A couple days ago, Josh Harris joined Facebook and has asked several questions that I, a Facebook newbie as well, have been asking. Go check out his survey of questions and share your thoughts (that is, if you are a Facebook user). Tim Challies has also responded with his $.02 on his blog. I admit that the hardest thing for me is not accepting friend requests because I didn’t know the person. However, I learned this the hard way as one of these friends notified me about some application deal that caused me to peruse his page and find things I did not approve. Needless to say, he is no longer a Facebook “friend.” For those of you who use Facebook, what’s your typical standard for accepting or rejecting friend requests?
In other Facebook news, I discovered that LifeChurch.tv is attempting to start a church through Facebook. Bobby Gruenewald, pastor and “Innovation Leader” writes,
“As I’ve proclaimed several times before…at LifeChurch.tv, we desire to meet people right where they are at. Today, we are announcing that we will be doing that in Facebook by building the first Facebook Church. It is an application that will leverage our new Internet Campus technology to allow people to “attend” and be a part of a church community in Facebook.”
LifeChurch.tv has developed an application for Facebook users to be able to do the following:
- Read about the current message series
- Join any of our three Internet campus experiences through your Facebook profile
- Invite up to 10 of your friends to install the app each day (a Facebook limitation)
- See a countdown to the next experience time
- During the week take a tour of the Internet campus interface.
You can read more about the motivation and rationale of the Facebook church in the three-part series (part 1, part 2, and part 3) by Gruenewald.
So what do you think about what LifeChurch.tv, an Internet-based church, is trying to do with Facebook (a social-networking application)?
I have several things that come to my mind, but I would first like to hear what you think about it. There are some obvious problems immediately surface, and it would be easy to give a knee-jerk reaction to idea. Perhaps we can discuss what constitutes a true church and the irreducible minimums as prescribed through God’s revelation, the Scriptures. Dr. Russell Moore, in his first article on The Dean’s Class blog, reminded his class that
“This website will not create community. Real face-to-face fellowship, the kind that goes on every Sunday morning and throughout the week between us, is what God ordained to do that. As our brother John puts it, “Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete” (2 John 12 ESV). But this website will be a key means of helping to keep us connected while we’re out on mission in our workplaces and homes throughout the metro Louisville area.”
So one of the immediate questions, then, is whether a social networking program can create community–community where joy is made complete through face to face exchanges in contrast to poke to poke interactions.
Finally, in a more general sense, how can Christians use such mediums and programs as social networking (Facebook, MySpace, etc.) for the sake of the gospel?
On a lighter note, enjoy this hilarious video from Rhett and Link.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSnXE2791yg]
For those of you who use Facebook, what’s your typical standard for accepting or rejecting friend requests?
I only accept requests from people I personally know, which in my case is mainly my blood relatives, fellow church members, and current and former classmates. For me, Facebook and Myspace are mediums for keeping in touch with those I know. I have no qualms whatsoever with rejecting requests from random people I’ve never met.
I’m right with DT. It’s been useful for getting back in touch with my high school friends of 10+ years ago of whom I totally lost track. But I have not hesitated in the past to ask people how they know me before accepting their request.
On myspace, my philosophy is essentially only add people who are really friends or at least acquaintances. I am willing to add random people if I am able to discern that they are a real person (not an adbot) with an actual interest in wanting to know me (rather than promote some inappropriate site that they have). Sometimes it is entertaining to fish people out and see where their true intentions lie…
I post my theological and personal musings on my myspace blog as well as on my regular webpage in the hopes that it will encourage my friends but also perhaps be a witness for the random person who (by God’s sovereignty) stops by and takes the time to read something.
I read through the supposed rationale for the Facebook church, and unless my skimming was too fast and I missed it, there was no rationale. It seems they simple observe a trend in the culture and appropriate it for the so-called church. You tagged your post “ecclesiology”, but I didn’t see that they actually have any. It seems to me that our culture already suffers from a lack of shoulder-to-shoulder community with those among whom we live. What we need is a move away from commuter/consumer mentality and relationships at a distance, not a move toward yet further isolation. That’s my 0.02 USD.
The philosophy is simple: If you I don’t know, you ain’t my bro.
1.: Facebook- I only add people I know. I am not out to make friends through Facebook (and would not have even joined it if not invited by my spiritual daughters in Brazil). It does give us a place to keep in touch a bit, but I prefer email, phone and best yet: visiting!
2: the internet “church”- I do not see browsing a site on the net as “gathering together” (Hebrews 10.25). How can a pastor care for the people solely over the internet? Technology is great, I love it- but it cannot replace real relationships. Hey, I could open an internet church, convince everyone I was 6’2″ with blonde hair, big muscules and a GQ smile. I could even seem more articulate but letting someone prescreen my messages. But I am 5’11”, brownish hair without any big muscles and only an “okay” smile. The point is deception and exaggeration would be too easy to result. It limits accountability.
Facebook church? Scary. Sounds like the beginnings of another form of TV evangelism. Although I currently use faceook groups to partially communicate with students in my campus ministry organization, it is not the sole substitute. It is only a tool.
I think Christians should use these mediums in the same way we use real life. Hanging out at the mall is very similar to hanging out online. How we conduct ourselves online should merely be a virtual reflection of our offline selves. I don’t think we need anything new or different just the same old be friends, love people, talk to them, help them out when the need it, encourage them etc.
And that was a great video 🙂
I joined Facebook at my nephew’s invite. It is a nice way to stay in touch… really the only way he will communicate with me. : ) He tried to get me to join MySpace, but it seems too unpolished, for lack of a better word.
I do friend blogosphere “friends.” Reading blogs and comments, does create community and Facebook is a convenient way to go a step further with online community. Make sure you go through each privacy setting and set them at your comfort level. Because I wish to include the blogosphere (in my small way), I probably put less personal and less personally identifying information on Facebook than someone who only includes face to face friends.
Tim,
This is the only way I know to get a hold of you. I think we have the same Hermeneutics class (Wellum-Mon @ 3). If you want, email me at [email protected] to perhaps get together before class or something.
Terry
Everyone,
Thanks for the help. I guess the big reason I don’t want to not “allow” someone to be my “friend” is that I don’t want to come off as a jerk. But then again, if the person doesn’t know me, then I suppose that would be as big a deal. I’m just not good with that stuff.
Re: Facebook church,
I don’t want to sound as though I am uncertain or without conviction on this matter. I feel like if I put all my cards on the table, then that would not make for much discussion (“well, he already has his mind made up” kind of thinking). Therefore, I hope to pose the question with some level of openness and neutrality with the hopes that those who argue for a position could support their case with Scripture.
Outside the obvious problems with the idea of a Facebook or internet church, there are more subversive and implicit issues that plague the idea. Perhaps we can discuss these issues more at a later time.
Oh, and Ethan, I agree that we should use this medium for the sake of the gospel and that our conduct and conversation should be the same in any scenario. However, I think it would be fair to say that real life relationships and community is much different from sitting in front of a computer screen talking to someone who you really don’t know beyond a screen name. Nevertheless, it has been a joy to see friendships made and grown (offline) with folks who I have met through the blogosphere.
Terry,
Indeed. We are in the same class. I am sitting in the front right section (if you are facing Dr. Wellum). I have class both before (12:00-3:00) and after (6:30-9:30) hermeneutics, so maybe we can get together another day. Let’s see if we can work it out.
Were you the last guy on your row or was their a guy sitting to your immediate right–there were two people in that front row and I am trying to figure out which one you were. I was sitting second row from the front (not counting the single chair), far left section today. I was the one asking about how typology was just a redefinition of the allegory hermeneutic. I am on campus Mon-Thursday from about 10-whenever.
Oh, so you were <ithat guy. 😉
I am the dark-headed Middle-Eastern looking guy on the front row on the right side. If I had a beard, I would be an Ahmedinejad look-a-like (trust me, it’s already be proven).
Re: typology, I was wanting to ask about Luther on the book of James. I would be interested to see how Dr. Wellum addresses Luther’s approach to Scripture where he (Luther) did not find Christ or the gospel on every page (point four on Luther’s hermeneutic).
Tuesday and Thursday I am done around 4:00. I could meet up then if that is okay with you.
Yes, I was that guy! I know who you are now. Matter of fact, I can see the resemblance between you and your long lost brother. I have church history at 4 on Tues and Thurs. I will just come up to you next Monday and introduce myself and we can go from there.
Re: Luther and typology, I agree it would be interesting to see how he handled that question. Something seemed weird about the way he answered my question. Maybe I just didn’t ask what I was thinking, but he still did not satisfy my question–at least I think he didn’t. Oh well, I guess that is why I am paying to be there and he is getting paid to be there.
Take care bro. I look forward to meeting you.
Timmy,
I have watched the Facebook Church twice. Before people criticize it they might want to watch themselves. The two messages I worshiped with Lifechurch I was amazed at how powerful the messages were. They even have a place where people can raise their hands to make decisions for Christ. They have a “live” pastor who is on a chat room and gives their phone number.
It meets people where they are. Just my humble opinion.