Lights, Camera, Action
Lights, Camera, Action!
The Church's Response to the Digital Age
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. (Mark 16:15)
According to a 2022 study, social media users spend a daily average of 2 hours and 27 min on social media. This can be a depressing statistic to many as social media can often be viewed as a net negative to our culture. It’s not hard to see why we often view social media in a poor light either: social media is a huge distraction whether in the classroom, at work, or at social events, social media is draining attention spans as content gets shorter and shorter, despite the name social media often makes us less social and more isolated, its easier than ever to compare yourselves with other peoples highlight reels they create on social media and feel depressed or behind, and the list of negatives can go on and on.
None of these factors change the fact that social media is dominating screen time across the globe, especially among younger, Gen Z audiences. If we take the statistic of an average of 2 hours and 27 minutes of social media a day and multiply it over the period of a week, that puts the average social media user at 17 hours and 9 minutes a week. Let’s compare these numbers to how much time an average person attends church. Let’s say that the average church attender attends a Sunday morning small group, a Sunday morning service, and one small group throughout the week (which may be being generous to the actual average), that still only puts the average time spent at church at a little over three hours a week compared to the 17 hours spent on social media a week.
So, what is the church’s role in this digital age they find themselves in? I believe our role is to step onto the platform and get involved. Now it is important that the church promotes healthy boundaries when it comes to social media. We shouldn’t overindulge in it or join the darkness that is present on all platforms, but the church needs to be a light to the darkness. The church needs to be available where the people are, and people are more present on social media than just about anywhere else.
Now, what does this look like to be a light for Christ on social media? I think this can be acted out in a lot of ways; the first way would just be to tell your testimony. Post a story or blog on how God has been working in your life. Imagine a platform full of stories of how Christ has deeply impacted their life and why they chose to live for them. Testimonies have always been a terrific way to get the gospel across as we love stories, and if we could normalize sharing our journey with Christ, that would be a great light to social media. Share a verse or passage that you meditated on today. Not only can this be a light for those coming across your content, but it can be an effective way to include daily meditation in your schedule. The Word of God is powerful and can be more impactful than anything we may produce. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
Another way the church can be a light on social media is to become content creators and not just consumers. For those looking for a creative outlet, why not try sharing the gospel on short-form content (or long-form)? There are pools of useless or dark content out there to consume but the world desperately needs the hope that only Christ provides. That is where we, as creators, can step in and show that hope in the content we make. How you tackle the issue of delivering the gospel to those on social media is up to you, but the most important thing is to just do it. So set up the cameras, write down your story, share an impactful verse and take action on social media this week and see how God moves.
According to a 2022 study, social media users spend a daily average of 2 hours and 27 min on social media. This can be a depressing statistic to many as social media can often be viewed as a net negative to our culture. It’s not hard to see why we often view social media in a poor light either: social media is a huge distraction whether in the classroom, at work, or at social events, social media is draining attention spans as content gets shorter and shorter, despite the name social media often makes us less social and more isolated, its easier than ever to compare yourselves with other peoples highlight reels they create on social media and feel depressed or behind, and the list of negatives can go on and on.
None of these factors change the fact that social media is dominating screen time across the globe, especially among younger, Gen Z audiences. If we take the statistic of an average of 2 hours and 27 minutes of social media a day and multiply it over the period of a week, that puts the average social media user at 17 hours and 9 minutes a week. Let’s compare these numbers to how much time an average person attends church. Let’s say that the average church attender attends a Sunday morning small group, a Sunday morning service, and one small group throughout the week (which may be being generous to the actual average), that still only puts the average time spent at church at a little over three hours a week compared to the 17 hours spent on social media a week.
So, what is the church’s role in this digital age they find themselves in? I believe our role is to step onto the platform and get involved. Now it is important that the church promotes healthy boundaries when it comes to social media. We shouldn’t overindulge in it or join the darkness that is present on all platforms, but the church needs to be a light to the darkness. The church needs to be available where the people are, and people are more present on social media than just about anywhere else.
Now, what does this look like to be a light for Christ on social media? I think this can be acted out in a lot of ways; the first way would just be to tell your testimony. Post a story or blog on how God has been working in your life. Imagine a platform full of stories of how Christ has deeply impacted their life and why they chose to live for them. Testimonies have always been a terrific way to get the gospel across as we love stories, and if we could normalize sharing our journey with Christ, that would be a great light to social media. Share a verse or passage that you meditated on today. Not only can this be a light for those coming across your content, but it can be an effective way to include daily meditation in your schedule. The Word of God is powerful and can be more impactful than anything we may produce. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
Another way the church can be a light on social media is to become content creators and not just consumers. For those looking for a creative outlet, why not try sharing the gospel on short-form content (or long-form)? There are pools of useless or dark content out there to consume but the world desperately needs the hope that only Christ provides. That is where we, as creators, can step in and show that hope in the content we make. How you tackle the issue of delivering the gospel to those on social media is up to you, but the most important thing is to just do it. So set up the cameras, write down your story, share an impactful verse and take action on social media this week and see how God moves.
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