May is Digital Outreach Month. What could be better than spending the month of May reading and discussing the book @StickyJesus: how to live out your faith online?
Social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, and blogs provide unprecedented opportunities to develop relationships, engage with others, and share ideas. This includes unprecedented opportunities to engage others in spiritual conversations.
@StickyJesus provides inspiration, insight and guidance to help those already online better live out their faith online, as well as to help who are sharing their faith and building the Kingdom of God offline to effectively expand their influence for God through the power of social networking.
A lot can be learned by reading @StickyJesus, but we can learn even more but discussing it and challenging each other to apply its principles. That’s what we’re going to do here. Here’s the schedule:
| Date | Chapter | Blogger/Blog | |
| Wed 5/4 | 1 | Wanda Simpson | @wls1961 |
| Fri 5/6 | 2 | Crystal Rowe | @SoulMunchies |
| Mon 5/9 | 3 | Seiji Yamashita | @justapen |
| Wed 5/11 | 4 | Sandra Heska King | @SandraHeskaKing |
| Fri 5/13 | 5 | Bruce Crews | @brucecrews |
| Mon 5/16 | 6 | Sarah Holbrook | @sarahfholbrook |
| Wed 5/18 | 7 | Dan King | @bibledude |
| Fri 5/20 | 8 | Jennifer Armitage | @OutreachGeek |
| Mon 5/23 | 9 | Amber Hill Anyanwu | @msamberuh |
| Wed 5/25 | 10 | Lisa Beets | @2krazybeautiful |
| Fri 5/27 | 11 | Brandon Smith | @mynameisbrandon |
| Mon 5/30 | 12 | Rob Ross | @oikosministries |
| Wed 6/1 | 13 | Paul Steinbrueck | @PaulSteinbrueck |
| Fri 6/3 | 14 | Christie Weatherby | @mizweatherby |
| Mon 6/6 | 15 | Kawanzaa S. King | @Kawanzaa_ |
| Wed 6/8 | Wrap | Paul Steinbrueck | @PaulSteinbrueck |
Big thanks to the 15 bloggers who have stepped up to blog about and lead the discussion for a chapter!
While the opportunity to guest blog and lead discussion was limited to 15 people, anyone can participate in this group blog project in several other ways.
- Get a copy of @StickyJesus, read along with us.
- Join the discussion on each chapter by reading and posting comments.
- Blog about what you’re learning on your own blog (post a comment here with a link to your blog post, so others can read/comment on it)
- Share links to each chapter’s post on Facebook, Twitter, & social bookmarking sites.
So let’s kick this off by getting to know each other a little…
Discussion
- Introduce yourself. Where do you live? What do you do?
- Do you already use Facebook, Twitter, a blog or any other social media? If so, for what purpose?
- What are you hoping to gain from participating in this project?
42 Comments
Alright! I'm the first one to post here. Don't I feel like an overachiever. Anyways, i posted today about why i'm getting involved with this project and the short answer: i stink at relationship.
No seriously I do just ask my wife. I really need to be as deliberate about my online relationships as I am about my personal relationship and I haven't been so this is a great chance for me to do that. Look forward to getting to know you all! 🙂
http://justapen.wordpress.com/2011/05/02/stickyje…
Sage, thanks for taking the plunge. Just realizing now I should have gone first in answering these questions…
I'm Paul Steinbrueck, I live in Safety Harbor, FL and am co-founder and CEO of OurChurch.Com
In terms of social media, I'm the lead blogger here at Christian Web Trends. I also blog about making the most out of life at http://LiveIntentionally.org. I use Facebook, but I limit my Facebook "friends" to family and personal friends. I use Twitter much more to get to know new people, exchange ideas, and dialog with people who have different views.
There are at least 2 reason I'm excited about this project. First, I want to do some self-reflection on the way I'm currentl living out my faith online, and I'm asking the Holy Spirit to challenge me with things I should start doing, stop doing or could do more effectively for God. Second, I want to see more Christians more effectively living out their faith online. So, I'm praying that this discussion will not only impact the 16 of us blogging here, but lots of other people who participate here, and thousands of others who see our tweets and Facebook updates throughout this series and beyond.
Hey everyone, I am Sarah Holbrook and I live in Cypress, TX (suburb NW of Houston). I work at Cypress United Methodist Church as the Communications Director.
I started using Facebook first for personal use and then for the church. When I started to Tweet (for myself and the church @cypressumc), that is when my whole world opened up to a new way of communicating….online communication. It is so different than Facebook and so rich. I blog a bit, but love to read other people's blogs. I don't think I am a good writer, I usually have a great team of editors.
I hope to gain a new perspective on social media through this project and perspective on how to spread the Good News. Looking forward to reading all the posts. I
Hi Sarah, great to have you on board with another group blog project. I know several other bloggers in this project are on staff at churches. One of the things I'm interested in exploring is how churches can train, encourage, and resource their members to better use social media to live out their faith online.
Hey gang! I'm Crystal Rowe and I live in Atlanta, GA. I currently serve as Director of Youth Ministry and Adult Education at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection in Marietta GA (that's a mouthful!) I also use what little free time I have to blog (www.soulmunchies.com and http://www.bibledude.net)
I use social media for all sorts of things … there's not a day that goes by that I don't use at least one of them! I've found it a great way to communicate with people in my congregation, but also to form relationships with people I wouldn't otherwise come in contact with.
I'm so excited about this project. For a while now I've been trying to figure out the best way to really share the message of Jesus with people. I am looking forward to what this book has to say about how social media can play a role in doing just that.
Hi Crystal, you do a really good job with your blog, SoulMunchies.com. Glad to have you contributing your insight and perspective to this discussion.
That's great, Brandon! I look forward to hearing more about your insights as we discuss the book and application as specifically as it regards to campus ministry.
Hi, I'm Cindee Snider Re and I live in Sussex, WI. I'm a homeschooling mom of five (10-18), graduating my first born in a few weeks. I currently write for a variety of smaller publications, including monthly for Northshore Church News.
I use my blog (http://www.breathedeeply.org), Facebook Arts/Humanities Page (https://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Breathe-Deeply/176938555664759) and Twitter (@CindeeSniderRe) specifically for outreach. I love Twitter and the challenge of fitting "faith bites" into 140 characters, which I also post at my blog under the title, Sips of Grace.
My hope is to one day publish a coffee table type book of devotionals, poetry, Sips of Grace "faith bites" and photography in support of families serving on the mission field. We'll see where God leads. 🙂
I was excited to learn about @StickyJesus — The Group Blog Project and just ordered my book, so I'll be a little behind, but look forward to learning and growing through each day's posts. Thank you so much for the opportunty!
Grace and Peace,
Cindee
Cindee, wow! I'm amazed that you're able to homeschool 5 kids, write, blog, and participate in the @StickyJesus group blog project. You're coffee table book is a great idea! I hope you make it happen!
hi, i'm claire and i did a readalong this year already of this book and just love it so i might join and write again! i live in New Zealand and am a stay at home mum with 2 school aged kids and involved in our young adults ministry at church.
i'm on both facebook and twitter (@fireball3316) and though i resisted both for ages am now a total addict and find them wonderful for keeping in contact with friends and family and making new friends and sharing information and great resources and i also have a fb page for our young adults ministry which keeps us all in contact and up to date with whats going on each week at church. i've also been blogging for a few years at http://www.onepassiononedevotion.wordpress.com i've had some amazing conversations online, either on my blog or fb or twitter about God and sometimes God just makes something click and someone, on the other side of the world, will just open up and there is an opportuntiy to speak to them about Jesus and His love and grace and pray with them and for them. its so wonderfl partnering with God to see people drawn closer to Him.
i'm hoping that as i go through the book again in this group read that my passion to shine for jesus will increase and that we'll be encouraged that we ARE making a diference for the kingdom of God in our real lives and on line and that i'll make more awesome connections around the world…
Hi Claire, I remember reading about you somewhere recently. 😉 Neat to have you as a part of this conversation. I'm looking forward to learning from you.
Hi all, my name is Rob Ross and I live in Calgary, AB Canada. I am a disciple of Jesus, a husband, a father and an online/offline missionary.
I use facebook https://www.facebook.com/RossRJ to keep in touch with family, friends, and colleagues. I am also admin for our ministry page https://www.facebook.com/oikosministries and one of the admins for Making Disciples https://www.facebook.com/Disciple.Making on facebook. Twitter http://twitter.com/oikosministries has been one of my favourite social networking platforms. I am also involved as an online missionary for Global Media Outreach http://www.globalmediaoutreach.com/ and part of a panel of speakers for Internet Evangelism Day https://www.internetevangelismday.com/speaker.php. My intended purpose for everything I do online is to bring people closer to Jesus and to make disciples.
I am excited about this project. My work schedule is usually very heavy so I often need a reason to sit down and type in my thoughts. This project gives me motivation both to write my post and to read each of your posts. I know from past experience that I will be learning a great deal from each of you. Blessings.
Hi, I'm Christie. I recently moved from West Texas to Colorado.
I am currently working on a book called "100 Things Your Preacher's Wife Wishes She Could Say but Probably Never Will".
I have a page on Facebook called "The Worst Preacher's Wife Ever". (I do not have a blog but write in the "discussions" part of the FB page.) Most of the time I feel like I am the worst preacher's wife ever and I often talk about things in church and ministry that no one wants to talk about or address and things that no one warned me about before I went into ministry. I am honest about my daily and spiritual struggles and I love helping people and being available to others that are struggling themselves.
I am fairly new to Twitter (@mizweatherby) but have made some great friends in the short time I have been there and have been able to share my faith with a few. I am a bit awkward so I am excited to learn how to share my faith more and better!
Christie, that's an awesome name for a Facebook page ("The Worst Preacher's Wife Ever") I know many preachers' wives feel a lot of pressure to be perfect in so many ways. I imagine many of them feel like they're failing miserably because they're trying to live up to an impossible standard. There's a great opportunity for ministry there.
Hi everyone! I'm Kawanzaa King and I live in North Plainfield, New Jersey. I am a lay speaker, and I believe God is teaching me how to use my passion for broadcast media to share the Good News.
I have accounts with FB (facebook.com/ksking98) and Twitter. I tend to use my FB account more for connecting with family and friends, and sharing my radio ministry. I recently started an internet radio station that broadcasts contemporary Christian music 24/7. I host a live broadcast on the station called Your Sunday Morning Wake-Up and Inspiration. I would really like to learn how to effectively share the good news within a 140 characters on Twitter 🙂 I also use a website and blog to share stories of faith @ http://www.livelifeonpurposetoday.com. I'm not as active as I would like to be as a blogger :-/.
I am so excited about this project. I was looking at the book on the @Sitcky Jesus blog site, and thinking, I really need to read this book. A day later, I receive a tweet about the group blog project. Amazing! God's timing is perfect.
Blessings Abound!
Kawanzaa 🙂
Hi Kawanzaa, I'm really excited to hear what God does for you through this book and discussion. One of the awesome things about blogging and social media is the way they compliment and amplify each other as well as other media. As they say, "content is king," and with your work in radio broadcasting you are bound to have some interesting callers and topics that come up on your radio show that could serve for the basis for some great blog posts, which then can be shared on Facebook and Twitter. You're also likely to come across great content on Facebook, Twitter, and other blogs that would make for great content for your broadcasting. The possibilities are limitless!