The Interview
Real Social Media Ministry Interview Highlights
Community Bible Church is a nimble, fast moving church located in San Antonio, TX. Their San Antonio campus has a weekly attendance between 12,000 and 14,000 and their online campus (CBC Online) has between 7,500 and 8,000.
If you are running out of parking spaces and chairs, you should consider starting an online campus. It is far cheaper to create an online campus, than it is to build a new parking garage or a building addition.
The tools to do online church are simple and inexpensive. CBC Online utilizes Media Social to create a social environment for their 24/7 Online Services and a Church Web Tools Facebook App to help people find and get connected to Life Groups. All told, CBC spends only $120 per month for these services.
They still recommend people connect with local churches. However, there are people in countries and contexts where CBC Online is their only church option.
Online church is great for lurkers and people in oppressive cultures. Sometimes people have been burned so bad by the church that they need to be able to experience God from a distance. Additionally, church online can be a safe place for people in oppressive cultures to hear the message of Jesus and discuss matters of faith.
Facebook is the master social network for outreach and ministry. Nils and I totally agree one this one. If a church is serious about using social media for ministry they’ve got to start with Facebook.
Facebook lists have gotten better. Nils currently uses two Facebook accounts to accomodate his face to face relationships with those he has formed online through his ministry. He is looking for ways to integrate his two accounts and use Facebook lists to keep things separate.
Stop overthinking your strategy and just start. It’s easy to get so focused on “getting things right” that you never actually start. Jump right in, create a fan page and start listening.
Storytelling may be the secret to increasing your giving. People need to see the work the church is doing to change lives. Sharing the story openly may help encourage people to give more, more consistently.
Connect with Nils Smith, Social Media and Young Adult Pastor of Community Bible Church in San Antonio, TX.
Nils helped kickstart and actively manages CBC Online, which reaches thousands of people from over 100 different countries each week. On top of being a fantastic guy, he is one of the leading practitioners of social media for ministry. Use the buttons to connect with him below.
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