Social Media for Missionaries (Part 1: Facebook)

Carrie Mills • Sep 11, 2014

Blogging, tweeting, posting and sharing are fabulous ways to share about your ministry, but navigating the world of social media and online communication can seem confusing and overwhelming. We’re here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be! Today, you’re reading the first installment of a three-part series on how missionaries can use social media to connect with friends and supporters.

We frequently hear 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.

First off, we’ll discuss the best ways to use Facebook. Let’s get started!

If you’ve spent much time on the internet, you’ve heard of Facebook. Used by over 68 percent of American adults (according to Pew Research Center ), this mega social media site is everywhere you look. Besides being full of fun images and entertaining distractions, Facebook can be a valuable tool for connecting with others and involving friends, family, and even supporters in parts of your lives they might otherwise not be aware of.

Here are some ways you can start using Facebook to share, connect, and communicate with your support base.

1) A picture is worth a thousand words
People love photos on Facebook. Sharing pictures is a great way to provide a glimpse into your world and culture. If you have an interesting story or funny anecdote to go with it, even better!

2) Cross-communicate
Use Facebook to supplement your other modes of sharing. If you mail monthly newsletters , share them on Facebook. If you blog, share your posts on Facebook. If you send out an email update… you guessed it: share it on Facebook! You do not have to generate completely unique content for every Facebook post; you can use Facebook to notify your followers that there are updates available on your other social media channels, and you might catch the eye of someone who would have otherwise missed it.

3) Link up
Facebook is all about sharing, so do just that. Share links to websites you find interesting. Share blog posts you’ve enjoyed reading or articles you’ve found fascinating. Use your Facebook page to share your giving link, or direct your followers to a website about your ministry or country. Chances are, if you’ve found it interesting, someone else will too!

4) Connect with others in ministry
One of the beautiful things about social media is that it opens doors to new worlds and new connections you might not make otherwise. Find other missionaries, missions agencies, and ministry leaders and start interacting with them. If you meet someone at a retreat or conference, look them up on Facebook and stay in touch!

5) Beware the “over-share”
While it’s great to share a lot of good, appropriate content on Facebook, be careful that you don’t over-share. If you like to post a lot of personal AND missions-related items consider opening a second account or starting a page just for your ministry updates. Facebook is wonderful for sharing all aspects of your life and it can be a lot of fun to share funny stories and cute pictures. However, keeping the focus on your ministry will allow your followers to clearly see those updates and keep your posts from getting lost in the crowd.

6) Be consistent
Set a posting timeframe that works well for you. Whether it’s once a month or twice a day, try to maintain some consistency in how often you post. You certainly do not need to post every day at the exact same time, but maintaining your page with regular updates will keep your friends and supporters coming back often—giving them something to look forward to!
(Tip: If you have trouble remembering to post, set a recurring calendar reminder!)

7) Stay in your comfort zone
If you’re not comfortable or don’t enjoy using Facebook (or Twitter, Instagram, blogging, or any other communication platform) it can become a chore. There is nothing written in stone that says you must use Facebook to communicate with your supporters! Use what you enjoy and are comfortable using—whether that’s one outlet or eight—and forget the rest!

On Facebook, the world is a mouse click away. You are part of a great adventure that your supporters and friends want to know about, and Facebook can be the perfect tool for keeping them involved and engaged.

This is the first of a three-part series. Read part 2 (blogging) and part 3 (FAQs).

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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