Brandon Vogt is a Catholic layperson who blogs at ThinVeil.net and wrote The Church and New Media: Blogging Converts, Online Activists, and Bishops Who Tweet (2011 – read my review here). In the December 2011 edition of Christianity Today, he was one of three authors who answered discussed virtual fellowship or, more specifically, “What are we to make of social networking in churches (p.54)?” Vogt begins his response with these words:
At its core, the church is one giant social network. It exists as an intricate, interconnected community. Even more, God is a network himself – the Trinity – pulsating with communion (p.54).
Based on this foundation, Vogt suggests five reasons churches should leverage these “tools to aid church fellowship:”
- Fellowship is not an end in itself, but a means to many other goals
- Social networking transcends geography
- Social media transcend time
- Online relationships spark offline community
- Social media open the doors of Christian fellowship and invite millions of outsiders to join the community (p.55)
So What?
Social media is not a fad; social media is an effective means for those within an (ideally ever-expanding) social network known as church to engage one another without the limitations of traditional Christian fellowship.
- What is your response to Vogt’s assertion that, “At its core, the church is one giant social network”?
- How well does your congregation do when it comes to social media? overall? in using it for the church and its clergy and staff to communicate with parishioners? in encouraging (and, as necessary, providing training so) all who are a part of the body to actively use its many tools?