by Kevin Carson
A. Social media provides opportunities to help or hurt both God’s work and God’s people. Because of personal safety issues and global location, some missionaries cannot engage supporting churches, friends, and pastors through social media. However, for those who can participate, the power of social media can benefit both the missionary and the congregant.
FOR THE MISSIONARY…
1. Communicates the needs. Social media provides a great outlet to communicate various needs to those who love you and want God’s best for your ministry.
2. Informs prayer. Often, service to a missionary begins with prayer. Make your prayer requests known and specific.
3. Provides a context for life. You live. You hope. You enjoy family. You celebrate anniversaries. You rejoice as people are saved and baptized. You hurt. You undergo suffering. You experience disappointments. With wisdom, share what you believe will bless, challenge, encourage, or help those who engage with you.
4. Broadens support. With a great sense of love, appreciation, and excitement, many of your friends and family will share what you have posted through social media, in Sunday school classes, at prayer meetings, and at the family dinner table. In the process, your prayer support broadens, and possibly your financial support as well.
FOR THE CONGREGANT…
1. Communicates you care. With ministry pressures and, at times, almost overwhelming circumstances, your interaction may provide that special sense that God and God’s people care about the missionary’s life, family, and ministry.
2. Keeps missions in the conversation. Social medial provides an additional avenue to stir hearts for missions. A timely post reminds your readers of a specific need or at least the Great Commission.
WHAT CAN YOU DO AS A CHURCH OR CONGREGANT?
1. Watch, eager to pray. The Apostle Peter encouraged all believers, “Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray” (1 Peter 4:7). As you scroll through your social media feed, be alert for people and circumstances for which to pray. Every time you see a missionary’s post, determine if it is a prayer request. If it is, pray immediately. If not, say a prayer of blessing for the missionary.
2. Read, open to give. Often, missionaries use social media to communicate needs. If this is the case, you can ask, “Is there something I can give or encourage others to give?”
3. Share, desiring to help. There may be others in your social network who could pray or who could give. Practice caution when sharing missionary posts, though, because of the public nature of social media. Be sure to share only what the missionary shares publically. It is unwise to read a personal email or hear a pastor share news regarding a particular missionary and then share that news on social media; it could jeopardize the missionary’s safety or produce other undesired results.
4. Respond, seeking to encourage. The easiest way to respond is simply clicking “like” or something similar; this provides the originator with the confidence that you read the post. In other instances, you may reply with “Praying” or “Encouraging report, thank you!” When notified of a missionary’s birthday or anniversary, a short note is always appreciated.
5. Engage hoping to serve. Realize missionaries are busy doing God’s work in a specific location with many ministry, social, and family obligations. The missionary may be just as busy as you or busier. Your goal is to serve and not overwhelm a missionary with additional correspondence. Try to word your posts to allow the missionary the option of not replying.
6. Participate striving to glorify God. Whatever you say or however you use social media to love and serve your missionary, allow Paul’s words to motivate you: “Whether therefore you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Kevin Carson serves as department chair of Biblical Counseling at Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary in Springfield, MO. He is the pastor of Sonrise Baptist Church in Ozark, MO.