This past week, someone asked me to give some examples of innovative uses of the web for ministry. As I started to list my examples, I thought that these sites would be of interest to my readers as well. Innovation, like beauty, may well be in the eye of the beholder, so you may look for other things when considering innovative web services. What I look for in innovative uses…
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Six Questions to Consider Before Using Facebook for Ministry
Radio and TV programs are regularly inviting us to their Facebook pages. Friends and relatives are asking “Aren’t you on Facebook yet?” Some of our constituents are encouraging us to start a Facebook page. Here are six questions to ask yourself before you put your ministry or organization on Facebook.
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What is the place of social media in ministry?
The use of social media tools in ministry is one of the priorities of Benedict XVI and one of the challenges facing those who do ministry. The Holy Father has urged priests and those in pastoral ministries to take advantage of these new tools to proclaim the gospel and bring others to Christ. For ministry leaders already balancing many different priorities—social media might be the last thing they want to…
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Internet Ministry Can Serve Many People
In our reading of the gospels, we learn that Jesus engaged people individually and in large groups as he preached and taught his message. He walked the length and breadth of his homeland to be with them. We who follow Jesus accept his commission to take his message to the whole world (Matthew 28:18-20). Today that includes to cyberspace where many people are gathering. They go online for information, goods,…
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Focus on Mission and Technology Will Follow
In a survey that I put out a few days ago, I invited respondents to submit any questions they have about technology and mission. The majority of these respondents, like you, are already sold on using technology for mission. Many of them asked the question that I hear again and again “How can we get [fill in the blank] to see the importance of having a web presence, (using email…
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Church Ministry and the Digital Age Part II
The Catholic Church has always been in the forefront of using communications media for mission and ministry. Pope Paul VI wrote in On Evangelization in the Modern World, “The Church would feel guilty before the Lord if she did not use these powerful means [of social communication] that human skill is daily rendering more perfect. It is through them that she proclaims “from the housetops” the message of which she…