I have met several college students over the past few months that have disabled or deleted their social media accounts. This causes me to ask the obvious question, why?… Some guys have decided that they are trying to avoid being tempted by the images they see on FB so they have chose to abstain. This is a nice and noble response to experiencing temptation, but in my opinion it is a temporary solution to a long term problem. It is a bandaid on a gushing wound. We all know someone like this, and don't get me wrong, if Jesus tells you specifically to away, then you should abstain.

Other people are just fed up with people (their own friends) posting nothing but crap on walls and in Twitter feeds so it's a waste of time. Therefore, they see no purpose in it. This is so frustrating to me. Now I recognize that I am an innovator. In the mission community we normally have research departments but most do not have a development department to help missionaries develop new ways of sharing the gospel with a UPG or Urban center.

Now please let me try to convince you to keep using Facebook and other social media.

What if the Lord, in all of His awesomeness, brought almost every nation under one roof. Mind you it is a digital roof, but at least its one place. Most believers already have access to this place and all they have to do is look, and they kind find people from almost every nation. Why would you not use such a tool, or venue that has access to over a Billion people. Just in case you missed it thats billion with a B. There are over 56 Million Facebook users in the Middle East alone. By having a Facebook account you potentially have access to Arab Muslims that need to hear the message of the Gospel. By friending, messaging, chatting, sharing, and discipling through the means that we have, Facebook, we are doing and being about the Great Commission.

Please hear me clearly, I am trying to get students, or any believer that has a Facebook account to use it for the glory of God by sharing the gospel with the nations. I am trying to get stay at home, & professional mothers to talk about their faith with mothers in other cultures. But, why? The real question is why not. They taught us in seminary to go where people are to share the gospel. The also told us to use what we have available to spread the seed of the gospel broadly. I just have a hard time finding a better place than on Facebook. Yes, it contains junk that doesn't belong. But if believers would use it for its maximum potential it could be a tool that to change the world.

So Ty, give me one reason to keep my Facebook account. Ok, with a Facebook account you have the opportunity to share the message of the gospel with Millions of people.

Tags: Facebook, Gospel, Great Commission, Nations, Believers

How can sending churches and missionaries create a partnership that lasts for years? Usually it starts with a plan. Team leaders receive a great deal of training, developing strategy plans for engaging a particular people group or urban segment with the gospel. Sending or base churches can easily be apart of these strategies. However it takes work on both sides. The missionary needs to communicate the strategy to the church and then the church needs to choose if they can or are willing to participate in any of the elements of the strategy.

Ty, this is great and all but what does this have to do with social media? Right now we are helping these strategy leaders integrate social media into their strategies. Some can see the potential while others cannot see how Facebook can be used in their strategy plans. That is where we come in to help them. Here are two items that churches can start doing today to partner with mission strategy.

First, church partners can manage social media advocacy for the UPG. Managing a Facebook Page or Twitter account can assist prayer awareness in the states. Trust me, from years of experience on the field, you want as many people praying for your people group as you can find. As missionaries send the church information about the UPG the church members can learn more and know better how to pray. Twitter is know for its Rapid communication style and urgent prayer requests can be sent around the world in a matter of moments. Social media fuels strategy.

Second, partnering church members can also look for people of peace in the social media world. Everyone knows at this point Facebook has over 1 Billion members from almost every nation. Thats 1 Billion potential people who need to hear the gospel. We are focusing on the unengaged and unreached people groups of the Middle East, but the use of social media for the gospel is limitless. I will post more about how churches and college students can share the message of the gospel on Facebook in another series of posts next month. If you can wait that long and want to know now just send me a message.

Tags: Prayer, Churches, Twitter, Facebook, Social Media