I like Twitter. It is an enjoyment every day to read the collective thoughts of people all over the world. Specific search tools available for Twitter make it more than just a million 140 character snippets of vanity. It is a great tool. (For example look at the number of Twitter tools on my Delicious account HERE).
But the truth is, I mostly just enjoy the social part of it. The sharing, the
ideas, the people … Twitter has filled a niche left untouched by other networks. I’m not alone. Recently Twitter passed the 10 billion tweets mark. Of course some people won’t even give it a try.
Yes Twitter has a funny name – one that has earned it’s place into the vocabulary of our interconnected world! Yes Twitter can be annoying and some just give up in frustration. But one thing Twitter does is connect people. Interesting people (or you wouldn’t follow them!). Twitter is fairly easy to master (my mother tweets, and does it well!).But like everything in which Christians involve themselves, there is a mission. Twitter is like a conversation with the world. Even so, there are boundaries. Here are some ideas on how to reach out for Christ using the social networking joy of Twitter!
Be A Real Friend. My friend Mike Ellis has a spirit that draws people to him. He is genuine, encouraging, and a friend to the downhearted. He currently has 1,765 followers on Twitter (@marketermikee). He often writes on his blog about the tweet-ups (Twitter users meet for coffee and conversation) in Daytona Beach at a local coffee house. HERE is a list of some of Mike’s ‘greatest hits’ on hisblog. Through his efforts several people have visited his church – but more than that – they have gained a friend. Mike makes the most important point about Twitter. Be a real friend. I’ve enjoyed some great lunches with @r2d2rogers, @bayoufretless, @blannwich, @philipparker, @guttermouth and several others. Making friends on Twitter is great. If you happen to meet someone seeking Christ, all the better.
Interact. If you are not going to interact, then don’t bother with Twitter. I’ve enjoyed some interactions with someone who works at Tiger Honda (@tiger_honda). Haven’t met them yet, but I’m more interested in meeting them when car shopping than someone who hasn’t interacted at all on the net. (Oh, and he offered me coffee … so
I gotta stop by there sometime!) One local chiropractor (whom I’ve never
met) followed me … so I reciprocated. Not long after I got endless tweets
offering his services because he thought I had been in a wreck. What the poor
guy did was sign up with a twitter bot that automatically tweeted his followers. I eventually called his office and informed him that he was chasing away business, not bringing it in! Another friend was selling something … he did the same thing. I got endless tweets from him – but he responded to none of mine. This is social networking…so be social! So if you’re a Christian and you want to encourage others to follow Christ, you must do it within the context of socializing.
Retweet Wisely. I know my friend Cecil (@cecil3) will wince at this, as he bemoans retweeting. Yes, it can get out of hand. One of his good points is that if you are re-tweeting someone that most everyone else in your circle of friends follows … stop doing that! I try to retweet things that are meaningful to me, links that are interesting, and sometimes a breaking news item. Retweeting is the way we express appreciation and the desire to spread the word. Sorry C3, but I think most Twitter users appreciate a quality retweet!
Relax. I currently follow 544 people. At one time I was following over 1,000. But most of those were not posting, or perhaps were annoying, so I just unfollowed them! Even with 544 people there are more tweets than I can keep up with! I don’t worry about trying to read them all. Relax and enjoy the Twitter stream… you are not accountable for the ones that float by while you’re not looking! Because of the @ function and direct messaging, if something is really important you’ll see it! If you can’t enjoy it, then it’s not much use eh?
Go Local! One way I try to reach out locally is to follow local people. I enjoy people from all over the world – but I really enjoy following locals. You can go HERE, click Advanced Search, enter your zip code, decide how many miles you want to search, and read all the tweets in your area. I try to follow most of the Twitter users in our area. Yes, sometimes since they do not know me they choose to block me. But mostly I’ve had a great experience getting to know local people.Also in the local area there are several members of our church who use Twitter, and some of their friends.
Share, But Not Excessively. If one is observing the other thoughts here, then it is ok to share an event in your church. I will share events going on at Forsythe, and there is a Forsythe twitter account (@facoc). I do try to not overdo it.
Wow, this post is getting long. You might be wishing I had a 140 character limit! Maybe you have some other ways to use Twitter on your mission to serve Christ. Love to hear them!
Thanks for reading,
john
Views: 44
The point that you make about Twitter--and other media--being about being social is so true. Mike Ellis, whom you reference above, taught me that as well.
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I remember what Mike said in our training session on Twitter. He said, look at your last 20 tweets. Would you want to follow you? Do your Tweets say, me, me, me?
John, I was pretty excited about Twitter at first, and I still use it, though not as much as I was at one point. So what happened?
Well, my Twitter account kept getting hacked, which was annoying. So I went two months without logging into Twitter. (Some of my automatic feeds into Twitter kept going, however, making me a mere broadcaster.) And this site was upgraded, allowing me (and all of you!) to post blogs, discussions, photos, etc. on this site directly to Facebook (previously, it only allowed direct posting to Twitter). And I can use my iphone to directly post to Facebook. So I check Twitter now a bit less frequently.
Still, Twitter is a good tool, especially if it is used socially. I still check each time to see if I received any DM or mentions. Of course, these come when I DM or mention others. We must give first, and then the Twitter blessings will follow.
I like Twitter, identi.ca, ning, blogging, and youtube (tons of other open sourcey stuff) as connecting technologies (others, too). http://conversation.lausanne.org/ has some interesting examples as does www.10thousanddoors.org . I think in the end it will be cloud-based/software as a service/platform as a service collaboration software used inside congregations and across church fellowships which will have the largest potential for effectiveness, especially as things develop like the US moves along the lines of the national Broadband plan, India's move to 3G wireless, the coastal and intercontinental fiber grid's build out (with attendant wireless to follow) in Africa, etc. Tools like RAPIDSMS.org, mhealth, peer 2 peer lending, microloans, distance education (see Dspace, open course ware, curriki.org, audio publishing of theological texts, literacybridge.org, applab.org, mobileactive.org, global citizen journalism to fight human trafficking, child sex slavery, open government, share holder rights in corporations expressed via online meetings|forums, inclusion of unemployed persons with disabilities in the economic mainstream, rural economic development, voter inclusion, distributed volunteer computing (BOINC, Process thru Processors, Grid Republic, World Community Grid, etc.) The great global grid is the new Roman Road and we will be stifled only by our budgets being directed at cushier pews and taller steeples rather than local evangelism|global mission.
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