Not the Church Twittering, but Twitter AS Church.

FROM THE AMAZING ROBBLOG

Talk about a blog I don’t want to write.

There are several reasons for my hesitancy, not the least of which is the fact that as quickly as Social Media moves, Twitter could be obsolete by the time I finish this post.

The other reason is that in some form or another, this conversation has been taking place in some fashion for a while. The idea of the Church being involved in social media is not new, and I have no desire to rehash old territory. What I am interested however is the way in which the Church has NOT engaged in social media. At least not to any real effect.

This blog has always been pop-culture focused, and that the concept of social media is being discussed should come as no surprise. After all, it’s the rage. One can even get a job as a “social media expert”. (I prefer the term “social media architect” right, @ericwilbanks ?) There are several books on the subject of churches twittering, and I think that’s laudable in certain ways, but I am more interested in the people who are using the medium to speak to the medium…if you get my drift.

@christophermcgrath has been involved heavily with trying to generate conversation around the church and Twitter. He tweets daily on the subject in some way or another. Sometimes, I can almost feel the frustration oozing from the Tweets…”Any Churches Twittering? Anyone? Anyone?” (cricket, cricket) He uses the hashtag #churchonline for these posts and I think the implications are vast.

I think though that it is time to view this conversation in a different light. The question is not “should Churches use Twitter?” The answer to that question is easy. Yes. The question instead must be, “How is Twitter The Church?”

Anyone who takes a stroll through the scriptures will find that the Church has been called to operate within the real estate of the day. Not to use it frivolously, but rather to engrain itself within the culture. To exist within a realm that is being utilized by those who do not believe. Is it any wonder that evangelism in this day faces a dire struggle? Many (most?) of the people developing, commenting, existing, within new technology have been shunned and hurt by The Church. (sidenote: yes, the church is made up of people, and yes, people hurt people, and yes, and yes and blah blah blah…don’t get off point here.)

My point being that Church must exist where community exists, and not as a seperate entity within a greater whole, but as a completely integrated part of that whole.

Example… I have a friend who I will reference because I know he won’t mind.

In some ways, @dryan and I share a completely different set of life values. His lifestyle and mine are different in extreme ways. He is a good man. A sharp thinker and a forward member of the developing social media community. He has also been shunned and hurt by “The Church” in ways that are too numerous to count. Yet we coexist on Twitter within a organic, growing, global conversation. As social media grows, humanity will find that it is much easier to find common ground than was previously believed. And, though there may be some resistance to it, this is a GOOD thing. Connectivity is GOOD. Common ground is GOOD. Loving your neighbor is GOOD.

I am in no way saying that I would ever let my desire to find common ground with @dryan stop me from sharing my beliefs with him. He is fully aware of my life and my belief system in Jesus Christ. What I AM saying is that Churches do not need to tweet in order to build their Sunday morning services…they need to Tweet in order to connect with those who exist within the Twitterverse.

#churchonline