At the end of Jesus’s earthly ministry, he issued what we most often call the Great Commission for his followers to go into all the world and share the Gospel. Acts 1:8 is often cited as the biblical basis for sending missionaries but it echoes the Great Commission command to go to the whole earth and bear witness. It is a basic tenant of the Christian faith that believers are to spread the good news of Jesus Christ.
In The Great Digital Commission: Embracing Social Media for Church Growth and Transformation, Caleb J. Lines begins by addressing the continued need for evangelism in the world today. Many congregations are in decline, particularly in mainline Protestant denominations, because too many churches have become social clubs or platforms for political agendas. Our main concern as Christian communities needs to be what it always has been, sharing the good news that Jesus welcomes all and is the only path to salvation. Evangelism needs to make a comeback in both personal, face to face contact in the real world and online using every social media platform. Lines points out that 84% of American churches have a website and/or a Facebook page so most recognize the need to reach a digital audience. Some of those websites are dated and many Facebook pages are used sporadically or often not at all. Fewer congregations can be found using Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Like it or not, for better or worse, social media is a growing trend that is here to stay. Even when church leadership has pushed back against using social media platforms, the simple truth is that most church members are already on those platforms. People are going to have their phones out in church. What churches must do to reach people in the digital media age is get better at using those tools and resources. Social media use cannot be haphazard or left to chance though. Churches need to be intentional in the way social media is used to facilitate the message the church wishes to share. Members already present need to engage social media so that their family and friends see lives transformed by worship, by application of scriptural truths and the living out in the real world Bible passages that are studied inside the building. The Great Digital Commission seeks to help church leaders and congregants take the first steps and then develop strategies to use social media effectively as a tool for evangelism and ministry. Social media presence must be authentic to the church’s identity and mission, which means churches need to be sure they understand their identity and can articulate their mission before trying to engage with others online. Practical advice is given, stories from real life are shared, and there are appendices all designed to help readers learn what to do effectively. Lines is clearly well read himself and cites numerous books by other authors and recent studies by the Pew Center, LifeWay Research and others.
A word of warning: Caleb Lines pastors a progressive Christian church in San Diego, California and is the Co-Executive Director of ProgressiveChristianity.org. Many of my readers are to the right if not extreme right of the social and political spectrum and may find his frequent reference to LGBTQ+ issues disturbing. University Christian Church identifies as the first open and affirming congregation in southern California. This book has a lot of good things to say about reaching those outside of the church and how to do that using the most effective tools at our disposal. Conservative Christians in general, and Southern Baptists in particular which is the denomination I serve in, may have trouble wading through the progressive liberal theology is places. The book addresses it’s stated topic well; I just wouldn’t want anyone to be shocked or angry that I read and recommended this volume.
The Great Digital Commission is available in paperback from Amazon or ChristianBook but if you want an ebook that will have to be on Nook from Barnes & Noble. You can also view the author’s website which contains a link to order direct from the publisher.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
The Master's Table 