by Toni Birdsong
Sharing your faith online isn’t about how spiritual you appear or how much scripture you can post. It’s simply about being real and being ready to give the right answer (not the popular one) with refreshing honesty and compassion. It’s about getting outside of your digital clique to see what’s going on in the lives of those around you.
Sharing your faith is about walking so closely with God personally that His presence chases out anything that deems you ordinary, giving you the courage you need to act, post, or respond with His heart.
So, let’s have some fun . . .
Get creative on Facebook:
- Post your thoughts on a current event and apply God’s view to it.
- Post photos of your fellowship group gatherings and write fun captions.
- Post love notes to your kids on a regular basis.
- Regularly post kind and encouraging notes on your spouse’s Facebook page.
- Post inspiring quotes about faith that aren’t necessarily scripture.
- Post compelling questions such as: What’s the most exciting thing that’s happened to you lately? What do you think heaven is like?
- Publically post a prayer for national tragedies, deployed soldiers, elected officials, and natural disasters.
- Be the one who stands up to publically pray for people involved in public scandals and those being judged publically.
- Post “clean” jokes and stories consistently.
- Publically post a general prayer for teens and their families. Visit the pages of teens you know and post encouraging notes.
- Make a list of This Weeks’ Fav Friends list on your home page. This list will appear on the right of your page and remind you to connect with them, and to regularly pray for them. Here’s how you customize your landing page list on Facebook.
- Defend people who are being criticized or bullied on their pages. Turn the conversation around.
- Choose a group of people to pray for for a set amount of time. Then, as God prompts, share with them what God has revealed to you in that prayer time.
- Post a music video that reflects your faith but isn’t from a Christian band. Write a caption about how you personally apply the lyrics to your faith. (ie: Because You Loved Me by Celine Dion).
- Post scriptures (sparingly). Try using The Message, it has a very relevant, fresh appeal that may spark a conversation.
- Establish a set “prayer day” on your page so people can look forward to posting their requests.
- Browse other people’s statuses and look for ways you can pray, or offer help.
- If someone has a blog or takes time to post a FB note from their heart, show support by commenting and encouraging them—regardless if it’s a topic you are interested in.
- When someone experiences a loss of some kind take the time to write a heartfelt note.
- Publically “tag” people in your post that you admire or want to call out as faithful, heroic, or just incredibly kind. Here’s how you tag people in a Facebook post.
- Take the time to network hurting people to churches, job leads, resources, bible studies, counseling services.
- Write more than the average “Happy Birthday” note. Think about that person and express a unique thought or blessing to them.
- Everyone says something online. Be different and do something. Invite your FB friends to participate. Organize a blood drive or offer to come by and pick up donated goods once a month for charities like Our Thrift Shop.
- Do a twitter search for the words “Dear God,” and see the amazing tweets that fill your screen. Prayerfully connect to the people crying
out. Here’s how you do a Twitter Search. - Dedicate an inspiring video to “all the people God is pursuing,” or “to all the prodigals who want to come home.” You never know who will click it or if it will go viral.
- Organize a Tweet-Up and do something charitable at the same time, like a blood drive or a donation for a local family in need.
- See what’s trending on Twitter and jump into the conversations (using your hashtag) with a positive or a biblical perspective. You can see “trending topics” on your home page or go to Twitter Search and they will be listed.
- When you see people using the “f” word or other curses, don’t block them. Instead, let them know you hope their day turns around (or something positive and relevant). (This is a miracle tactic-literally!)
- Call out an individual or several who you consider to be “champions” in some way. Do this even with people outside of your well-traveled circle of friends.
- Join in on a Tworship meeting to anoint your day and make new friends. Just type #tworship & you’ll find them.
- Join in on a Virtual Abbey prayer meeting to annoint your day and make new friends. Find VA on Twitter.
- Invite people to finish this sentence: “If I had never met Christ . . .”
- Find a really fun, cool resource like _____ and share it.
- Ask people to fill in the blank: If I were to die tomorrow I believe I would go to: ________.
- Post one of the 10 commandments each day and ask people if they think it still applies to the 21st century.
Get Creative on Twitter
Can you add to this list? What approaches have been effective for you?
Post/Tweet this today:
How you believe God perceives people will determine how you respond to them. -J. K. Heasley #LiveSticky
Tags: Christians online, digital evangelism, Facebook, Internet Evangelism Day, twitter
