Facebook, a Pastor's Best Friend (Part 1 of 4)

Facebook (and MySpace and Blogs and Twitter and...) have huge implications for ministry. More and more I'm finding Facebook (I'm sure it will be something different in a couple of years) is becoming a central party of ministry. This week I'm looking at several of the many uses of Facebook for those in ministry.

Facebook, a Pastor's Best Friend

One of the biggest challenges of ministry is time. Assuming someone attends every Sunday and is involved in some additional ministry, you have roughly 100 hours each year with your people. If you have some retreats, then that number may jump up to 150. Best case scenario, you have 200 hours each year with your people.

That's only about 4 hours per week. The average work week is 40 hours per week. Grade school takes up roughly 40 hours each week. Those 4 hours at church are usually stacked on only one or two days per week. It doesn't take much thought to figure out that we're fighting an uphill battle.

That's where Facebook (or MySpace or whatever) comes in.

Facebook provides the opportunity to have daily contact with your people. Facebook can keep you informed of much of what is happening in your student's lives. In response, you can send them messages, write on their wall or comment on...well everything.

It also provides an opportunity for your people to see a glimpse of your life. You can use it as another avenue of promoting Christ.

Uses of Facebook:

• Keep in constant contact with your people
• A way to encourage your people
  
• Constant update on the lives of your people
• A place to connect your people during the week
• A place to discuss and remember recent events
• A new front door for your ministry
  
• An additional means by which to promote Christ
• A place to be an example for Christ for your people daily
  

Of course, face to face contact is certainly more powerful than online contact, but that doesn't negate the power of consistent online contact.