Social Media for Missionaries (Part 3: FAQs)

Carrie Mills • Nov 21, 2014

Welcome to our three-part series on how missionaries can use social media to connect with friends and supporters. Be sure to check out our first post where we shared tips on how to use Facebook for your ministry , and the second post in our series that focused on how to make the most out of your blog.

We frequently receive the same questions from missionaries about Facebook, Twitter, blogging and more, and have compiled some general ideas and suggestions based on these conversations. We understand that there are countless resources for learning about and managing social media; our hope is to simply invite you to discover new ways of using these tools to connect with others and engage your audience more fully in your ministry.

*Please note that we discourage using social media if you are in a security-sensitive area or situation. Always use discretion when choosing what to share publicly.

Let’s get started! We’re going to answer some of your most frequently asked questions about social media.

QUESTION: Where do I start?

ANSWER: The world of social media can be overwhelming at times. If you’re new to social sharing, start small – you can always learn to use more social media sites later.

If you’re already familiar with a particular social media site, start there. Develop your presence and build a group of followers on one site before branching out into others. Let your motto be “quality over quantity;” it’s better to have a strong presence on one social media platform than a weak presence stretched across multiple platforms.

Q: What do you recommend as the best social media platform for connecting with my supporters?

A: The best social media site to use is the one that you are most comfortable using. If you do not enjoy or understand Twitter, then it will not be a very effective tool for you to connect with others. Any site that feels difficult or overwhelming will quickly become tedious and burdensome. Find something that you enjoy and is fun for you, and it’ll never become a chore!

If you consider yourself a social media guru and really enjoy all aspects of digital sharing, then use your passion to develop your followers and online support base. Have fun with sharing all aspects of your life and ministry, involve your friends and supporters in your daily life and share, share, share! Each social media platform is unique, and each site offers different ways to cross-communicate with diverse groups of people.

Q: How do I use Twitter?

A: One of the attractions of Twitter is its quick turnaround time: spend five minutes away from your Twitter feed, and you will come back to an entirely different list of tweets and users. While this is an attraction for many, it can be overwhelming and frustrating just trying to keep up with your feed.

Twitter is designed to spout out a lot of quick messages in a short amount of time. The dictionary definition of “twitter” even means to utter a succession of small, tremulous sounds or to talk lightly and rapidly. Short, quick messages with temporary impact is the nature of Twitter, so don’t feel like you have to catch up on everything that’s been posted since you last logged on. If someone really wants you to see their message, they’ll tag you (by inserting @yourusername in their tweet).

Twitter has a great basic guide that’s worth perusing if you’re new to Twitter and don’t know a hashtag from a hash brown. We suggest taking a little time to browse through your feed and check out the profiles of some other Twitter users. You’ll start noticing similarities and trends. And remember, this is supposed to be fun! If it starts to become overwhelming or encumbering at any time, just let it go.

Q: I don’t understand what I’m reading on Twitter. Can you explain what all these acronyms mean?

A: Because of small text limit in messages, acronyms have become a big part of the Twitter language. Don’t know what DM, @, RT, MT, #, TY, BTW and TIA mean? Twittonary is a great Twitter dictionary for these confusing acronyms and abbreviations. Who knew there was a dictionary just for Twitter?

Q: How do I share my Facebook group or page with others?

A: Unfortunately, because Facebook is so popular these days, it’s not as simple as saying “find Bob Smith on Facebook!” A simple search for Bob Smith will pull up thousands of results. Therefore, when sharing your profile or page with others, it’s important to send them a direct link. When you are viewing your profile or page, the URL in the address bar will display a custom link that you can share with others to send them directly to the same page. We recommend sharing this address instead of the name of your group – even if the page has a unique name, a URL will guarantee your friends find the page they’re looking for.

Q: How do I set my Facebook/Twitter/blog to private?

A: All sites have slightly different privacy settings, so check carefully before posting anything. If security is a concern, always err on the side of being overly cautious and choose the most private security settings available. If you are unable to find the security settings for a particular site, a quick google search for “(site in question) privacy settings” can usually provide good results. For your reference, here are the privacy setting instructions for a few of the more common social media sharing sites:

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Blogger
WordPress

By Suzanne Pearson 19 Mar, 2024
Previously on the TEAM blog, we sat down with Justin Burkholder (pictured above at left, with TEAM's Executive Director of Communications, Aaron Catlin). Justin will become TEAM’s next International Director on July 1, 2024. Justin shared about his background, family, and the journey that led him to TEAM. Check out that interview here . Today, we pick up the conversation as Justin shares how God called him to the role of International Director, and what he sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church. Q: How and when did you first consider applying for the position of International Director? How did the Lord reveal Himself to you as this opportunity presented itself? A: For some time, I have been evaluating how God wants me to use the gifts He has given me. Jenny and I have had a fruitful ministry in church planting in Guatemala and would happily continue doing so as God leads. However, as God blessed my efforts in TEAM leadership, there were friends and family who expressed that I should consider using my gifts in the International Director role. I don’t believe that everything necessarily rises and falls on leadership, but I do believe that it is a core component in the body of Christ. Using the gifts God has given me is a way that I want to bless the body of Christ in TEAM, making my contribution to the global purposes of God’s mission. Jenny and I spent a lot of time praying about this and decided that I should put my name in for consideration, trusting God’s guidance. We had a tremendous amount of peace throughout the entire process and were blessed by the prayer-filled process that the board undertook. Q: This is a key role in a large and complex organization, and I’m sure this was a big decision for you and your family. What were your fears or concerns? Why did you ultimately decide to accept the position? A: You say “were” like the fears have passed! I still am quite aware of my youth and inexperience - of the responsibility and weight of this role. Mostly, I’m afraid of leading an organization like TEAM in the flesh. Many of the fears that I have faced have been fears rooted in fleshly desires and concerns. I have no desire to succeed in the world’s eyes and fail in the Kingdom of Jesus. Why did I ultimately decide to accept the position? I’m convinced that the Good News about Jesus is true. The tomb is empty, Jesus is King, and the world needs to know, because Jesus is coming back. He will put things in order. He will establish righteousness, peace, and justice for all mankind, and He has commissioned His Church to proclaim and demonstrate His rule and reign. I want to use my gifts to do whatever I can to amplify the proclamation of this message and the multiplication of His Church around the world. Q: What are your goals and vision for the future of TEAM? A: This is something that I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. I’m certainly not ready to present a fully-shaped vision and goals for TEAM’s future without the input of other people in different contexts in TEAM. But, I will share a few things that I think are important: First, we need to model God-Dependence . I am hopeful that as leaders in TEAM, we can continue to model God-Dependence. As Hudson Taylor said years ago “…God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supplies.” I am hopeful that we can increase our sense of faith in God, prayer, and seeking direction from the Spirit. Secondly, we must strengthen our relational fabric . Due to the changes that we have experienced by decentralizing our home office functions, and the challenges from the pandemic, we have experienced a loss of relationships. It is imperative that we intentionally prioritize the building of relationships with one another. I plan to visit our workers and staff, and I am expectant that other key leaders and staff will be doing the same. Third, we must pursue the greater presence of the global Church. The Kingdom of Jesus Christ doesn’t look like any single geopolitical, ethnic, or racial culture. If we want to truly see the Kingdom of Jesus come on earth as it is in heaven, then we as citizens of this Kingdom must learn from one another, submit to one another, and grow with one another. The missional potential of the global Church has been unleashed by God’s Spirit since Acts 1, and we have an opportunity to learn from many brothers and sisters in Christ who can help us to better model and proclaim the Kingdom of Jesus to those who have yet to believe. Lastly, we must increase our Gospel boldness . There are still many places of great spiritual blindness and spiritual brokenness around the world. The apostolic impulse of cross-cultural organizations should call us to the to the edges of where the Kingdom of Jesus is not penetrating. Whether spiritual blindness and brokenness exists because of lack of access, idolatry, injustice, or any other myriad of reasons, I prayerfully hope to see more and more TEAM workers continue to move into spaces of great Gospel need.
By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
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