We have all lived in the fishbowl. That lifestyle where it seems like everyone knows all the details of your life even though you have shared it with only a few. Much of the advice I hear from pastors is "Keep your personal life as private as you can." But I also know we minister to a culture that appreciates authenticity. So where do you draw the line?
I recently had a conversation with a fellow pastor who brought up some good points in using social networking websites in ministry. He explained to me that people can connect not only once a week face-to-face on Sunday morning, but daily on their Myspace or Facebook pages. (I have my wife to thank for my latest technology adventure: Facebook) This increased communication can actually lead to a deeper sense of connection on Sunday morning. Throughout the week the members of a small group (or even a church?) can be in communication with one another via the internet.
Any use of technology can have potential hazards. In a profession where keeping healthy boundaries on personal information is already challenging, opening up one's entire life to the world can be dangerous. I would like to know your thoughts. How public should ministers make their personal lives in today's post-modern culture?
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2 comments:
I am a long-time advocate of all forms of technology being used for ministry purposes. I think social networking such as MySpace and Facebook provide a means to connect with people in the church and people within other churches in order to promote collaboration that was much more difficult in decades past.
I have found these work especially well with your young-adults in churches, but older members are either fearful or uninterested in such things.
It is good to use the technology as long as it complements real person to person interaction. The Internet can never replace actual human contact (unless that is the only possible way to connect, such as military or missionaries). As for using the internet for church fellowship, I think it should always complement and not take the place of actual human interaction.
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