What Can the Church Learn from Facebook? (Article from February 2012)

What Can the Church Learn from Facebook?

In many ways, the church in the 21st century has more in common with the 1st-century church than at any time in history. We are a small minority, operating in society hostile to us. We are surrounded by violence, selfishness and hardship. And yet we know from scripture that the 1st century church was alive, vibrant, and effective to a degree that changed the world! So what have we lost? What can we recover from that example?
Believe it or not, I think we can learn a lot by looking at Facebook. What is it about that social networking site that attracts more than 700 million people to actively use it? Obviously, something resonates with people. Facebook’s stated purpose is to “help you connect and share with the people in your life”—and I suspect that that is the key! In my experience using Facebook, I see examples all the time of people sharing their lives with family and friends old and new. Here are a few typical scenarios:

• Parents and grandparents announcing babies on the way;
• Teens revealing painful breakups, and their friends rallying around them with words of comfort and encouragement;
• Deaths of loved ones, and outpouring of support and condolences;
• Silly things like the banter of friendly rivalries about football or hockey;
• Urgent calls for prayer for a variety of reasons;
• The fear and frustration of lost jobs & the joy and celebration of new jobs;
• Grandparents interacting with their grand kids’ daily lives;
• And sharing photos chronicling all kinds of events from vacations to graduations.

It’s not about the technology—it’s about relationships
The technology isn’t the point here (although it certainly makes connecting convenient). The popularity of Facebook gives us a clue to what people are hungry for—the chance to belong, connect and interact with others. It’s reaching out to people, and having them reach out to you. It’s the sharing of our lives. This is what people desperately crave, and what the church—the body of Christ—should be like.
The Bible has over fifty “one another” statements that describe how the church body—all of us—should act. Here are just a few:

“Love one another” (John 13:34)
“Be at peace with one another” (Mark 9:50)
“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love” (Romans 12:10)
“Stop passing judgment on one another” (Romans 15:7)
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:19)
“Pray for each other” (James 5:16)
“Accept one another just as Christ accepted you” (Romans 15:7)
“Encourage one another” (1 Thess. 3:12)
“Don’t grumble against each other” (James 5:9)
“Build each other up” (1 Thess. 5:11)
“Carry each other’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2)
“Forgiving each other” (Ephesians 4:32)
“Instruct one another” (Romans 15:14)
“Be kind and compassionate to one another” (Ephesians 4:32)
“Love each other deeply, from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22)

When we wonder what God wants for SCBC—what kind of church we want to be known as—these verses (and all the other “one another” verses) might be the best place to start!