Social media is offering a wide variety of tools to churches for formation and connection. Episcopal News Service reports:
In Poughkeepsie, New York, …, Christ Church’s online “Soul School” offers parishioners a way to brush up on all things Episcopal without ever leaving their homes.
It’s a computer class on Episcopal tradition, made available via a ChurchNext subscription. The Rev. William Blake Rider said he subscribed to the online service because “it’s a brilliant tool to use to let the people who might otherwise not be able to, participate.”
“It’s the same reason that prompted me to duplicate our Wednesday night Christian education offerings at noon on Wednesday, because we realized that some of our frail or elderly … don’t drive at night but are still vital, they still want to learn, and to be engaged in parish life,” Rider said during a recent telephone interview.
Similarly, the Rev. Paul Briggs of St. Mary’s Church in Manchester, Connecticut, said he is using a ChurchNext “Bible Challenge” video course narrated by Marek Zabriskie to “reach out to business guys (sic) on the road a lot … and to young people right out of confirmation class. It might be a nice way to give us common ground to talk about. I also invited folks across the spectrum, 20- and 30-somethings, as well as newly retired folks.”
Education for Ministry from the School of Theology at the University of the South, in Sewanee, TN began offering its well regarded and recently revised EfM program online in 2000. Offering four years of solid foundation in scripture, history and theology of Christianity with seminars intended to help people reflect on their lives as ministry.
How is your church using social media to educate, form and reach out to members and others?