The Great Digital Commission

Embracing Social Media for Church Growth and Transformation

Caleb J. Lines

• Publisher: Cascade Books
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN:
  9781725287846
  9781725287853
• eBook ISBN:
  9781725287860
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Church

Attendance in US churches continues to sharply decline. As church leaders struggle to identify both root causes and possible responses, they often feel a sense of despair . . . but there is hope! When social media is used intentionally, it is the greatest tool that the church has ever had to fulfill the Great Commission. In our time, we should hear a Great Digital Commission. The Great Digital Commission offers a theological reflection on the importance of social media--while acknowledging its shortfalls--and suggests practical steps that can help congregations think about strategies for church growth and transformation. This book is designed to be approachable for pastors, church leaders, and church social media managers, as well as congregants who want a clearer sense of why social media is important to use within the church and how they can foster healthy social media accounts. The Great Digital Commission has been commanded! We have been called to spread the Good News from our doorsteps to the ends of earth using not only our words, but our posts, our tweets, our memes, our videos, our events, our pins, and our very lives. May it be so.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Ups and Downs of Social Media
• Chapter 2: Digital Authenticity
• Chapter 3: Values and Social Media
• Chapter 4: Changing Churches
• Chapter 5: Finding Hope
• Appendix A: Sample Social Media Policy
• Appendix B: Sample Minor Photo/Video Release Form
• Appendix C: Ten Social Media Commandments
• Bibliography