of you this information will be old news, but for others it may change your thinking a bit as it relates to how to use the social networks (twitter, facebook, myspace, etc.) to do ministry.  Years ago it made sense to invest money in a website to act as a clearing house for information ministry.  But today so many platforms exist that allow you to do that more effectively.  Best part: they’re all free!

I suggest the following: start with facebook.  It is a powerful tool and allows for two-way communication with students and parents.  Because you have to “approve friends” you can control who sees your page and who doesn’t, providing a level of protection from lurkers. Best yet, students can ask questions and post information too, giving the site a sense of community.  Lastly, you can post video or audio, which really rounds out a facebook page and gives it a lot of personality.

Second, use twitter to update status on facebook because it will also push out those updates to a student’s cell phone so you can deliver real time information or updates.  I like to think of this application as a “mini blog.”  Besides providing information, like times for youth group meetings or changes to small group location, you can send encouragements and even Bible verses out to your twitter followers.  Like facebook, you can control who follows you.

Finally, consider a blog.  This is a great way to provide more information about your ministry to students and parents.  You can use this platform to teach too-put up follow-up questions from Sunday school, post a scripture that is meaningful to you, or get other students to be “guest bloggers” to reflect on what they are learning in small group.  You can also get your blog posts to upload directly to your facebook page.

It all works together and once things are set up will take minimal time to maintain.  More than anything, using these applications meets your students right where they’re at.  They’re already on these platforms so if you aren’t yet, join them!  I think you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to do and at the ministry that can happen in virtual community.

©2009 Fuller Youth Institute