CHURCH and SOCIAL MEDIA 2016 – The Year in Review, Pt. 2

Welcome to Part 2 of “CHURCH and SOCIAL MEDIA 2016 – The Year in Review!”

Picking up where we left off in Part 1, here are my top choices for 2016’s Best Church and Social Media stories:

• Apple TV: An Exciting Way to Reach Your Congregation – Church Tech Today
• Apps for Lent (or Not) – Mobile Ministry Magazine
• #ATT28Days – Developing a Methodology – Jason Caston/ iChurch Method
• Award Winning ChurchStreamer – Church Mag
• BET’s Celebration of Gospel 2016 – Essence
• Big List of Notable Church Technology, Ministry Tools, and Christian Apps – Church Relevance
• Black Christian News Network One– BlackChristianNews.com
• Bible Apps for Mobile Devices – Mobile Ministry Magazine
• Celebration of Gospel: Taraji P. Henson – BET
• Checklist for an Effective Church Facebook Page – Lifeway
• Christian Best Sellers – Christian Book Expo
• Christian Books – Best Sellers – Family Christian
• Christianity Today’s 2016 Book Awards – Christianity Today
• Christmas Communications Checklist – RADideas
• Church Christmas Decorations – Pinterest
• Church Communicators Interview Series – Steven Fogg – Church Mag
• Church Online: The Steps – FaithVox
• Church Snapchat Guidelines – Church Mag
• Church Social Media #CHSOCM Chat 03/01/16 – Worship and Social Media – Storify
• Church Social Media #CHSOCM Twitter Chat 06/14/16 – Church and Social Media in Times of Tragedy – Storify
• Church Social Media #CHSOCM Chat 07/12/16 – Happy Five Years – Storify
• Church Social Media #CHSOCM Chat 09/27/16 – #SMS16 Debrief – Storify
• Church Social Media #CHSOCM Chat 12/06/16 – Celebrating 2016 & Dreaming About 2017 – Storify
• Church Social Media #CHSOCM Chat 12/13/16 – Spiritual Life and Self Care – Storify
• Collected Best Christian Books of 2016 –  Challies
• Devon Franklin on Finding Success in Hollywood Through Spirituality/ Podcast – Lewis Howes
• Devon Franklin, The Hottest Christian in Hollywood – ozy.com
• Digital Tech and Social Media Highlights From 2016 – Church Mag
• EasyWorship 6 Makes Worship Presentations Easy – Church Tech Today
• How Technology Helped Martin Luther Change Christianity – NPR
• List of Church Apps for Mobile Smartphones – @djchuang
• New Christian Fiction 2016/ Listopia – GoodReads
• Organize Your Church Communication for the New Year– Church Tech Today
• Secular Hollywood Quietly Courts the Faithful – Brooks Barnes, NYT
• ‘T.D. Jakes’ Daytime Talk Show Gets Launch Date – Deadline
• T.D. Jakes: Destiny Means Understanding Your Destination – Ebony
• Using Periscope – Jason Caston/ iChurch Method

Well, that completes our ‘CHURCH and SOCIAL MEDIA 2016 – The Year in Review, Part 2.’ Hope you enjoyed it.

What are your favorite Church Social Media stories of 2016?

Stay on top of the latest  Church Social Media news at SOCIAL MEDIA and MINISTRY NEWS! See you in 2017!

Until next time, remember, you can do all things thru Christ Jesus!

Wishing You a Very Merry Christmas and a Blessed, Happy, and Prosperous New Year!

Sincerely,

Kenneth Lillard

 

 

 

 

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CHURCH and SOCIAL MEDIA 2016 – Year in Review, Part 1

2016 has, most definitely, been a year of creative innovation and unexpected change in the Church, Social Media, and Technology space!

To celebrate this exciting year, I’m happy to spotlight my favorite picks for the very best Church and Social Media news, views, and trends of 2016.

Congratulations to all of this year’s truly remarkable church social media innovators, contributors, and colleagues. And, of course, a big “Thank You” goes out to all my amazing social media family, followers, and friends for all your fantastic suggestions, support and encouragement throughout the year. Much Love & Appreciation!

Here’s my ‘Best of 2016 Church and Social Media’ stories:

• 3 Tips to Kick Start Year-End Giving With #GivingTuesday – Church Tech Today
• 3 Tips to Simplify Church Purchasing and Enhance Expense Control – Church Tech Today
• 4 Areas of Focus to Visualize Church Tech’s Next Decade – Church Tech Today
• 5 Best Bible Study Programs on the Market Today – Church Tech Today
• 5 Creative Ways to Use Instagram to Promote Church Events – United Methodist Communications
• 5 Disruptive Church Trends That Will Rule 2016 – Carey Nieuwhof
• 5 Easy Ways For Your Church to Thrive on Social Media – @SocialMediaChurch
• 5 Free Apps You Can Use to Give Back – CNET
• 5 Keys to a Happy New Year – Relevant Magazine
• 5 Reasons to be Thankful for Social Media This Thanksgiving – Sendible
• 5 Reasons to Launch an Online Church Campus in 2016 – Nils Smith
• 5 Reasons You Should Embrace Digital Bible Study –  Church Tech Today
• 6 Church Website Essentials – Church Media Tech
• 6 Free Android Bible Study Apps That You Can’t Miss – Church Mag
• 6 Tools for Creating Great Church Apps – Capterra Church Management Blog
• 7 Apps That Changed My Life – Church Mag
• 7 Tips on How to Host a Successful Event for Your Church – DialMyCalls
• 7 Top Church Website Companies – Church Tech Today
• 8 Effective Uses of Twitter for Churches – Thom S. Rainer
• 9 Keys to Maximizing Your Church Facebook Page – Thom S. Rainer
• 10 Blogs to Follow in 2016 – Church Mag
• 10 Predictions About the Future Church and Shifting Attendance Patterns – ChristianWeek
• 10 Reasons Videos Should be on Your Radar in 2016 – Church Tech Today
• 10 Remarkable Achievements of Barack Obama’s Presidency – T. D. Jakes
• 10 Social Media Reporting Apps You Can’t Live Another Day Without – Successful Blog
• 10 Steps to Building an Effective Digital Strategy – Social Media Today
• 15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes That Will Challenge You to Take Action – Relevant Magazine
• 34 Best Church WordPress Themes 2016 – ATHEMES
• 70 Most Inspiring Church Websites of 2016 – ShareFaith Magazine
• 77 Of The Best Church Websites in 2016 – Pro Church Tools
• 100 Top Christian Blogs – Redeeming God
• 100 Top Faith Blogs for Christian Women – Women’s Bible Cafe

What favorite Church Social Media stories of 2016 would you like to share with our readers? Would love to hear from you!

Btw, stay on top of the latest Church Social Media news, stories, and trends at SOCIAL MEDIA and MINISTRY NEWS.

Until next time, remember, you can do all things thru Christ Jesus.

Wishing You a Very Merry Christmas & A Blessed, Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Sincerely,

Kenneth Lillard

 

 

 

Church and Social Media 2015 Year in Review, Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of ‘Church and Social Media 2015 Year in Review!’ Picking up where we left off in Part 1, here are my picks for the top, most impactful, most insightful church social media #chsocm stories and sites posted on social media in 2015:

• African Americans Use Technology More Than Others For Worship Services – BlackEnterprise.com
• The Best Social Platform For Your Church with Meredith Gould – Pro Church Tools
• Biola Digital Conference – open.biola.edu
• Building an Internet Church Campus – The iChurch Method/ Jason Caston
• The Cellular Church – The New Yorker
• Charleston Relatives “Forgive” Shooting Suspect in Court – BBC News
• Christian Podcast Directory – Listly/ D J Chuang
• Christianity Today’s 2016 Book Awards – Christianity Today
• The Continuing Evolution of the Digital Church – The Christian Post
• Directory of Multiethnic Churches – Multiethnic.Church
• Facebook Guide for Pastors in Transition – hackingchristianity.net
• Faith Community Rallies Around Charleston Church After Shooting – HuffingtonPost
• Getting Your Church Started on Periscope or Meerkat – Josh Blankenship
• God’s Work Our Blog: Behind the Scenes with the Social Media Team at the 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering – northeasterniowasynodelca.blogspot.com
• How Frequently Should Churches Really Post on Social Media? –  djchuang.com
• How MLK Made a Better World in Just 10 Years – Michael Hyatt
• How Social Is Changing Church – BeliefNet
• How Would Jesus Behave on Social Media? – Patheos
• Joel Osteen Radio – Positive Inspiration For Life – SiriusXM Satellite Radio
• Love Conquers All In Charleston – Kenneth Lillard/ Faith Based Media 2.0
• Meet Kanye’s Pastor: Rich Wilkerson Jr. – Relevant Magazine
• The Netflix-ization of the Church – Patheos
• Pastors in Paris: Opposing Terror with Love – Christianity Today
• Prayer and Social Media Action in #Baltimore – #Chsocm Chat Transcript
• Producing by Faith, Inspiring Through Technology/ Devon Franklin – thebridge.att.net
• The Potter’s House – Bishop T. D. Jakes
• Roseburg Pastors: “This Is Our 9/11” – Christianity Today
• Saddleback Church – Pastor Rick Warren
• Theology of Social Media – Willow Creek TV
• Top 5 Church Social Media Trends in 2015 – bradbridges.net
• Top 15 Ways That Churches Can Use the Periscope App in Ministry – FluidMinistry
• Top 300 Christian Blogs for Ministry/ 12th Edition – churchrelevance.com
• The Ultimate List of Social Media Policies for Churches – justinwise.net

That completes our ‘Church and Social Media 2015 Year in Review, Part 2.’ It’s truly been an eventful and exciting  year in church social media. Would love to hear what your favorite church social media stories and sites were in 2015. Please feel free to share your favorites with me and the readers in the comments section!

Btw, to stay on top of all the latest church social media stories, sites, and developments read SOCIAL MEDIA and MINISTRY NEWS weekly.

Until next time, remember, you can do all things thru Christ Jesus!

Have a Happy, Healthy & Prosperous 2016!

Be Blessed Everyone,

Kenneth Lillard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Facebook and Today’s Church

Is your church on Facebook?

Chances are many of your church members already are on Facebook – posting updates, commenting on messages, ‘liking’ posts, and otherwise engaging with others online. You may well be reading this post on Facebook right now. And while many may feel Facebook is a complete and total waste of time, there are actually many very good reasons for you to be on Facebook, as evidenced by the many churches and ministries that are already there.

There are over 1 Billion, with a B, people on Facebook today! It is the world’s most popular social networking platform. Facebook is where the people are. Digital technology has empowered everyday people to connect and interact online, and they are doing so at a rapidly increasing rate.  Facebook has emerged as the most popular social network on the planet, and it’s still growing.  Having a presence on FB is a great way for your church to connect with the very people you’re trying to reach.

Being on Facebook is a great way to introduce people to your church. In fact, Facebook, for many, has replaced the Yellow Pages as the go-to source for seeking out churches to visit in new communities.

For pastors, a personal Facebook page provides a great opportunity to be an ‘online shepherd’, and to stay connected with your congregation  beyond the Sunday service. By establishing a Facebook Church Page you can conduct vital outreach beyond the four walls of your church and immediate community. It enables you to share your church’s message with many people who otherwise may never hear of you. From your Church’s FB page you can also direct others to your church’s website, where they can access more specific information about your ministry’s vision and mission.

While many may complain about the negative things some people post on Facebook, by being online, you can serve as an example of a positive role model of good online behavior and character.  Finally, your intentional presence online can help to fulfill the Great Commission, Jesus’ final instructions to the disciples while still physically here.

My recent book, SOCIAL MEDIA and MINISTRY Sharing the Gospel in the Digital Age, points out ‘100 Ways to Use Facebook to Help Grow a Ministry’ (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes). In addition, here are some links to more information on how Facebook might benefit your church:

• 7 Ways to Have  a Great Church Facebook Page – Pastors.com
• ‘Church on Facebook’ Unites Students Around the World – Liberty University
• Do You Use Facebook and That Other Stuff – SR. Susan Wolf, SND
• Facebook Passes 1.19 Billion Monthly Active Users – The Next Web
• Facebook vs. Your Church Website – Internet Toolbox for Churches, David Hakes
• Facebook for Pastors That Don’t Want to Use Facebook – Internet Toolbox for Churches, David Hakes
• Lacrae Questions ‘Judgmental Christians’ in Viral Facebook Post – The Christian Post
• List of Most Popular Facebook Pages of Churches and Ministries – djchaung.com
• Should Pastors be on #Facebook, #Twitter and Other #Social Media? – iChurch Method, Jason Caston
• Social Media Glossary for 5 Major Social Networks – Social Media Today
• T.D. Jakes Ministries on Facebook – tdjakes.org, Bishop T. D. Jakes
• The United Methodist Church on Facebook – UMC

Btw, to stay up-to-the-minute on the latest developments in ‘church social media’ be sure to check out SOCIAL MEDIA and MINISTRY NEWS for daily updates.

How is your church positively using your Facebook to share Christ’s gospel?

Until next time, remember, you can do all things thru Christ Jesus!

Be Blessed,

Kenneth Lillard