I was catching up with a MDiv student this past week that I mentored for a short time while living in New Orleans. He is a good kid, smart, and a very hard worker. But he was having a hard time trying to see how someone can invest in another's life through social media. I told him that the best way for discipleship to occur in the life of my new believer is face to face discipleship. However, that is not always an option. Social media is a great way for people to invest in others when we are separated from each other.

Investing in people is not a simple task. Its takes time and energy. But it can be done through social interaction, especially through technology. As social media continues to change the way we interact with one another it can also allow us to be strengthened by each other as well. Missionaries love receiving emails, FB messages, and texts that just say, “Hey, I am praying for you today”. Lets be honest for a moment, everyone likes it when someone tells them they are thinking about them. Its kind of a big deal. Take moment right now and let someone know that you are thinking about them.

As I have mentioned before and I agree completely with Leonard Sweet that using social media can be used in discipleship. In my context, new believers need constant interaction. Using social media to send encouraging words and accountability when necessarily will help the new believer grow in his or her relationship with the Lord and with you as his mentor.

The student quickly caught on to the importance of how in some contexts social media is a vital way to disciple, and share life with another believer. I pray that we are using our social media accounts for this purpose.

Tags: Twitter, discipleship

Last year during the summer researchers saw the amount of Tweets in the Middle East exponentially increase over the course of two months and then it went back down to normal. This caused some to wonder what happened and how they could adapt for the next year.

When the findings came out it was one of those... Oh ya moments. Last summer the Islamic month of Ramadan was in the middle of two different months. The Online Project, a marketing firm in the Middle East published a report that not only details the peak times for twitter activity across the region but also a run down of country in the region.

So as a mission strategist in social media what am I to do? That's right start getting ready for next year. If there are peak times when Muslims are on Twitter sending messages back and forth to one another, then that is the exact time that we need people actively trying to share the gospel with them. Because we know in advance the suggested times we can create a mini social media strategy and gain partnerships from people in the states to be actively listening and engaging Muslims with the gospel during this specific 30 day time.

A strategy of this nature has three main parts. First, mission strategists need to actively listen to what Muslims are saying during this upcoming Ramadan. Missionaries already have a good idea of the conversation topics that revolve around the Muslim holy month, yet, actively listening implies the constant monitoring of activity and keywords in order to interact with potential seekers during Ramadan. Second, mission personnel need to be ready to interact with these individuals that flood the scene with tweets about how thankful they are for God and all he has done for them this year. This gives missionaries and prepared believers the opportunity to share why they are thankful for God. I have always said, "It is much easier to get into a spiritual conversation with a Muslim, than someone from the West." Third, a group of people need to stand at the ready in the churches all across the world following and praying for this team and the Muslims they interact with on Twitter. Its a simple strategy but like the student mobilizers I have worked with in the past say about the Christian life… "Its Simple, Not Easy".

Please join us in praying for next years Ramadan starting in the last few days of June. If you would like more information, send me an email or message

Tags: Strategic, Missions, Twitter

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