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The Definitive-ish Guide for Using Social Media in the Church
For anyone who has wondered if and how social media can benefit the church, Presbyterian pastor and social media early-adopter Bruce Reyes-Chow steps in with answers. He deftly weaves practical how-to’s with a convincing rationale for why social media matters for the church. Social media novices will find an accessible introduction and ideas for getting started, while more experienced users will discover new ways to use social media in congregations. Readers will learn from Bruce’s experiences managing information overload and navigating social media issues during a pastoral transition. This is a book to pick up for both practical purposes and Bruce’s insightful and inspiring commentary on the ways social media is changing our culture and the church. Learn how social media allows Christians to be in the world in new, powerful, and God-honoring ways.
99 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
8 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Bruce Reyes-Chow
11 books90 followersRev. Bruce Reyes-Chow is an active speaker and writer on topics of faith, culture, race, and technology. He is the host of the podcast, BRC & Friends, and the author of five books. His latest is, “In Defense of Kindness: Why It Matters, How It Changes Our Lives, and How It Can Save the World” (Chalice Press, 2021), and "Everything Good about God is True: Choosing Faith" (Broadleaf Books, 2024)
Bruce has been an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) since 1995 and has pastored five churches and has been active in local politics in the San Francisco Bay Area for nearly three decades. He is also a Senior Consultant and Coach with Convergence and is a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths Coach.
Bruce has an active online presence and can be found on most social networks via @breyeschow with all current links here: https://linktr.ee/breyeschow.
Bruce has been an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) since 1995 and has pastored five churches and has been active in local politics in the San Francisco Bay Area for nearly three decades. He is also a Senior Consultant and Coach with Convergence and is a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths Coach.
Bruce has an active online presence and can be found on most social networks via @breyeschow with all current links here: https://linktr.ee/breyeschow.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 8, 2012
My church is looking at adding a Pastor of Social Media. This book was a very helpful introduction to that world and how it might intersect with the life of a congregation. It will be required reading for the social media team.
July 10, 2012
Great resource for those who are just introducing their church to social media, or those whose churches are already steeped in it. I look forward to updates in the coming years.
July 19, 2012
Handy resource for church leaders. Bruce covers a wide array of the whats and whys of social media tools. He also provides guidance to all congregations who (erroneously) believe that having a Facebook page "will bring the young people back." Insightful. Practical. Only available in e-version.
May 10, 2013
Reviewed for the Presbyterian Outlook: http://www.pres-outlook.org/reviews3/...
Whether you are mystified by “yelpers” and “tweetups” or consider yourself fluent in the realm of social media, Bruce Reyes-Chow’s guide to social media in the church can help you become more faithful in your digital engagement.
But pure traditionalists and digital outsiders will have a difficult time getting their hands on this book — it has been released only in e-book form.
A relatively short read, this book introduces readers to the key social media tools and provides guidance for determining the most helpful approaches in a particular context.
“Social media will not save the church,” declares Reyes-Chow. Collectively, social media provide an expression, a medium, a tool — and as such, are naturally devoid of the institutional church’s bureaucratic structures. Therefore, in an era that is both increasingly skeptical and digital, social media invite people to build relationships and collaborate on a new, level playing field.
As a resource, “The Definitive-ish Guide” offers a full glossary of terms and tools, including items like “cloud computing” and “tagging.” In depth, it explores Reyes-Chow’s top five tools: Facebook, blogs, Google docs, Yelp, and Dropbox. With care, he outlines how these tools can be used to support worship, pastoral care, evangelism, education, preaching, congregational life, mission and administration.
You may be surprised to see Twitter missing from this list — especially if you are a Twitterer yourself and aware of how prolifically the author himself tweets. However, lesser attention is given to Twitter and even newer entries into the social media realm, such as Pinterest.
Most notably, Reyes-Chow points out that social media compel the church to be an active participant and conversant in the world — a world being transformed by interactions that happen on social media.
Fear not: Reyes-Chow reminds readers that this brave new world does not and will not replace face-to-face interaction. Yet, hallmarks of personal interaction — authenticity, transparency, reciprocation, grace and compassion — can be just as present in social media encounters as they are in interactions in the fellowship hall.
Our churches must be open to trying new things without straying from the principles of faith that inform our understanding of what it means to live and serve in community. For example, when the church engages social media authentically, visitors have a chance to see who we are at a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing.
Guides for caution and accountability are stressed. Yet Reyes-Chow urges boldly entering digital interactions, because “a prophetic word delivered on the shoulder of a healthy interaction can have great impact on people.”
If pastors remain guided by the current comfort level of the church, does that mean we feel the only people worth reaching are those already being reached? Building up community, Reyes-Chow asserts, requires new tools and new disciplines.
Whether you are mystified by “yelpers” and “tweetups” or consider yourself fluent in the realm of social media, Bruce Reyes-Chow’s guide to social media in the church can help you become more faithful in your digital engagement.
But pure traditionalists and digital outsiders will have a difficult time getting their hands on this book — it has been released only in e-book form.
A relatively short read, this book introduces readers to the key social media tools and provides guidance for determining the most helpful approaches in a particular context.
“Social media will not save the church,” declares Reyes-Chow. Collectively, social media provide an expression, a medium, a tool — and as such, are naturally devoid of the institutional church’s bureaucratic structures. Therefore, in an era that is both increasingly skeptical and digital, social media invite people to build relationships and collaborate on a new, level playing field.
As a resource, “The Definitive-ish Guide” offers a full glossary of terms and tools, including items like “cloud computing” and “tagging.” In depth, it explores Reyes-Chow’s top five tools: Facebook, blogs, Google docs, Yelp, and Dropbox. With care, he outlines how these tools can be used to support worship, pastoral care, evangelism, education, preaching, congregational life, mission and administration.
You may be surprised to see Twitter missing from this list — especially if you are a Twitterer yourself and aware of how prolifically the author himself tweets. However, lesser attention is given to Twitter and even newer entries into the social media realm, such as Pinterest.
Most notably, Reyes-Chow points out that social media compel the church to be an active participant and conversant in the world — a world being transformed by interactions that happen on social media.
Fear not: Reyes-Chow reminds readers that this brave new world does not and will not replace face-to-face interaction. Yet, hallmarks of personal interaction — authenticity, transparency, reciprocation, grace and compassion — can be just as present in social media encounters as they are in interactions in the fellowship hall.
Our churches must be open to trying new things without straying from the principles of faith that inform our understanding of what it means to live and serve in community. For example, when the church engages social media authentically, visitors have a chance to see who we are at a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing.
Guides for caution and accountability are stressed. Yet Reyes-Chow urges boldly entering digital interactions, because “a prophetic word delivered on the shoulder of a healthy interaction can have great impact on people.”
If pastors remain guided by the current comfort level of the church, does that mean we feel the only people worth reaching are those already being reached? Building up community, Reyes-Chow asserts, requires new tools and new disciplines.
August 24, 2012
This is a great introduction to social media for any church considering adding it to their communication strategy. Bruce provides excellent overviews, pointers, and cautions based on his own experience. His style is accessible, engaging, and not at all intimidating for those new to social media.
October 10, 2012
This is a wonderful resource for those dipping their toes into the sea of social media and for those who are already swimming. I would recommend this to any church or pastor in need if guidance and insight from someone who is well versed in this continually emerging media.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews