Robert Saler, Research Fellow and administrator with the Center for Pastoral Excellence at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, recently blogged about how his experience as a pastor of a congregation comprised primarily of retirees challenged his assumptions about their use of social media. As a younger pastor, he entered the parish assuming that leveraging Facebook as a part of the congregation’s ministry would require heavy lifting by young adults. In his experience, those over age 60 posted most frequently.
So What?
Many congregations are comprised primarily of older adults. Facebook offers these (and all congregations) a new way to connect that doesn’t require people to be physically present in a shared space. Saler’s experience should encourage the implementation or expansion of the use of Facebook and social media in these settings.
- What percentage of your congregation is aged 60 or better?
- How strong is your congregation’s current social media ministry?
- What percentage of those posting on your congregation’s Facebook page in the last month are aged 60 or better?