Is Facebook Missional? Here is an example of a great church Facebook page!

[James Nored]

If you have wanted to find an example of a great church Facebook page, check out Lifechurch.tv. Bobby Gruenewald of Lifechurch.tv writes,"Instead of forcing people to come to us (our site), Facebook allows us to

go where they’re already active online. Instead of trying to be a
separate destination, we get to integrate with their lives." Check out the article.

Going where people are . . . integrating with people's lives . . . sounds very missional and incarnational!

Some of the things I like about their Facebook page include:

• The Facebook page opens up to a Welcome page, with all the standard things that people want to see when looking at a church (times, welcome video, current message series, message from pastor, etc.).
• Good, customized graphics.
• Current, relevant information.
• Real interaction on the Facebook wall, with people other than "Lifechurch.tv" making postings.
• This is not a "sucker site" or gateway site, designed to draw people back to the church's main webpage. It is a pretty full, self-contained site.

As in real life, in the cyber world we far too often are trying mere attractional strategies--wanting everyone to come to us, holding "events" to get people to come to us, etc. I am not opposed to doing things that make people at some point want to come to us. But our primary "outreach strategy," whether online or in the real world, needs to be missional--going where people already are and truly inhabiting their world.

What other churches do you know that have a good Facebook page? Is Facebook missional?

[James Nored]

We lost one of our administrative assistants, and so our church Facebook page is on automatic feed through Twitter; however, I am going to be talking improving our church website page!

[Lynn S. Nored]

Here is an "Facebook" evangelism fact for you: 1/3 of all Russians ( unique users) were on the most prominent of their social networks last year. 25% of unique users in Russian were on their network in Jan alone of this year. Social Networks, Twitter, etc. are where people are these days. They are not attending two week evangelism meetings of the fifties, large "campaign" meetings in colosseums, nor even "attracted" to churches. We need to go where the people are as Paul did whether in the Agora in Athens or in the synagogues.

[James Nored]

Interesting stat, dad. I am finding that people around the world, even in third world countries, are on the Internet. Glad to know these Russian stats. Yes, the Internet is the new Aereopagus.

[John Dobbs]

Thanks for sharing this James. I was fascinated at the customization that they did on the page...I didn't know Facebook allowed such a thing! Going to have to check that out.

[John Dobbs]

Here is a site giving instructions on customizing a facebook page. I think it sounds pretty complicated.

http://www.helium.com/items/1800291-facebook-static-fbml

jd

[James Nored]

John,

Thanks for sharing the link. Facebook uses FBML--which is sort of like HTML, but kind of weird. I need to spend some more time understanding the differences.