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.