Now that's an interesting question?
Now I'm sure there is more than one person who's reading this post and not really appreciating it to much! For many the whole information revolution, the digital communication and "yes" the social media invasion seems to have gotten way out hand and created a slew of problems that are haunting our American society!
After all who really wants to hear about every little thing that is happening in a person life? I mean do we really want to hear that a person has just stepped outside to watch the daisies grow? Who really cares if Billy Bob has just left the office early for the third time this week with the same unknown strange woman? So yes I would agree that Facebook, Twitter and other social medias have become the playground for voyeurs to get their jollies. And yes more than one marriage has broken up because someone has reestablished a connection with a old high school sweetheart. But with all that being true can social media be a tool to help ignite the church planting movements we so desperately need to experience from God here in North America?
The reason why social media has the ability to be used to propigate such evil in the lives of people is because it has the power to mold, shape and influence people's thoughts, ideas and emotions. The constant bombardment of images, quotes, values and philosophies begin to transform a persons world view. When a persons conception about life, family or anything is challenged over and over again people begin to question if what they have always believe is true or not. In other words social media is a tool that has been used to shape the ideas and values of large groups of people which in turn has brought about behavioral change.
And that's exactly what needs to happen among the pastors and ordinary christians of North America if Church Planting Movements are going to ignite! Pastors and ordinary Christians alike need to have a reshaping of the ideas and values of what church is, how churches are started and who's qualified to start churches. For the most part both Christians and pastor conceptually think that church is a building located at a certain place, that churches are started by professional and ordained clergy and requires lots of money, staff and people to start one. But as we look at the Church Planting Movements that are happening around the globe and the people who are being used to make them happen we see a totally different idea and values. Where CPM's are happening around the world the pastors and christians see the church as the people - not a building; they see ordinary Christians starting the churches - not ordained paid professionals; and they see these new churches being started with very little if any money, staff or people.
So what does this tell us? What it tells me is that before North America will experience CPM's like that of the rest of the world there needs to be a reshaping of our idea's, concepts, and values in some vital components of Church Planting Movements. Before we will see CPM's happen the ordinary christian has to believe that they can and should start rapidly reproducing churches; pastors need to see that their primary role is to raise up, train up and unleash their membership to start these rapidly reproducing churches; and denominational leaders, pastor and christian alike need to let go of the importance of having a building in order for a church to be authentic and legitimate and that a building is actually a hinderance to CPM's.
Never before in the history of the world has one person (any person) had the powerful potential of impacting and reshaping the idea's and values of the entire world. Through social media (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Blogs, Interactive Web-sites, Linkedin, Pinterest, etc...) one person can literally impact thousands if not 10's of thousands of Christians and pastors on a daily basis sharing what God is doing through Church Planting Movements and how He is doing it and thereby reshape their values and idea's so they can join God in His activity.
Let me give you an example of what I mean by showing you what I'm doing with social media. Understand I am not an expert on this but I truly see the value in it for CPM's igniting in N. America so I have become a learner and practitioner of it. There's a whole lot more for me to learn but here is what I'm doing thus far:
CAN SOCIAL MEDIA BE USED TO HELP IGNITE
CHURCH PLANTING MOVEMENTS IN NORTH AMERICA?
Now I'm sure there is more than one person who's reading this post and not really appreciating it to much! For many the whole information revolution, the digital communication and "yes" the social media invasion seems to have gotten way out hand and created a slew of problems that are haunting our American society!
And I Would Wholeheartedly Agree That There Is A
Whole Lot Of Evil That Has Come From Social Media.
After all who really wants to hear about every little thing that is happening in a person life? I mean do we really want to hear that a person has just stepped outside to watch the daisies grow? Who really cares if Billy Bob has just left the office early for the third time this week with the same unknown strange woman? So yes I would agree that Facebook, Twitter and other social medias have become the playground for voyeurs to get their jollies. And yes more than one marriage has broken up because someone has reestablished a connection with a old high school sweetheart. But with all that being true can social media be a tool to help ignite the church planting movements we so desperately need to experience from God here in North America?
And I would have to say
"YES"
The reason why social media has the ability to be used to propigate such evil in the lives of people is because it has the power to mold, shape and influence people's thoughts, ideas and emotions. The constant bombardment of images, quotes, values and philosophies begin to transform a persons world view. When a persons conception about life, family or anything is challenged over and over again people begin to question if what they have always believe is true or not. In other words social media is a tool that has been used to shape the ideas and values of large groups of people which in turn has brought about behavioral change.
NOW THAT'S POWERFUL!
And that's exactly what needs to happen among the pastors and ordinary christians of North America if Church Planting Movements are going to ignite! Pastors and ordinary Christians alike need to have a reshaping of the ideas and values of what church is, how churches are started and who's qualified to start churches. For the most part both Christians and pastor conceptually think that church is a building located at a certain place, that churches are started by professional and ordained clergy and requires lots of money, staff and people to start one. But as we look at the Church Planting Movements that are happening around the globe and the people who are being used to make them happen we see a totally different idea and values. Where CPM's are happening around the world the pastors and christians see the church as the people - not a building; they see ordinary Christians starting the churches - not ordained paid professionals; and they see these new churches being started with very little if any money, staff or people.
So what does this tell us? What it tells me is that before North America will experience CPM's like that of the rest of the world there needs to be a reshaping of our idea's, concepts, and values in some vital components of Church Planting Movements. Before we will see CPM's happen the ordinary christian has to believe that they can and should start rapidly reproducing churches; pastors need to see that their primary role is to raise up, train up and unleash their membership to start these rapidly reproducing churches; and denominational leaders, pastor and christian alike need to let go of the importance of having a building in order for a church to be authentic and legitimate and that a building is actually a hinderance to CPM's.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE TOOL OF SOCIAL MEDIA
BECOMES EXTREMELY USEFUL!
Never before in the history of the world has one person (any person) had the powerful potential of impacting and reshaping the idea's and values of the entire world. Through social media (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Blogs, Interactive Web-sites, Linkedin, Pinterest, etc...) one person can literally impact thousands if not 10's of thousands of Christians and pastors on a daily basis sharing what God is doing through Church Planting Movements and how He is doing it and thereby reshape their values and idea's so they can join God in His activity.
Let me give you an example of what I mean by showing you what I'm doing with social media. Understand I am not an expert on this but I truly see the value in it for CPM's igniting in N. America so I have become a learner and practitioner of it. There's a whole lot more for me to learn but here is what I'm doing thus far:
- On Facebook I have 2,506 friends who potentially can see my multiple posts each day. I don't know personally most of these people but we have connected because of some common interest and for many it is our love for the Lord.
- On Linkedin I have 1827 connections
- On Twitter I have 479 people following me.
- I have just started on Pinterest and only have about 30 followers.
- I have a blog I post on regularly called Missional Meditations that have about 100 people who follow it in one way or another. Many of my posts have had over 300 people read them from all over the world.
- I have created two Facebook Pages one for encouraging people to join God in his activity for a CPM in N. America and the other one to empower, encourage and equip Ordinary Christians to live an intentional missional life for Christ. One of them has 262 "LIKES" and the other one has 458 "LIKES". You can check them out at:
Never before in over 25 years of full time ministry have I had such influence over so many people living in so many different places as I have had since making social media a major tool in my tool box. Since I've started using all these different social media, to one degree or another, I now have been able to help both pastors and ordinary christians, I have been able to influence people who live in countries all over the world. Here's list of some of the countries where my message has been heard via social media: (United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, India, Kenya, Russia, Mexico, Israel, Indonesia, Australia and Ukraine).
So what's the point I'm trying to make through this post? Is it to brag?
NO!
It Is Simply this:
If you are a person who is passionately involved in seeing CPM's ignite in N. America then as part of your work you need to develop a comprehensive social media presences where you can participate in chipping away and reshaping the idea's and beliefs of both Christians and pastors that Church Planting Movements are God's activity and will and what needs to be done in order for them to ignite. This is a tool you cannot ignore if you are serious about wanting to reshape the values and ideas of the Christian culture of N. America.
Here's a like that might help you in the process of learning about it: Christian Marketing Institute
If you would like to see what you can do with a blog feel free to read the one I write at:
I pray that God will use you to help reshape the Christian Culture of N. America that will become fertile ground for experiencing CPM's.
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