Questions Each Pastor on Social Media Ought to Ask Themselves

Social media is filled with 280-character gems and landmines. Just like the covenant God made with Israel via Moses, this world comes with blessings and curses. It may be vitally rewarding or pastorally disqualifying.

Life within the land of X (previously Twitter) or Instagram is overrun with giants—also called trolls—so I don’t fault Christians who select to keep away from the very actual risks of social media altogether. Particularly for pastors, what does devoted engagement seem like?

On this article, I present vital ideas for us to contemplate if we’re going to make use of social media as ministers. Social media can be utilized for platforming Christ, modeling charity, and inspiring others. However the presence of trolls and pitfalls means it should even be used with warning and discernment.

Coming into the digital panorama

As a result of issues can simply get out of hand on-line, it’s vital to make use of social media strategically. Ask your self, “What’s my function for participating on this platform?”

Now, it might be that you just wish to cling again and sustain along with your favourite sports activities staff—that’s high-quality. However if you happen to plan to have interaction on social media as an extension of your public ministry, you might want to be clear about the way you’re known as to reside, in addition to in regards to the limitations of on-line discourse.

1. Acknowledge who you symbolize on-line

First issues first, as a minister your life and phrases are imagined to replicate Jesus Christ, and what you do on social media is not any exception.

There’s the actual temptation to platform your self on-line: to craft a witty “tweet” that will get traction, or to talk into the newest controversy to claim your experience (or expose an absence thereof).

As we cross over into the world of social media, we should always take Paul’s phrases to the Philippians to coronary heart, “Do nothing from egocentric ambition or conceit, however in humility rely others extra important than yourselves” (Phil 2:3). The phrase nothing there has at all times struck me. The net world is programmed towards self-exaltation. This may occur by tearing others down or by placing ahead a glamorous avatar of your life and ministry that doesn’t comport with actuality. Keep in mind that nothing you do ought to circulation from egocentric ambition, together with the belongings you publish.

Our work as pastors have to be about Jesus, not about our public picture. If we fail to abide by this, we’ll be an excessive amount of about constructing and defending our personal persona. This results in all types of temptations which, as pastors, we should always run from. Think about John Calvin’s recommendation to pastors,

Those that have the duty to show and to bear the message of the gospel, should try to keep away from private disputes and arguments. Certainly, all quarreling have to be banned if we don’t want the door to be closed to us. … Even when an individual has wronged us, we aren’t to really feel any enmity in the direction of him however to need his salvation.

Good pastors platform Jesus. That doesn’t imply each publish must be about the great thing about Christ (however wouldn’t social media be so significantly better if it had been?), but it surely does imply that his magnificence ought to by no means be eclipsed by our picture or how we relate to others on-line.

After I discuss social media being an extension of pastoral ministry, I don’t imply that the substance of pastoral ministry occurs from behind a pc or telephone. Your flock can’t be cared for by your Instagram web page.

The fact is that participating on-line may be fruitful, but it surely may also be futile. Pastors who get misplaced within the land of social media start to see their very own church via the lenses of the newest viral controversy. It’s good to form your ministry across the individuals whom God has known as you to baptize, bury, go to, exhort, weep with, and rejoice alongside of. Your individuals don’t actually need your social media presence, however they do want your precise presence. For those who’re giving them the previous, however not the latter, then one thing is very incorrect.

Your individuals don’t actually need your social media presence, however they do want your precise presence.

Posting pastorally

Pastors are “public individuals” as ambassadors of Jesus Christ and representatives of God’s kingdom. This id ought to assist us when contemplating what and the way we publish.

After all, a pastor ought to by no means publish (or like) one thing that brings scandal to his church, ministry, or Savior. However we must also take care to not talk to these watching us that our private pursuits or opinions are supposed to be universally binding. The fact is that once you converse out as a pastor, individuals can have a tough time understanding whether or not you’re representing God or your self. Due to this, I counsel pastors concentrate on posting biblical content material that encourages Christians and engages effectively with outsiders (i.e., non-Christians).

If we use social media to harp on points exterior of our purview, we’d discover that we lose alternatives to minister to individuals as a result of they really feel ostracized. Not everybody in your church goes to agree with you about issues of Christian liberty or the financial system or immigration. After we preach about these issues, it sends a complicated message. We now have to watch out to stability and distinguish between our private voice and our pastoral authority.

In terms of what kind of biblical content material to share, I like to attract from the ebook of the Bible I’m at present preaching out of, or stuff I’m studying via for enjoyable.

Speaking advanced theology in methods which can be accessible and fascinating is tough, however distilling your concepts into quick and highly effective statements generally is a useful train.

Right here once more, although, we’ve got to recollect the constraints of social media. The deep waters of theology typically name for the type of nuance and qualification {that a} tweet can’t at all times give. So beneath are just a few questions I attempt to ask myself:

Does what I’m about to say right here assist present readability, or will it confuse individuals? Knowledge says, “The unfolding of your phrases offers mild; it imparts understanding to the easy” (Ps 119:130).
Is the aim of this publish to attract consideration to myself, or to assist others and shine a lightweight on biblical fact? Jesus stated, “Whoever exalts himself might be humbled, and whoever humbles himself might be exalted” (Matt 23:19).
Does what I’m about to say come from a spot of anger, and am I talking out too rapidly earlier than having all the data wanted to render a sensible judgment? “Know this, my beloved brothers: let each individual be fast to listen to, gradual to talk, gradual to anger” (Jas 1:19).
Are my phrases a type of “meddling,” and is that this publish simply going to return again to chew me like a rabid canine? “Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his personal is like one who takes a passing canine by the ears” (Prov 26:17).
Is that this publish an try to realize traction by speaking about others in a approach that might be thought-about gossip? “The phrases of a whisperer are like scrumptious morsels; they go down into the inside elements of the physique” (Prov 18:8).
Is that this publish coming from a quarrelsome spirit? “And the Lord’s servant should not be quarrelsome however sort to everybody, in a position to educate, patiently enduring evil” (2 Tim 2:24).
Is what I’m about to say right here rash and dangerous, or effectively thought out and life-giving? “There’s one whose rash phrases are like sword thrusts, however the tongue of the sensible brings therapeutic” (Prov 12:18).
Is what I’m about to say born out of affection or not? “Let all that you just do be executed in love” (1 Cor 16:14).

Probably there are different questions we might ask, however this is sufficient to make us suppose twice, and perhaps even save us numerous heartache.

As pastors, it’s not simply what we are saying that’s vital, however how we are saying it. It’s attainable to speak the reality with contempt, as a substitute of care.

For higher or for worse, we’re instructing others methods to speak by our instance. If the individuals below our care see us biting and devouring each other, we shouldn’t be shocked after they go and do likewise. Particularly in our day, the place uncharitable engagement is the modus operandi of a lot discourse in society, we’ve got an actual alternative to point out others what it seems like to speak with conviction and compassion. Grace and fact.

As with other forms of ministry, success right here ought to be decided in the beginning by faithfulness to God and his Phrase. Don’t promote your soul to the algorithm and have interaction within the type of viral content material that spreads like wildfire as a result of it’s fueled by hell’s flamable gases (see Jas 2:6). Generally platforming Jesus and the reality of God’s Phrase isn’t in style, however that doesn’t imply we should always change our technique.

Suppose by way of having a long-term voice, relatively than attempting to construct one thing large in a single day. If we’re pushed by success by way of media metrics, we’ll be tempted to compromise our strategy. This doesn’t imply the great things by no means goes viral, however sadly, it’s the scrumptious morsels of gossip that we regularly “like” and “share” as a substitute of the phrases of eternal life. Persist with the latter and also you’ll be extra profitable within the closing evaluation than those that construct platforms for themselves out of wooden, hay, and straw.

Some useful questions for gauging success are:

Does my presence on social media deliver individuals collectively or tear them aside? Jesus stated, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be known as sons of God” (Matt 5:9).
Is the content material I share edifying? “Subsequently encourage each other and construct each other up, simply as you might be doing” (1 Thess 5:11).
Am I supporting the work of the native church by pointing individuals to its significance, or am I undermining it by drawing individuals to myself? “[F]rom amongst your personal selves will come up males talking twisted issues, to attract away the disciples after them” (Act 20:30).
Are individuals inspired to attract nearer to Christ in prayer and thanksgiving by the issues I publish? I really like utilizing social media to seek out methods to wish for others, and to share prayer requests that invite others to affix me in prayer. “You additionally should assist us by prayer, in order that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us via the prayers of many” (2 Cor 1:11).

The query isn’t, “What number of followers do you’ve gotten?” however, “Are you faithfully following Jesus?” You may faithfully comply with Jesus with numerous “followers,” however having them doesn’t essentially imply you’re profitable as a pastor on social media.

The query isn’t, “What number of followers do you’ve gotten?” however, “Are you faithfully following Jesus?”

Discovering forgiveness within the land

For those who’re accustomed to Israel’s story in Canaan, you understand that the trolls typically received the higher of them. It’s straightforward for all of us to stay our foot in our mouth whereas capturing from the hip on-line (and also you’re sure to overlook with such a poor stance). For a few of us, the fast-paced nature of social media may make it too tough to take part in a slow-to-speak method. Add to this the truth that most platforms are riddled with pornographic potholes that, even once you’re not searching for them, appear to return searching for you.

It takes a level of maturity to scroll and publish responsibly, and you might want to be sincere with your self about whether or not you’ve gotten that. It isn’t immature to keep away from social media (it may be the wisest factor for you), however unhealthy or sinful social media use can expose a deeper subject in your life.

For those who’ve been utilizing social media in a approach that dishonors Christ and is unbefitting of your calling as a pastor, there’s forgiveness! Confess your sin and repent. For those who can’t use it with out being sucked into dangerous habits, then be sincere with your self and focus your consideration elsewhere. As I said beforehand, social media can be utilized for good, but when pastors aren’t utilizing it that approach, then they shouldn’t be utilizing it in any respect.