Tuesday Youday: Is Facebook killing the church?

There have been SO MANY great blog posts this week that it was hard to pick one to feature. This one particularly caught my eye because of all the hard work that many churches are doing to “beef up” their internet presence – particularly on Facebook and Twitter.

I just recently discovered Experimental Theology and was thrilled to add it to my gooreader.  The author, Richard Beck, is a a college professor and experimental psychologist in Texas, and was unknown to me before I stumbled upon his blog.

We hear a lot lately about how the church today isn’t reaching youth and young adults the way it should be.  Many times these arguments say that today’s generation is so different from future generations and we just don’t know how to reach them.  Although that statement is likely very true, How Facebook Killed the Church argues that this is nothing new to this generation.  Beck argues that the church has never really done a great job of attracting youth and young adults.  But they came because there was great value in the social interaction that happened at church events.

You can read his argument and decide whether or not you agree for yourself, but I have to admit that he makes an awful lot of sense to me.  I keep in touch with a lot of my close friends via Facebook and my interactions with them are often very much more honest and authentic than any of my interactions with other people.  Being friends with someone on Facebook helps me to connect with them in a daily way.  I don’t need church for social interaction.  In fact, church is the last place I go for social interaction.

His post got me thinking – should church be important to those of us who identify ourselves as Christians, and if so, why?  Hmm – perhaps this week’s Theological Thursday is brewing already…

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Crystal Rowe

Written by

wife to D, mama to A and the two sweetest kitties on the planet, sister, daughter, follower of Christ, writer, book lover, beloved child of God

  • Tambryn

    I say church absolutely is important to Christians today. It should be a place of action: you welcome in new people who maybe don't know what they believe and are looking for guidance, you reach out to help those less fortunate who wouldn't know where to turn to on Facebook, and being part of a bigger group out side of just the people you choose on Facebook exposes you to new ideas and challenges your faith to keep it growing and vibrant. I avoided church until I was in my 20s BECAUSE I felt the focus at that age was totally social. Now, I like have a place the glorifies God and helps me to grow towards him. My faith on my own, even with the input of friends, was nothing compared to what the physical community and face to face interaction of the church has helped me to grow.

  • Tambryn

    I say church absolutely is important to Christians today. It should be a place of action: you welcome in new people who maybe don't know what they believe and are looking for guidance, you reach out to help those less fortunate who wouldn't know where to turn to on Facebook, and being part of a bigger group out side of just the people you choose on Facebook exposes you to new ideas and challenges your faith to keep it growing and vibrant. I avoided church until I was in my 20s BECAUSE I felt the focus at that age was totally social. Now, I like have a place the glorifies God and helps me to grow towards him. My faith on my own, even with the input of friends, was nothing compared to what the physical community and face to face interaction of the church has helped me to grow.

  • Tambryn

    I say church absolutely is important to Christians today. It should be a place of action: you welcome in new people who maybe don't know what they believe and are looking for guidance, you reach out to help those less fortunate who wouldn't know where to turn to on Facebook, and being part of a bigger group out side of just the people you choose on Facebook exposes you to new ideas and challenges your faith to keep it growing and vibrant. I avoided church until I was in my 20s BECAUSE I felt the focus at that age was totally social. Now, I like have a place the glorifies God and helps me to grow towards him. My faith on my own, even with the input of friends, was nothing compared to what the physical community and face to face interaction of the church has helped me to grow.

  • David

    Catalyst just sent this one out: http://www.catalystspace.com/content/read/christ_…
    Facebook seems to know how to grow and isnt afraid of backlash from their users. One example is the status board. When it was introduced people despised it. Now people live by it. I put that other post cuz its important to be able to measure how you are doing and what fails and what is successful :)

  • David

    Catalyst just sent this one out: <a href="http://www.catalystspace.com/content/read/christ_or_bust_no_growth_left_behind_-_cunningham/&quot; target="_blank">http://www.catalystspace.com/content/read/christ_…</a> Facebook seems to know how to grow and isnt afraid of backlash from their users. One example is the status board. When it was introduced people despised it. Now people live by it. I put that other post cuz its important to be able to measure how you are doing and what fails and what is successful :)

  • David

    Catalyst just sent this one out: http://www.catalystspace.com/content/read/christ_…
    Facebook seems to know how to grow and isnt afraid of backlash from their users. One example is the status board. When it was introduced people despised it. Now people live by it. I put that other post cuz its important to be able to measure how you are doing and what fails and what is successful :)