Church of God World Missions Engages the “Social Network”
In recent years, the prevalence of social network sites like Facebook and Twitter have broadened the means for electronic communication.
For many users, Facebook is an invaluable tool for gathering information in a timely manner. Vernice Blackaby, secretary to the World Missions assistant director says, “Surprisingly, many missionaries send me official requests through Facebook instead of through email. Many of the missionaries post their newsletters and blogs on Facebook, too.”
Along with posting blogs, articles, and photos, many social network users communicate by sharing information through their “status updates,” where users share a sentence or two about their current activities. According to Blackaby, sharing information in this way is useful for maintaining closer, more immediate contact with missionaries than would be possible through email or telephone. “My favorite part about using Facebook is keeping up with [missionaries] and their families, since everyone uses Facebook to write what is going on in their personal lives,” she continued. “I like to know them not just as missionaries, but also through their personal everyday family lives.”
Social network sites like Facebook make it easier to quickly connect with other users in critical situations. Yvette Morales, World Missions field directors’ secretary, shares, “For me, Facebook has been very useful for getting in touch with our people in the field. When attempts at gathering urgent information through email and telephone contact are unsuccessful, I generally receive replies to Facebook messages in less than 15 minutes.”
Looking for more information on World Missions? Check them out on Facebook and Twitter!
© 2011 Church of God World Missions
