WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? We all want connection.  People inside and outside your group use Social Media every day, trying to find connection with one another.  That is why it is a multibillion dollar industry.  We all want to connect people together and to information we find important.

In fact, you are probably reading this blog article because some form of social media directed you here.  You were sent an email, saw a tweet, or read a post and you clicked it hoping to find a potential solution to a challenge you are experiencing in your group ministry leadership right now.

WHAT DO I DO? Social Media is just what it says it is. Media is information or data. It is anything we speak, hear, do, see, share, or experience that passes along information.  Social is simply the way that media travels, relationally from person to person.  Isn’t that what we are about in our groups ministries: Connecting Socially to share the most important Media known to man, the gospel of Jesus Christ, with those who need to hear it?

Here are a few ways you can use Social Media to reach people in your group:

• Start closed Facebook groups for all the classes and groups in your church.
• Use your posting and sharing as a source of encouragement by avoiding negativity on your feed.
• Share articles and blogs that encourage your group members to think through topics discussed in your group.
• Be open to ideas that may seem contradictory to your way of thinking, and be prepared to civilly discuss these concerns with compassion and reverence (1 Peter 3:15)
• Use your social pages and groups to promote community events where group members can connect beyond the group time.
• Practice typing your Christian testimony in 140 characters or less.

For more information on this topic with additional links to resources, visit:
http://www.smallgroups.com/articles/2015/4-ways-you-can-use-social-media-for-good.html