Faith And Social Media 2012 – The Year Ahead!

“For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Welcome to 2012! It’s slated to be an exciting, eventful year – what with the Summer Olympics in London, and presidential elections in France and the United States, just to mention a few! And it’s also expected to be an exciting year for social media and faith, as well!

As you begin the journey into the new year, it’s critically important to know where you’re going, and to have a good roadmap or GPS to help get you there.  Advanced planning is vital for social media success in 2012! 

Do you have your new Facebook Timeline profile ready or activated? What is your social media strategy for this year? How does it differ from last year’s? Do you have  LinkedIn or Google+ strategies for your ministry or church? Have you established daily, weekly, and monthly social media schedules? What are your S. M.A. R. T. social media goals for the year ahead? 

Right out the gate, here are some of the major trends to look for in 2012: 1) An increased usage of mobile devices, especially smart phones and tablet computers (like the iPad 2) – Make sure your website is mobile friendly! ;  2) Social networking will remain huge – Can you believe Facebook will surpass one billion (with a “b”) registered users this year?; 3) Expect to see increased usage of short videos; 4) Social media will continue to play a major role in social and political mobilizations and movements; 5) Trust, transparency, and respect will become even more important;  and 6) Look for an increased adoption of social media by non-profits, churches and other faith based organizations. 

As you engage your social networks in 2012 remember to listen to and learn from them. They have a lot to teach you! Harvest insights and share them.  Use smart metrics to measure your social media effectiveness (ROI). Always seek to be helpful and to add value to the individuals in your networks. Your vision is your compass. And remember, your focus should always be on Jesus! The challenge is adapting digital technology and social media to share the Gospel more creatively and effectively, both locally and globally!  And finally, don’t neglect in person fellowship!

The following are examples, suggestions, tips, and tools that, hopefully, you’ll find helpful on the social media and faith journey ahead:

• [Infographic] The SMB Social Media Cheat Sheet – ReadWriteWeb, David Strom
• 4 Community Management Predictions for 2012 – Mashable
• 7 Resolutions For Your Website in 2012 – Christian Web Trends
• 10 Tips For Christians in Social Media – Faith, Media + Culture
• 50 Ways to Use Social Media – Jeremiah Owyang
• 60 Best Church Website Designs – VisualSwirl
• 2012 – Digital Opportunities in the Year Ahead – Digital Evangelism
• Build Your Platform/ Start – Chris Brogan
• Build Your Social Media Schedule for 2012 – Social Media Today
• CES 2012 – CNET
• The Church App – Subsplash
• Facebook Timeline Customization: 5 Tools for Killer Cover Photos – Mashable
• Facebook Timeline: The Complete Guide – Mashable
• Going Beyond Ministries – Priscilla Shirer
• Google+  The Complete Guide – Mashable
• How to Upload a Video to YouTube – YouTube Video
• Joel Osteen Ministries 
• John Maxwell On Leadership – John C. Maxwell
• Mars Hill Church – Mark Driscoll, Founding Pastor
• MobileAdvance – Mobileadvance.org 
• New Breed of Social Networking Sites w/ Mario Armstrong – YouTube Video
• Non-Profits and Social Media: Planning  For Success – Neal Schaffer
• Productivity Tips for 2012 – Copyblogger
• Social Media and Ministry – Rev. Dr. Kenneth Lillard
• Social Media for Churches – UMCom.org
• Social Media: What to Expect in 2012 – Social Media Today
• Social Media Strategy Map – WeAreMedia
• Ten Social Media Strategies to Define a Successful 2012 – Brian Solis
• The 8 Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers – Copyblogger 
• The Potter’s House – Bishop T. D. Jakes
• Top Five LinkedIn New Year’s Resolutions for 2012 – Social Media Today
• Why I Follow You On Twitter – Brad Lomenick

What are your social media goals for the next twelve months? 

We’re wishing you success, prosperity, and all the very best in 2012!

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

Stay Blessed!

Kenneth Lillard

Can You Hear Me Now? – Mobile Ministry

“Can you hear me now?”

Today everyone has a cell phone! And it seems people are on their cell all the time – on the street, in the line at the supermarket, even at church!

 And they’re not just talking. They’re texting, tweeting, taking pictures or videos, reading books, and updating their Facebook status. And to cellphones, you can now add the iPad and a host of other mobile devices on which people are connecting and engaging! 

However, the mobile platform has tremendous potential for helping to fulfill the Great Commission. Mobile devices are highly personal, rapidly deployed, and universally embraced! And there are nealy 5 billion mobile units already in use worldwide!  

Mobile ministry can be defined as connecting and engaging people with the message, mission, and community of Jesus Christ through personal, mobile technology. Every unreached person, wherever they are in the world, now has a better chance to encounter Christ and His Kingdom, in creative and compelling ways,  through their personal mobile devices!

Here are a few reasons why mobile ministry is so important:

• Mobile is everywhere. It is the most ubiquitous media device in the world with nearly 5 billion users!
• Mobile can provide Gospel access to hundreds of millions of people outside the reach of the Internet or other media.
• The mobile device is highly personal and a great way to share the Gospel in a more personal way.
• Mobile is one of the most economical means of Christian content creation and distribution.
• Research shows the majority of Internet usage will be via mobile devices by 2015!

For all the above reasons, the Church definitely cannot afford to sleep on mobile ministry as a very effective vehicle for accelerating Kingdom growth!

For more inormation on mobile ministry check out the following:

• Mobile Ministry Magazine
• Mobile Advance
• Mobile Phone Evangelism

How are you using mobile devices for the glory of God?

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

Stay Blessed!

Kenneth Lillard

Ministry And The New Media

The new media today are all online. And they are all social! Google+, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Foursquare, blogs, and podcasts are all part of today’s communications revolution known as social media!

The millions of people on these social networks have one thing in common – they’re all connected to others on the Internet. And increasing numbers are connecting through mobile devices like smart phones and iPads. Facebook alone has over 700 million users making it larger than most nations in world today!

The new media allow us to connect with online communities in entirely new and exciting ways! They empower individuals to not only engage with others through Web 2.0 technologies, but also enable them to create and share original content.  This has vast implications, especially for ministry!

Social media provide those in ministry with a whole new set of tools with which to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in creative, unprecedented ways!  Here are a few examples of how to get social with the new media:

• Write a blog to connect with others and share your message – You’re reading my blog now, Faith Based Media 2.o, all about faith, social media, and technology!  
• Create a personal website to define your online identity – For example, mine is Kennethlillard.com. It can be your online homebase. Connect it with all your other online presences.
• Build an online community, or join a social network like FB or Twitter to engage and share the Gospel, encourage others, share scriptures, fellowship, collaborate, and organize. I’m on FB, LinkedIn, and Google+ at Kenneth Lillard, and Twitter @revkenlillard.  
• Establish a church website – Expand the reach of your church’s ministry beyond the four walls of the building. Let your website be a virtual door into your church. Connect with others in your local community and around the world! 
• Serve others online – For example, on your mobile phone you can text FOOD to UNICEF to donate $10 to feed starving children in the Horn of Africa.
•  Use social media platforms as  interactive digital channels to share your ministry’s vision and message. Create an interesting mix of  text, photos, audio, and video to increase impact.
• Curate helpful and interesting posts, articles, and links and share them with your network.
• Use new media to tighten your network’s internal communications, and keep it informed. 
• Answer questions and solve problems through polls, crowdsourcing, and surveys.

In our 24/7, digitally connected world, I’m excited about the great potential for ministry to use social media to help increase influence for Christ in the world! 

How is your ministry using social media to share the Gospel!  

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

Stay Blessed!

Kenneth Lillard