I couldn’t go to the National Youth Workers’ Convention in Sacramento this weekend, but because of the use of technology, I felt like I could have been there.
Adam did a great job with the use of technology, including live blogging, regular blogging, video wrap-ups, and twitter updates.
It got me thinking about the use of technology in ministry (something I think about often). We have to think of more ways to get to people. There are so many tools available to us now that we literally have endless opportunities to connect with, learn from, and share with people all over the world.
Even in Mexico, we are using technology in ministry. We had a pre-concert two weekends ago, and admission to this concert got you a free VIP pass to a concert that will will be happening this weekend. The VIP pass will be delivered by text message. Since everyone in Mexico (especially our target audience) has cell phones, they can just come to the door on Sunday night with the encrypted text message.
There are tons of ways to include new technology in ministry. I think it’s a new way to be more personal. The internet is more social now, so in order to connect with people, we need to use it more.
I absolutely LOVE twitter. It’s been a great way for me to meet new people. I’ve never personally met anyone who follows me on twitter, but I have come to know many people through using it.
A lot of people (including my wife) think that twitter is a waste of time, but I was thinking about the benefits of using twitter for missionaries. Some of these are things that I’ve done, and some of them are things I hope to do with twitter.
5 Ways for Missionaries to Use Twitter
- Set up a special profile for prayer. (Ours is twitter.com/PoulettePrayer). With this profile, you can allow people to sign up and receive your most timely prayer requests.
- Get to know new people to expand ministry opportunities. You can connect with new people on twitter, which may or may not lead to ministry alliances and new partnerships.
- Show people that missionaries are normal people, too. The great thing about twitter is its social aspect. You can tweet about what you ate for lunch or about serious things. You answer the simple question of what you are doing right now.
- Keep up with old friends from home who are not near you. Sometimes, we feel isolated and far away from everyone we know. With twitter, you can keep up with friends and family (or even complete strangers).
- Stay informed about your niche. If you’re a pastor, you can find out what other pastors are thinking. If you’re a youth worker, you can meet other youth workers and talk about ministry. It’s a great way to keep informed about what’s happening in the world of ministry.
So, if you’re not on twitter, what are you waiting for? If you sign up, make sure to follow me @drpoulette and get our prayer updates @PoulettePrayer.
