From Social Media to Social Ministry

Nona Jones, in From Social Media to Social Ministry (Zondervan Reflective, Grand Rapids 2020) sees a congregation’s presence on social media, and specifically on Facebook, as a new frontier of ministry. The book anchors itself on Facebook as the best place for social ministry. “Digitally, Facebook is where the people are (54).” The last two-thirds of the book gives a plan for creating a Facebook campus, though as with any such prescription, each church will need to modify the plan to fit their unique situation.

Jones most useful big idea for me was to consider the churches online presence, and specifically its Facebook presence, a separate campus. Though multiple locations are unusual for Presbyterian churches, the idea helps us consider the distinct questions of congregational life, ministry and mission on social media. Just as the two or more locations of one church might have distinct habits, customs, and patterns, so it is with social ministry. We begin to ask, ‘What does it mean for someone to join a congregation, if they interact solely online?’ What about sacraments, ordination, committee meetings, children’s ministry? Though many churches avoided or rejected such questions before the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus compels us to address these issues.

Jones demonstrates a robust and well-founded understanding of Christ’s church and its mission. Social media is an opportunity to reach people with the Gospel who we would never otherwise reach: “Instead of being comfortable with the familiar fish in our aquarium, we can use social technology to swim out into the deep, unknown waters of the digital world to connect with people we would never meet otherwise (31).” She hopes social media space can be a place of real Christian fellowship: “How do we create an experience that facilitates connection with and among people? (26)” She believes those relationships online can become the context of Christian discipleship.

Reaching Out in a Networked World

In Reaching Out in a Networked World (Alban, Herndon, 2008) Lynne Baab shows a deep and profound truth: All means of congregational communication express the identity and values of that congregation. “The Biggest challenge facing congregations in the area of communications is the coherent expression of what they value and who they are. That is the central focus of this book (163).” Each church leader must look at our communication efforts to consider how we might use modern tools to express our identity and values, not simply to convey information.

Baab provides clear recommendations on how a church can use the broad spectrum of  new communication tools. Her experience as an associate pastor, regional staff person and frequent visitor of congregations provides fertile soil for her to plant her deep knowledge of communication. Each chapter gives clear explanations for the use of communication technology, and it ends with well-focused questions to examine the use of that technology. This book will help you communicate better through your church newsletter, web-publishing or other media.

But this book is far more useful for its fundamental insight—we always communicate who we are and what we care about when we share the details of church life. She often noticed a deep conflict between the identity and values of a congregation and the way they communicated. Some communication tools may not be suitable for a church. For example, the ubiquitous mission statement may be a poor tool. Fewer than 10 per cent of business mission statements actually communicate any substance, so the church cannot assume it will do a great deal better(145). This book gives concrete assistance in how to communicate. It offers the deeper value to church leaders, too. It helps us clearly see the importance and value of our communications. “In the twenty-first century, identity is constructed and communicated through an assemblage of words and images, connections and actions (146).”

America's Original Sin

Jim Wallis’ America’s Original Sin (Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2016) is an excellent resource for any Christian grappling with the history of race in America. Wallis’ assertions about our country are based on careful and detailed research.  For example, the post-WWII GI Bill failed to offer opportunities equally to Black veterans as it offered to other veterans: less than 100 of the 67,000 mortgages secured by the GI Bill went to non-white families (89). Some will resist and reject Wallis’ conclusions from the facts, but as John Adams told us, “Facts are stubborn things.”

Wallis’ concrete action steps, which he lived out, embody the best attributes of progressive Protestantism. After clearly laying out that the lack of proximity between people of different races in the U.S., he identifies three areas where this lack of interaction can be addressed: schools, congregations, and children’s sports. He moved to a largely Black neighborhood, his children went to school with children of many races, and he coached integrated teams. The weakness of his solution is simple. He underestimates the difference between his actions in these areas and the imagination and ability of many, or most white Americas. He walked where most of us fail to even talk.

Unfortunately, this book also carries the fatal weaknesses of progressive Christianity. He accepts systems of social criticism that reject critique of itself (50, 96) which neglects his own very good explanation of Sin in chapter 3. Even more deadly, he accepts a fatal contradiction, namely that people of color are to create solutions for which white people are responsible (49-50). Just as we must share the problems of America, the solutions must belong to us all. In the end, though I found Wallis’ book of great value to me, I did not recommend it for reading in the congregation I serve. On the other hand, it might serve as a useful shared book for conversation with black and white congregations.

The Forgotten Books of the Bible

Robert Wiliamson Jr.’s  The Forgotten Books of the Bible: Recovering the Five Scrolls for Today (Fortress Press: Minneapolis, 2018) offers a clear, deeply informed and, most of all, a profoundly humane guided tour for five little attended to books of the Old Testament. For example, the book explains, for the new reader of Ruth, the practice of Leverite marriage in the ancient world, bizarre and abhorrent as it is to modern sensibility. He gives insight to the experienced reader, too; though I have preached through the book of Ruth twice, he gave me deeper insight into the way that Ruth, Naomi and Boaz use the Levitire marriage to bring about a happy outcome.

Williamson brings out the nourishing food of his deep scholarship, but never to shows off. He uses the tools of Hebrew vocabulary to show how the speaker in Ecclesiastes shows the futility of pursing gain in life, but the possibility of enjoying our share of the good things (128). Getting ahead is as futile as expecting rivers to fill the sea or the sun to gain on its work of rising and setting. Yet the flow of the rivers and movement of the sun can be enjoyed in their proper share. “If we value human existence only in terms of gain left over at life’s end, we must conclude that all of our hearing and seeing and speaking has been pointless” (133). We enjoy the share of life given in the moment or season. Rather than dry word study, the book offers the deep wisdom of scripture.

Its shortcomings are that of a good book; it leaves the reader wanting more. I longed for explicit connection to the New Testament. Williamson does a good job of offering his social reading, without dogmatically insisting upon one modern application. I would have like to see him reach past progressive observations to see him engage a conservative or libertarian viewpoint in the text. Or perhaps best of all, scripture could check all materialistic tendencies, no matter the political orientation. The book is useful for preachers and lay people; useful to help us engage scripture ourselves.