When we talk about the church and social media, we’re usually talking about church Facebook pages and Twitter feeds. That’s where the focus has been as local churches build up their online real estate. We’re not usually thinking about individual Christians who use social media. Yet don’t we like to say that the church is the people? So why don’t we think more about the people—the individuals who together make up this strange, extraordinary and sometimes messy thing we call “church?”
There are more than 1.15 billion users on Facebook (23 per cent of them check it more than five times a day) and more than 500 million Twitter users. And the fastest growing Twitter demographic is people between the ages of 55 and 64. Although social media are still not widely used by seniors, they have long ceased to be something just for young people.
At their heart, all social media are, well, social. They’re about sharing and two – way communication. We pass on stories that interest or amuse or concern us so they can interest, amuse or concern other people as well. We share images, quotes, recipes, videos, tidbits about our lives. We share petitions and appeals and social justice concerns. Social media have no physical boundaries; they bridge oceans and cross date lines. Something one person posts can be shared by friends of friends of friends. It can be read by people that person will never meet.
So what does it mean to do church online? Or to be church online? It’s a question thinkers have been asking for years. And I think it’s an interesting idea for us to think about, too, not just as church communities or organizations but as individuals. After all, we go about living our lives and following Jesus, usually with varied levels of success and mixed results. And many of us can count ourselves among the billion who have at least one social media account.
As churchgoers we love terms like “community.” And as Christians we emphasize the importance of physical presence—not just our presence in pews on Sunday but the presence of Jesus among us.
Would doing church online dilute that need for physical gatherings? I suppose there’s always a risk we’ll choose what is convenient over what is good for us. But I don’t think we should view “church online” as a replacement for church gatherings. I think we can view church online as a way of extending the sanctuary a little further, a way of sharing faith not just when we gather together in person but when we are apart.
The earliest writings in the New Testament were the social media of their day. The apostle Paul wrote letters to churches when he could not be with them in person. He offered them advice, encouragement and assurances that he was praying for them. Those letters were passed around, copied and recopied, read and reread. They went viral, if you want to apply a modern idea, and became essential reading for literate Christians.
What if we shared glimpses of God in our lives the same way we share recipes for the perfect cupcake? Each of us has little moments in our days, times when a line from scripture or a sermon will surface and make ripples, when we will experience a moment of grace, or when God will give us a smack upside the head. It can be a great encouragement to know others have similar experiences, and it’s always good to know there are people who can and will support you and the world with prayer.
In an age of easy digital communication, I think we should take a page from Paul. When we’re not gathered
together in person, let’s keep in touch.
