
Currently at Grace Place we are in a series called Changed People Changing the World. We are reviewing the last half of the book of Acts, including the first missionary journeys of the earlier Christ followers. They went out with boldness in the power of the Holy Spirit, with the clear message of Jesus, against much opposition, but “filled with joy” (Acts 13:52) even when they were persecuted. Everywhere they went something happened—either a riot or a revival! During the first missionary trip (Acts 13-14) they traveled to the island of Cyprus and then in a loop across what is now modern day Turkey. They traveled by ship and by foot primarily. On the way out they planted churches and on the way back they revisited many of the congregations “strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith” (Acts 14:22). This first trip took them about a year.
It is so inspiring to see the impact of those early missionaries. But here is what’s blowing me away to think about: The apostle Paul hiked for days, rode ships for weeks, and spent years traveling around the middle east and Europe to speak the gospel in person to the numbers of people we can communicate with instantly with one click of a mouse button! We are living in a radically changing world where we have the opportunity to touch people with the gospel like never before dreamed. Consider the following facts:
- Number of people living in U.S.=307 million; Number of people on Facebook=just over 300 million. Over 800,000 new users daily. Amazing.
- Social Media has overtaken porn as #1 activity on the Web!
- Years to reach 50 million users: Radio, 38; TV, 13; Internet, 4; IPOD, 3; Facebook added 100 million in less than 9 months!
- If Facebook were a country it would be the 4th largest (after China, India, U.S.). But will pass U.S. in a few months.
- Ashton Kutcher and Ellen DeGeneres have more Twitter followers than the entire population of Ireland, Norway and Panama.
- Social Media isn’t a fad, it’s a fundamental shift in the way we communicate. 1.5 million pieces of content shared on FB–DAILY!
- Social media: A fad or biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution? Data shared from www.socialnomics.com
Each of those bullet points is 140 characters or less because I sent them all out this morning as Twitters. My Twitter account is set up to automatically send to Facebook, so they went there as well. Within moments I had several bite size conversations with friends from all over the U.S. regarding these facts. Of course, I found them by following a link from Facebook to a blog, to a video on YouTube, to the socialnomics website… all within just a few minutes.
The first missionaries were seeking to 1) reach the lost with the message of grace in Christ Jesus; 2) establish, strengthen, buildup, and equip the saved. We have the opportunity to do both of those things, reaching a wider and wider local and international audience through the digital technology—specifically through Social Media.
I resisted signing up for Facebook for awhile thinking that it would dominate my time (and it could if I let it). But then I discovered that you can control the notifications you want to receive (via email or phone) and what you want to see on your private home page. I also discovered Seesmic Desktop (and there are others such applications) that enables me to quickly scan my “friends” on both Facebook and Twitter (at the same time) without seeing all the games, quizzes, etc. (mostly nonsense in my humble opinion), but just see the personal notes.
You can keep resisting if you want. I suppose there were people who insisted on still copying manuscripts by hand for awhile after the printing press was invented. But eventually they stopped and eventually you will enter the new communications era too!
Here is my appeal to you. Regardless of whether you choose to use these avenues for evangelism, if you are a member or friend of Grace Place, your pastors want to communicate with you, encourage you, pray for you, know your joys and sorrows, and be your shepherds. All the GP pastors are on Facebook and they want to be your friend. So if you are on there, look us up. If not, get with the program! I have learned so much about our flock by scanning the posts several times a day. I don’t have time to read it all, but many times when we connect at weekend worship gatherings I’ve already been praying for people and we have an instant connection when we see each other as a result.
If you would rather follow what I write on Twitter (it also goes to Facebook which is way more interactive and conversational), you can sign up for Twitter (everything is free) and look over some of my 322 Tweets @claypeck (they’re will probably be more by the time you look). If you really want to stay connected you can not only “follow” my Tweets, but click on the phone icon and have them come as texts to your phone. Of course, that might be way to intimate and invasive for you, but my wife likes it! I put up pictures and videos on Facebook, but use Twitter to (eventually) reach a wider audience and for the discipline of trying to say something meaningful in 140 characters. Sometimes it’s something personal about what I’m doing or thinking… but mostly it is devotional thoughts from scripture or profound quotes or RT (retweets) that inspire me or stuff I’m taking notes on (from books, messages, webcasts, or other avenues)… many times it’s one liners I heard or made up that are going to be in this week’s message at church! So you might hear them again.
If you’re reading this message, than you have a computer and an internet connection, so make sure you befriend your pastors via Facebook! It will help us do our job better as your shepherds.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/claypeck
Facebook: www.facebook.com/clay.peck
Grace Place Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/graceplace