Twitter is a communication and connectivity tool that continues to increase in popularity both with those that are already tech savvy, and increasingly with mainstream Americans. Therefore, it’s only natural that churches would consider what kind of role this tool can play in ministering to their members and those outside the church walls. Many churches and organizations are feeling like they should be using Twitter, but are not sure how to utilize if for their purposes and beliefs. After many hours of research, we have created a list of 50 ways to help. Here are a few tips and some ideas on how to get started.
Pastors and Clergy
As a pastor, you can easily challenge your congregation to network together. These tips can help them learn more about you and create leadership.
1. Connect to a cell phone using text messaging. This is great for your members because if they have a cell phone they can be connected at any given time.
2. Twitter can give visitors a deeper look into your clergy. Visitors and potential members can get a better understanding of what the people and ministry are like just from viewing tweets. This allows relationships to be formed and deepened.
3. You can put feeds on your website. This is important for keeping the church website pages current. You can update the latest news while communicating with members at the same time.
4. You can send lesson reminders during the week. Members can keep the sermon message in mind by doing this. Keep talking about sermon themes during the week. This can take it further than you can during the weekend.
5. Twitter is global. Your church’s Tweets can be viewed by people anywhere in the world as long as they have a cell phone or internet access. They can also receive or post Tweets themselves.
6. People can send you a direct message. This is useful for things such as prayer requests or anything important someone feels the church needs to be aware of. Be sure to check these daily.
7. Twitter can break the barrier between the pulpit and the pew. Members in a congregation often think that a pastor can’t relate to them. By sharing that you’re doing yard today, this reveals to them that you are a normal, ever day person like them.
8. You can create considerable connections with other pastors. There are so many wonderful resources out there. You should be connected with other great thinkers who are putting their thoughts onto twitter. There are others out there going through the same things.
9. Encourage a conversation instead of just preaching. As the world becomes more modern, unfortunately, the value of the Sunday sermon reduces. Pastors need a way to allow for a conversation instead learning objective that preaching presents.
10. Enhance your prayer life. Twitter can keep you abreast of what is going on in the lives of many friends and people far beyond. This allows prayer to be specific as well as allowing you to rejoice and grieve with members and non members.
11. Use Twitter for reminders to your staff. Keep your staff informed of what’s happening with your busy schedule. This will help you with tasks that need to be taken care of that you have been too overwhelmed to address.
12. Broadcast Blog Posts. Do you or your church have a blog? Using services such as Twitter feed can have a Twitter post happen anytime a new blog post is written.
13. Find good and funny sermon ideas. By keeping up to date on what your church community is talking about may generate some original sermon ideas.
Church Administration
Here are some tips church staff can use to help them better connect with congregation members as well as keep them informed of church events and announcements.
14. Once the initial set-up is done, let your congregation know. Members can join and follow what the church is doing. Post a link to the church’s Twitter page on the church’s site; also if you have a billboard it’s probably best to post the address there for a week or two as well.
15. Twitter can expand connections between staff and members as well as members to members. Twitter is another way for members to develop more personal relationships with each other. It also is a way for members to be more personally connected with the pastor and other church staff.
16. Using Twitter is faster than email, phone calls, and group texts. Members can be notified immediately because it’s a cell phone text rather than an email which people may not check regularly. It’s particularly helpful for urgent messages and last minute reminders.
17. Links can be included in tweets. You can include links to more information, signup forms, or just a link to the church website. This can improve participation from the congregation and build up traffic to the website
18. Call for volunteers. If you are in need of volunteers for an important church event or dinner, you can post a bulletin requesting for help.
19. Showcase your staff. On your churches staff page, give clear links to those on Twitter. This is also a good place to link to their profiles on other social networking sites.
20. Find out who else related to your church uses Twitter: If you have an e-mail database of your vendors and congregation, you can have Twitter search an account for active members. Follow them to see what’s happening, and many will follow back.
21. Use Twitter to bounce ideas off your followers. Thinking of having an upcoming event or retreat? Use Twitter to get feedback from your congregation.
22. Thank Supporters. Thank your supporters by letting your base know about anything from a major donation to someone bringing cookies goodies to the office. This is a wonderful way to show everyone that your volunteers are well appreciated.
23. Send personalized cards and messages to church members. With certain applications you can send personalized notes or cards. This can be a great pick up for a member in need.
24. Reduce Your Marketing Budget. Those direct mail postcards may not be the most efficient way to communicate. Twitter helps you reach the people who are interested in what you are doing.
25. Tweet and meet up. Attend and hold get togethers of your congregation and followers. Create real-life relationships from the twitter connections you have made.
26. Use Twitter as a To Do list. Use Twitter to record what you need to do while away from the computer. Mark the tweet as a favorite to file it for your referencing.
27. Announce a celebration. Now when a person dedicates their life to Jesus, or gets married or baptized in the church, you can let your church members about it.
Youth & other group ministries
Keeping in touch with today’s youth and the overwhelming problems they face can be tough work. These tips promote fresh ideas, the power of twitter, and what it can do for your youth ministry.
28. Select and individual or group to be in charge of Twitter pages. Make one main page for the entire church. Then if needed, create additional pages for any other small groups you have within the church.
29. Use numerous Twitter accounts. Use one account for each ministry. This allows correspondence with your members to be categorized so they are only receiving messages that are related to them.
30. Post weather related issues. If you have upcoming weather-sensitive events, make an account dedicated to field conditions. This is great for rainy summer Saturdays. It saves plenty of phone calls from wondering members or parents.
31. Share camp stories and pictures. Share stories and pictures with other group members to create lasting memories. This will help bring them closer to each other as well as create a happy environment.
32. Reach out to members addicted to text. We are all aware of the popularity of texting in today’s younger society. Take advantage of this by communicating more with teen members.
33. Send reports to parents while on youth trips. Keep parents informed of what’s going on by sending them updates on outings and camps that their child is attending.
34. Twitter makes it easier for the shy kids to communicate with the group. Using twitter will help those kids that are too shy to join in. They can still communicate and feel like they are a part of the group.
35. Show live chats from events: An easy hash tag can take you a long way. You can encourage people to use a hash tag when discussing the event, and then point them to the Twitter search results page for that hash.
36. Twitter Bible studies: It is being called a Twible Study. Give members a Bible verse & ask them each for one application.
37. Send reminders to forgetful youth. I’m sure you have some youth members that have a hard time remembering to bring their bible to study, let alone anything else. Twitter gives you the ability to remind them of important events and issues going on.
38. Have access to your Facebook group or MySpace page. You can get more followers to your MySpace page or Facebook group by using Twitter. This just broadens the communication you can have with youth members.
39. Find out about successful events at other churches. See what events are going on at other churches and their youth groups. You can evaluate trends that are going on with teens and their faith.
Members of the Church
By using these Twitter tips, church members can engage in a sense of community, family, and faith.
40. Ask for Help. We have all had bad days or sudden urgent needs that we needed help and guidance with. Know that you can communicate with your pastor or church staff to get a helping hand.
41. Help Others. It goes both ways with help and sharing experiences. Your church might be able to help another organization you follow on twitter that might be making a mistake or need financial assistance.
42. It’s easy to sign up. Signing up for Twitter literally takes minutes. Set up is pretty self explanatory and you can have all these benefits quickly.
43. Share your life with others. Sharing your experiences with followers and other members of the church can promote a better understanding of you and your family. Other members might be feeling the the same way you might be.
44. Monitor services from afar. If for some reason you can’t make it to Sunday service, Twitter allows real-time discussion so you can still be informed of what your pastor has preached about.
45. Create Community. Someone you might be following might post where they have been or who they met. This is a good way to create a sense of community with other members.
46. Browse through followers. Once you have become a member following the church’s Twitter page, you can also browse through the “Followers” section and connect with each other.
47. Twitter is user friendly. Twitter is not a hard application to use. There are thousands of help sites out there to answer any questions you might have.
48. Get rid of misplaced musings jotted down on church programs. With Twitter your notes are there forever. A stray thought or idea about today’s sermon will not escape from your hands.
49. Help stimulate your faith. Take full advantage of worship services from communication with others. Read others emotions and insights that can act as a springboard to a more intimate relationship with God.
50. Share common interests. Find other church members who have the same ideas and interests as yourself. Create a focus group that meets regularly.
Twitter is a very straightforward tool that even the most non technical people in your church can use in literally a matter of minutes, right from their cell phones. By using these tips, we hope churches can easily provide timely, helpful information and resources to their congregations.